Remembering Mike Terry
When I was a university student, I took a year off my studies to serve full-time as the sabbatical President of the Students’ Union of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) which has now merged with the University of Manchester. The academic year of my office was 1969-70.
This was a turbulent year in student and political circles. A third of universities experienced sit-ins and I addressed the one held at the University of Manchester. Jack Straw – the current Cabinet Minister – was President of the National Union of Students and I was one of his nominees for a second term.
One of my fellow student union presidents that year was a great guy called Mike Terry (he was at the University of Birmingham). He was one of those student activists – like Jack Straw and me (I hope) – who carried his radicalism into post-university life. Mike became Executive Secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the UK, a post he held from 1975 to 1994. He was an utterly tireless worker for the cause in a mild-mannered, understated way.
Mike lived to see Nelson Mandela released from imprisonment and the African National Congress form a post-apartheid government, but sadly he has just died from a heart attack, aged only 61. I offer deep condolences to his family and friends.
More information here.