Celebrating London Women's History

Paddy Musson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1947. Paddy dealt with many physical ailments throughout her life and took this pain and put it into her creative sewing work. She helped to design dresses for her sister’s wedding and made hats for women that were suffering from cancer. It was through these trials that Paddy decided to become someone who could council others, and psychiatry was an appealing route for her. She attended York University and received her B.A. in Sociology in 1968. She married Currie Palmer in 1969. Later she went to the University of Western Ontario and received her Masters in Sociology in 1971. She also did her Doctoral studies at York University from 1974-1976. Paddy was one of the founding members of the Women’s Centre.  Later, she was employed as a member of the Faculty of Fanshawe College in 1976. Her involvement in the faculty union gave her the opportunity to train as a leader and to connect with people beyond the borders of the college and city. Paddy’s life was characterized by her desire to improve the working conditions and pay for the occupations that were predominantly female such as librarians and part-time workers. Her strong sense of justice and emphasis on equality for all was what made Paddy such an integral part of the London community.