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Ursula Masson was a woman who made things happen. Proud to call herself a feminist, she was a fine scholar and an inspirational teacher whose passionate commitment to woman and to politics was evident to everyone who knew her.
She was born in Merthyr Tydfil and educated at Cardiff University and the University of Keele. As a history lecturer at the then University of Glamorgan from 1994, she became a leading figure in the field of women’s history, especially Welsh women’s political history. She set up, with Professor Jane Aaron, the Centre for Gender Studies in Wales. She was also instrumental in founding Archif Menywod Cymru/Women’s Archive of Wales. The South Wales Miners’ Library holds the Ursula Masson library of books, 758 in total.
Val Feld was born Valerie Breen Turner in 1947 in Bangor, north Wales. Val Feld became a journalist at the BBC, and later spent 10 years in Lancashire working on community and social activities. In 1981, following the break-up of her marriage, she returned to Wales and founded the Shelter Cymru Office in Swansea. 9 years later she was appointed Director of Shelter Cymru, and in 1989 she became director of the Wales Equal Opportunities Commission, a post which she held for 10 years until her election as an AM. Val Feld began her political career as a Labour councillor in Chorley, Lancashire. She acted as Treasurer for the 'Yes for Wales' campaign, which fought for a 'yes' vote in the 1997 referendum on the creation of a Welsh Assembly. She was Assembly Member for Swansea East from the establishment of the Assembly in 1999 until her death in July 2001. Her particular interests included economic development, housing and education issues. She was one of the most respected members of the Assembly, across all political parties, and worked hard to advance the role of women in Welsh politics. In May 2001, Val Feld stood down as Chair of the Economic Development Committee, and began scaling down her additional duties due to illness. She died on July 17 2001.
We hold the Val Feld Library of books at the South Wales Miners’ Library.