Constance Marie Patterson (born 1 April 1934), known as Marie Patterson, is a former British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 trade unionist.

Patterson attended Pendleton High School

Pendleton High School

Pendleton High School is a public high school located in Pendleton, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 92% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 208 students, 192 graduated, 9 dropped out, 1 received a modified diploma, and 6 are still in high school....

 and Bedford College of the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

 before becoming active in the Transport and General Workers' Union

Transport and General Workers' Union

The Transport and General Workers' Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union - with 900,000 members...

 (TGWU). She was appointed as the union's women's officer in 1963, when she wa also elected to the general council of the Trades Union Congress

Trades Union Congress

The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...

 (TUC), while in 1966 she was elected to the executive of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions

The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions is a trade union confederation in the United Kingdom.-History:The confederation was founded in December 1890 as the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades by small craft unions, on the initiative of Robert Knight of the United...

 (CSEU).

In 1975, Patterson was the President of the Trades Union Congress

President of the Trades Union Congress

The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism.The President is elected at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress . They officially fill the office for the remainder of the year and then preside over the following...

, and she also filled the post in 1977, following the death of Danny McGarvey. During the 1960s, she served on the Press Council, while, in the 1970s, she served on the Equal Opportunities Commission

Equal Opportunities Commission

The Equal Opportunities Commission was an independent non-departmental public body, in the United Kingdom, which tackled sex discrimination and promoted gender equality...

 and the Central Arbitration Committee. She stood down from her trade union posts in 1984, but remained a member of the Hotel and Catering Training Board and the board of Remploy

Remploy

Remploy Ltd is a government-owned company in the United Kingdom which provides employment and employment placement services for disabled people. It was established in 1945 under the terms of the 1944 Disabled Persons Act, and opened its first factory in Bridgend, Wales, in 1946...

, and joined the council of the London School of Economics

London School of Economics

The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...

. She was a member of several other boards through the 1990s, but stood down from the last of her public positions in 2005.