Donald Grattan
Brought Open University to the small screen
BORN AUGUST 7, 1926 – DIED AUGUST 21, 2019, AGED 93
A FORWARD thinker born with exceptional communication skills, former teacher Donald Grattan brought the Open University to television.
In 1969 he worked on an arrangement with the then Labour government which allowed OU lectures to be broadcast. He also set up a base for OU programming at Alexandra Palace and went on to arrange for studios to be built at Milton Keynes, revolutionising the way people gained access to higher education.
Within a short time those broadcasts were syndicated around the world, showcasing how advanced Britain then was in bringing education to a wider audience.
Among the stars who had an early role in his plans was Bob Hoskins, who played the part of an illiterate removal man who went to evening classes to learn to read and write.
TV chef Delia Smith and dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse also started out learning how to project themselves on screen under Grattan’s careful eye.
Born in the village of St Osyth, Essex, Grattan was a descendant of the Irish statesman Henry Grattan, who battled for Irish independence in the 1780s.
After performing well at Harrow County School, Donald achieved a firstclass honours degree in maths and physics, and a diploma in radio physics at King’s College London.
He found his vocation as a maths teacher at Chiswick Grammar School.
In 1956 he joined the BBC and, by 1963, he had set up a further education unit, despite some opposition.
Awarded an honorary doctorate by the OU in 1985, he was appointed a CBE for services to education four years later. In his retirement to Marlow in the Thames Valley, he built a croquet course in his garden, going on to excel in the game.
His wife Valmai, whom he married in 1950, died this year. He is survived by their children, David and Jennifer, grandchildren and great-grandchildren