Lucy Cavendish College is saddened to announce the passing of Dame Stella Rimington DCB, Honorary Fellow of the College and former Director-General of MI5.
Dame Stella Rimington passed away peacefully on Sunday evening, surrounded by her beloved family and dogs.
She made history in 1992 when she became the first woman to lead MI5, and the first Director-General whose identity was made public, paving the way for a more transparent and inclusive Security Service. Her remarkable career spanned all major areas of the Service’s work, including counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism.
Educated at Nottingham Girls’ High School and the universities of Edinburgh and Liverpool, Dame Stella joined MI5 full-time in 1969 and served until her retirement in 1996. In later years, she held numerous leadership roles across public and private sectors, and remained a champion of science, security, and equality.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1995 and held honorary degrees from the Universities of Nottingham and Exeter.
Following a lecture entitled “Leading in Secret”, she gave at the College for the Centre for Women and Leadership on 8 June 2006, she was offered an Honorary Fellowship in July 2006 under President Dame Veronica Sutherland and was inducted as an Honorary Fellow on 30 November 2006.
An inspiring woman, Dame Stella will be remembered with great admiration and affection by all at Lucy Cavendish College.