Tributes have poured in for a Leeds university professor described as "remarkable" for her impact across the world in education.
Dr Mary Hallaway, was a chairwoman on the board of Leeds Trinity University and renowned for her expertise in biochemistry. A co-worker confirmed to Leeds Live that after suffering a short illness recently, Mary died on June 4, age 90.
Colleagues and students say the "wise" professor, who was the previous Principal of Trinity and All Saints College and Honorary Fellow of the University, made a "transformational impact" to the education industry.
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Hallaway was born in Rickery, Carlisle, in 1932. She attended secondary school in Surrey before studying at St Anne's Oxford University where she began pursuing her passion for biochemistry. She conducted a doctorate degree in 1952 and became an assistant lecturer at 20 years old. Ten years later she went on to teach at the University of Liverpool.
In 1969 she flew out to Nigeria to join the Ahmadu Bello University, where she was responsible for building a vibrant department of biochemistry. Despite being a difficult task, the teacher with an "eagle eye" completed it and established a department of biochemistry.
The workshops she conducted while there had far-reaching and beneficial effects on biochemical education in Nigeria and defined the place of biochemists in the development of the country. Those who knew her said her work "significantly shaped" the way biochemistry is studied in Nigeria today.
She became the first professor at the university and served four years. After her work in Nigeria she return to the UK and started a new life in Leeds.
She became the principal of Trinity an All Saints College, where she served for nine years. She resigned in 1989 and wanted to return to Africa to help their education industry. A friend of Mary's said: "She was always of the opinion that to be able to properly teach and impact on the nation."
Her next task was in Uganda where she served at Makerere University and started another department of biochemistry from scratch. Five years later she moved to the college of medicine at the University of Malawi, where she left after a short period to head back to the UK.
Upon her return, the main building lecture theatre at Leeds Trinity University was named after her - the Mary Hallaway Lecture Theatre. The Mary Hallaway Teaching Laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is also named After.
In 2017 she was an award an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, and became a trustee of CAFOD before enjoying her retirement. Her death has saddened many who came across her during their education journey.
Jamie Hanley, who is a chairman on the board of Leeds Trinity University, told Leeds Live: "On behalf of the Board at Leeds Trinity University, I offer our sincere condolences to Professor Hallaway’s family and friends.
"Mary made a huge contribution to the lives of so many students who studied at Trinity and All Saints College. She had a transformational impact - of course on our students and staff colleagues - but also in having brought together the previously separate All Saints and Trinity Colleges.
"Although Mary retired in 1989, the impact of her leadership has lived on and is part of our growing University today. She was rightly recognised by Her Majesty the Queen with an OBE and our University was proud to award her an Honorary Fellowship in 2017."
A number of people took to social media to share their tributes. Patricia Stoat said: "I loved Mary for her wisdom and humour, and also for her eagle eye for a weak argument, a false premise or any attempt at fudge or obfuscation ... clarity of thought was central to her faith, as it was to her commitment to science."
Silvana Dallanegra Rscj said: "Not only did she attend our school in Woldingham, but when she was at Oxford she lived at our convent in Norham Gardens. Mary H stayed with us when I lived there, and told stories about her time there, during which she was 'head student', which meant she got the biggest bedroom!"
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