Patricia Thane, known as Pat, is a British

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

Career

Thane studied history at the University of Oxford, and then completed her PhD under Brian Abel-Smith at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

. She was a lecturer then senior lecturer in the department of social policy at Goldsmiths College London from 1967 until 1994. She was professor of contemporary history at the University of Sussex 1994-2001, then Leverhulme professor of contemporary British history at the

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hou ...

2001-10 and professor of contemporary history at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

to 2019 as well as a general

. She has been a visiting professor at Nanjing University, China, and at universities in Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Chile, New York. Since 2019, she has been a visiting professor in history at Birkbeck College, London University. She is Professor Emerita at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. Thane was a co-founder of ''History & Policy'', which publishes historical research freely online. Thane has a particular interest in the history of gender, old age, pensions, and the welfare state. Alongside Alastair Reid ( Girton College), Simon Szreter, (St John’s College, Cambridge), and Virginia Berridge (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Thane is a founder of ''History & Policy'', which publishes historical research freely online.

Awards and honours

Thane was elected as a fellow of the British Academy in 2006. She was elected honorary president of the Social History Society in 2016, after the death of

Asa Briggs Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (7 May 1921 – 15 March 2016) was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the Victorian era, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his lon ...

, who was a member for forty years.

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thane, Pat Academics of King's College London British women academics Living people Year of birth missing (living people) British historians British women historians Alumni of the London School of Economics