A granddaughter of the Quaker philanthropist Joseph Rowntree, daughter of John W Rowntree and Constance Naish, born at Scalby in Yorkshire.   

After reading History at Somerville she became an inspiring teacher at Downe House and also ran the school’s Historical Society, the Geographical Society and encouraged the girls in their charitable work.  In 1936, she and the school’s Historical Society did a great deal of research and created ‘The Powder Plot’.  She wrote a number of plays which were performed by the staff including a thoughtful comedy ‘Revolution in Patagonia’ and a farce, Education Limited.  The excerpt below if from a girl’s review of the latter. 

Mary Midgely, the moral philosopher who was a pupil here at Downe House wrote, “Our History teachers constantly brought together the many different aspects of life that history tells of, and they also connected the past with what was happening in our own day.  One of them Jean Rowntree, used to give a fortnightly talk to the whole school about current events.  She made it all live, yet she always made some sense of it.” 

Jean Rowntree also helped to set up the first Citizens’ Advice Bureau in the Newbury. After the outbreak of WWII she worked with the many refugees who streamed into Newbury during the Blitz before taking time away from teaching to work at the Quaker Centre in Vienna and also, with her cousin Tessa Rowntree, to work in Prague helping refugees from the Sudetenland.  Not only did she help with bring them supplies of food, warm clothing and blankets, she also worked hard to find countries who would accept the refugees. 

After leaving teaching, she went on to join the BBC, arranging talks and then became involved with the educational side of broadcasting with the corporation’s Education Unit. To a great degree, the output reflected her wide-ranging interests, with series on science, the arts, current affairs, the environment and education itself.   

She is remembered by many for her sharp mind and seriousness of purpose, coupled with an enchanting smile and a hearty laugh. She was a sturdy, energetic person, scholarly in manner, but kind and encouraging. 

Her ashes were scattered in the garden of the Friends' Meeting House, Kirbymoorside. 

Jean Wilhelma Rowntree, educational broadcaster, born November 8 1905; died 16 January 2003