About Carol Handley
Lived 1929 – 2024 (aged 94). Carol Handley was a British classical scholar, educator and head teacher.
Carol Margaret Handley (née Taylor; 17 October 1929 – 21 June 2024) was a British educator who was headmistress of Camden School for Girls (1971–1985) and president of the Classical Association (1996–1997). Handley was later a classics tutor at Wolfson College, Cambridge. Handley is known for her longstanding advocacy for Classics education in schools and universities, as well as for her work on teaching and examination materials for the Joint Association of Classical Teachers and for the University of Cambridge.
Career After completing her Classics BA at UCL in 1951, Handley began her teaching career at Queen's Gate School, London in 1952. She moved to Camden School for Girls in 1956 as a Classics teacher becoming the Senior Classics mistress. In 1965 Handley became Deputy Head and then Headmistress in 1971. She retired from Camden School for Girls in 1985.
Throughout this time Handley was involved with the Joint Association of Classical Teachers, and was co-founder with David Raeburn and John Sharwood Smith of the JACT Greek summer school in 1968. working closely with James Morwood, who had succeeded David Raeburn as Director.
From 1991 to 2005, Handley was the director of the Reading Greek courses at the Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge. During this time Handley became president of the Classical Association in 1996, and her presidential address in 1997 was published as Things That Matter.
Personal life and death Handley married Eric Handley on 31 July 1952. He was the leading scholar in the rediscovery of the playwright Menander, writing an important commentary on the Dyskolos. He was Professor of Greek at UCL and then was Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College, Cambridge, until his death in 2013. He was also a fellow of the British Academy.
Select publications A Greek Anthology (Carol Handley, James Morwood and John Taylor, Cambridge University Press, 2002) with Pat Easterling (eds.) Greek Scripts: An Illustrated Introduction (Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 2001) Things That Matter (Classical Association 1997) with Jeannie Cohen, James Morwood, James Neville An Independent Study Guide to Reading Greek (Cambridge University Press, various editions)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Carol Handley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Carol Handley's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Carol Handley?
British educator (1929–2024)
When was Carol Handley born?
Carol Handley was born on 17 October 1929 in London.
When did Carol Handley die?
Carol Handley died on 21 June 2024.
What was Carol Handley's occupation?
Carol Handley was a classical scholar, educator and head teacher.
What nationality was Carol Handley?
Carol Handley was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Carol Handley. https://biography.guide/carol-handley/
MLA: "Carol Handley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/carol-handley/.
Chicago: "Carol Handley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/carol-handley/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:12 UTC