Nationality British | Name D. Riddy | |
Died 20 November 1979(1979-11-20) (aged 72) Occupation Linguist, educationalist | ||
Donald Charles "D. C." Riddy CBE (10 September 1907 – 20 November 1979) was a British linguist and educationalist. After World War II he was British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, tasked with assisting the de-nazification of Germany through a process of re-education. He was later co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme and, for most of his career, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools. He was described as a man of ‘wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm’.
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Early life
Riddy was born in Bedford on 10 September 1907, the son of Arthur John Riddy, a baker and corn dealer, and his wife Alice Jane Riddy. He was educated at Bedford Modern School, where he was a member of the cricket team, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge where he played rugby in the First XV.
Career
Riddy was British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, after World War II. One of his tasks was to counter twelve years of Nazi indoctrination through a process of re-education. The aim was to eliminate Nazi and militaristic tendencies and to encourage the development of democratic ideas. Notwithstanding the stringency of the aim, Riddy’s method and approach was to stress the importance of showing the German people the ‘benevolent attitude of the occupying power and encouraging a belief in Germany’s future’.
After his role in Germany, Riddy was made overall co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme and, for most of his career, served as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools. He was Professor of Applied Linguistics at Essex University between 1969 and 1970.
Riddy was made CBE in 1946.
Family life
In 1933, Riddy married Constance White in Bedford. He died in Bedford on 20 November 1979 and was survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. He was described as a man of ‘wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm’.