Constance Dowman (1915–1982)

Constance Dowman spent her entire working life within the humanist movement, and her activities spanned the breadth of humanist, rationalist, and secularist activity—from publishing to social welfare. Born Constance Kerr, she met her future husband and fellow humanist George Dowman at a Rationalist Press Association (RPA) conference in 1954, and married him at Conway Hall. An administrator, member, and director of the RPA, she was also an active part of the South Place Ethical Society, honorary secretary of the Rationalist Benevolent Fund, trustee of the Humanist Housing Association, and the first secretary of the British Humanist Association—jointly sponsored by the RPA and Ethical Union from 1963. On her death in 1982, Dowman’s obituary in the New Humanist noted that aside from its founder and his son, hers had been the ‘longest and most loyal’ service given by anyone to the RPA, while the Ethical Record mourned a ‘genuinely irreplaceable’ loss to the humanist movement at large.

_{From: New Humanist, Summer 1982}

Constance Dowman gave the longest and most loyal service to the Rationalist Press Association that has been given by anyone during the eighty-three years of its existence, except only for its founder C. A. Watts and his son F. C. C. Watts.

Constance Kerr was born on 23 June 1915. She went to Ilford High School, and then took a secretarial and business course. At the age of sixteen, in 1932, she began work as a typist at C. A. Watts & Co., the publishing company associated with the RPA, and she continued to work for us until she was sixty. She soon became secretary to F. C. C. Watts, who had succeeded his father as Managing Director in 1930. In 1938 she became Executive Secretary and in 1941 Secretary of the RPA, and she remained its chief administrator for thirty-four years. In 1954, following the death of F. C. C. Watts in 1953, she became General Secretary, which she remained until her retirement from full-time work in 1975. Meanwhile she became a Member of the RPA in 1938 and a Life Member in 1969, and she was a Director from 1946 until her death, remaining active to the end. She was also the Honorary Secretary of the Rationalist Benevolent Fund, and served on almost every committee and sub-committee throughout her period of service.

In 1955 she married George Dowman, a well-known member of the Humanist movement, and she later cared for him until his death. She also cared for her father until her own death.

She was also active in other Humanist organisations, such as the South Place Ethical Society, of which she had been a Committee member three times and was a Trustee up until her death, and the Humanist Housing Association, of which she was a Committee member from 1967 and Vice-Chairman from 1974 until her death.

Constance Dowman was one of the very few people of whom it may be truly said that she was irreplaceable, and her completely unexpected and relatively early death at the age of sixty-six will be widely mourned. She died very suddenly on 4 February 1982, and was cremated after a Humanist ceremony at Uxbridge on 11 February. The officiant was the Managing Editor and Secretary of the RPA, and representatives were present from the Directors and staff of the RPA and also from the South Place Ethical Society, the Humanist Housing Association, and Humanist Holidays, as well as several local Humanist groups.

_{From: The Ethical Record, April 1982}

Constance Dowman (June 23 1915—February 4 1981) who devoted her entire adult life to the service of the humanist movement, spent her working life at the Rationalist Press Association. In 1932, at the age of 16, Constance Kerr came to its associated publishing company, C. A. Watts & Co, as an invoice typist on the Thinker’s Library (which had begun in 1929 and continued until 1951, selling four million copies of 140 freethought titles). In November 1946 she became a Director of the RPA, and in January 1954 her post was retitled General Secretary. In 1954 she married George Dowman, a prominent member of the South Place Ethical Society, who died in 1974. 

Constance Dowman retired from full-time employment at the RPA in June 1975, after working there for 43 years, remaining a Director until her death. She was also the Honorary Secretary of the Rationalist Benevolent Fund.

She became a member of the South Place Ethical Society in April 1948 and a life member in April 1969. She served on the Committee three times (1959-1962, 1970-1973, 1975-1978), and was a Trustee from 1975 until her death. She joined the Committee of the Humanist Housing Association in 1967, was Vice-Chairman from 1974, and Chairman of the Finance Sub Committee from 1979. 

In all her work for the humanist movement, Constance Dowman said little and did much. She practised her principles in her private as much as in her public life, being a loyal and generous friend, and caring for her husband until his death and for her father until her own. She was one of the very few people who are genuinely irreplaceable, and her very sudden and relatively early death will be widely regretted.

– NICOLAS WALTER

I would like to pay tribute. to Mrs Constance Dowman. Connie was a long standing member of South Place, and a Trustee. She contributed to the Society in many areas, and served on the General Committee, always making well considered, sensible suggestions which were very helpful. She was a fine photographer, and gave splendid slide shows at Sunday Socials. She was very reliable, had complete integrity, and was always ready to assist. Her manner was invariably polite and courteous, and she had a most pleasant personality. Connie will be greatly missed. 

– LOUISE BOOKER

I regret that I only came to really know Connie Dowman in the past year. Outwardly she was shy and reserved but this was misleading—she had great warmth, fortitude and absolute respect for loyalty and responsibility. I am personally indebted to her for the support she gave me when Albert died. She wrote immediately offering her friendship and assistance in any way. We did become firm friends and I mourn the passing of a sincere and courageous lady. 

– RAY LOVECY