Patricia Strauss

Lady Patricia Frances Strauss (21 October 1909 – 16 July 1987) was a British politician and patron of the arts.

Born Patricia O'Flynn, in 1932 she married George Strauss, a former Member of Parliament, who soon returned to office.[1] During the Second World War, she wrote two books on prominent personalities in the Labour Party: Bevin and Co. and Cripps, Advocate and Rebel.[2] She was also a war correspondent with the New York Herald Tribune.[1]

Strauss stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in Kensington South at the 1945 UK general election, losing heavily. In 1946, she was elected to the London County Council, representing Vauxhall.[1] She chaired the council's Parks Committee from 1947 to 1949, then its Supplies Committee until 1952. She remained on the council until 1958, but by this time was focusing on sitting on the boards of numerous arts institutions. A governor of the Royal Ballet School, Old Vic and Sadler's Wells Theatre from 1951, she was later also on the boards of the Royal Ballet, Ballet Rambert, London Opera Centre, Sadler's Wells Opera and Goldsmith's College, standing down from most of these posts only in 1985.[2]

Strauss led an unsuccessful campaign for the government to require 0.5% of the cost of all new buildings to be spent on art, and while chairing the Parks Committee, organised a major exhibition of international sculpture in Battersea Park.[3]

George was made a baron in 1979, and Patricia therefore became Lady Strauss.[4]