Honouring a Pioneer: Alumna Richarda Morrow-Tait
Published on 10/12/24
Students Ava M and Alison H tell us about Alumna Richarda Morrow-Tait: Alison and I had the honour to put together a display to commemorate the achievements of alumna Richarda Morrow-Tait, the first woman pilot to fly around the world.
It was amazing to learn about her achievements and the various setbacks she overcame and collate these into a display to mark the 75th anniversary of her adventure.
It was so special that this display was shown at Marshalls at the unveiling of Richarda’s blue plaque. Richarda was truly inspirational in how she overcame prejudice surrounding her gender, particularly media coverage suggesting that she was a bad mother for ‘abandoning’ her daughter at home with her husband. Richarda’s perseverance and grit to continue her flight despite horrendous weather conditions and her plane being damaged numerous times can serve as an inspiration to us all.
Richarda Morrow-Tait (1923 - 1982)
A blue plaque was unveiled to commemorate Richarda Morrow-Tait (known as Dikki), a pioneering alumna who made the first round-the- world flight by a woman. The unveiling took place on 19 August 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of her historic journey, which began on 18 August 1948, and concluded a year later.
Dikki, born Prudence Richarda Eveleen Routh in 1923 at Norman Hall, Ickleton, Cambridgeshire, is a remarkable figure in aviation history.