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Peter Townsend (1928-2009) – A tribute

9 June 2009

It is with sadness that we report the sudden death of our colleague Peter Townsend on 7th June 2009. Peter was a towering figure in the social science community. Over a career spanning 60 years he made seminal contributions to the understanding of poverty, disability, inequalities in health, social care of the elderly and domestic and international social policy.

Peter Townsend

Peter Townsend

He is best known for his major analytical survey: Poverty in the United Kingdom (1979). His major body of research on the scientific measurement of poverty revolutionised thinking. The same can be said for his work on inequalities in health. Peter’s work has had a profound impact upon policy, not only in the UK but globally. Latterly much of his work focused upon child poverty, children’s right and development on a global scale. Again the impact of this work on policy – in terms of mapping the dimensions of child poverty cross-nationally and placing the issue squarely on the agenda – is clear.

Peter was Professor, then Emeritus Professor, of Social Policy, University of Bristol (1982-2009). Peter was head of the Department of Social Policy and Social Planning for 11 years. He was also professor of International Social Policy at the London School of Economics (1998-2009). Peter played an active role in the work of the university research centre which bears his name – the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research – run by his long-time collaborator and friend, Professor Dave Gordon, and hosted by the School.

Peter was a prolific writer – sometimes solo, but often in collaboration. To celebrate his 80th birthday in 2008 the International Poverty Research Centre published a list of his publications: the list ran to 67 pages.

Peter’s academic contribution was widely recognised. He was awarded six honorary doctorates, most recently by the University of York in 2000. In 1999 he was elected a founder Academician of the new Academy of Learned Societies for the Social Sciences.

But Peter’s work was motivated by a desire for change. It could be not confined by the academy. He was deeply politically engaged. Peter was a founding member of the Child Poverty Action Group in 1965. He was life president from 1989. He was the co-founder of the Disability Alliance in 1973, and president from 1999. His was vice-president of the Fabian Society from 1989 onwards. He served for more than 30 years on a range of Labour Party policy committees.

As an antidote to the tendency for newspapers to produce annual lists of the wealthy and famous, in 2008 the Independent on Sunday produced its (inaugural) Happy List. The aim was to produce a list to celebrate “those Britons who have given back, enhanced the lives of others and realised that in an acquisitive society there's a crying need for values other than mere materialism”. It was entirely fitting that we find Peter Townsend’s name prominent on the list.

He will be sadly missed.

Peter is survived by his wife, Jean Corston, Baroness Corston, and five adult children.