Fred Jarvis

Frederick Frank Jarvis CBE (born 8 September 1924) is a retired British trade union leader. He was President of the National Union of Students (NUS) from 1952 to 1954 and General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) from 1975 to 1989.  Jarvis served as President of the Trades Union Congress in 1987, the first Oxford graduate to hold that position.

Early life and education
As a child Jarvis attended Plaistow Secondary School in what was then the County Borough of West Ham in Essex.  At the start of World War II, the family moved to Wallasey; he attended Wallasey Grammar School and joined the Progressive Youth Movement.  Later in the war, he joined the Army, taking part in the Normandy landings.

In 1947, he went to University of Liverpool for a Diploma in Social Sciences, and obtained a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Catherine's College, Oxford.  He married Anne Colegrove, herself a vice-president of the NUS, in 1954.

Political activity
In 1951 Jarvis fought the safely-Conservative seat of Wallasey on behalf of the Labour Party, but was defeated by the incumbent, Ernest Marples, by 15,705 votes.

Personal interests
Jarvis remains a lifelong supporter of West Ham United Football Club.

A keen photographer, Jarvis had an exhibition of his work at the TUC Centre in 2010 in aid of the North London Hospice.

In 2014 he published his autobiography You Never Know Your Luck.

Jarvis was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours.

Fred and Anne Jarvis Award
Named after Jarvis and his late wife, the Fred and Anne Jarvis Award was established in 2007 and presented annually by the NUT.  Originally for individuals outside the NUT who have campaigned tirelessly for children and young people, in 2017 the award was given to an NUT member.  From 2019 the award has been presented by the National Education Union, which has succeeded the NUT.

For a list of winners of the Fred and Anne Jarvis Award see List of Fred and Anne Jarvis Award winners.

Footnotes

References
Biography, Who's Who

Category:1924 births
Category:Living people
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Comprehensive education
Category:Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress
Category:Presidents of the National Union of Students (United Kingdom)
Category:Presidents of the Trades Union Congress
Category:General Secretaries of the National Union of Teachers
Category:British Army personnel of World War II