# Robert Southern

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Southern
> Source revision: 1325824642
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{{Short description|British co-operator (1907–1999)}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = Sir
| name               = Robert Southern
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|size=100%}}
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1907|03|17|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [Prestwich](/source/Prestwich), [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire), England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1999|09||1907|03|17|df=y}}
| education          = {{Unbulleted list|
* [Stand Grammar School](/source/Stand_Grammar_School)
* [Co-operative College](/source/Co-operative_College)
* [University of Manchester](/source/University_of_Manchester)
}}
| organization       = [Co-operative Union](/source/Co-operative_Union)
}}

'''Sir Robert Southern''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (17 March 1907<ref>''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007''</ref> &ndash; September 1999) was a [British](/source/British_people) [co-operative](/source/co-operative_movement) official.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/peopleoftoday0000unse |title=People of Today |location=London  |publisher= Debrett's Peerage |year=1993 |isbn=978-1-870520-14-0 |pages=1917–1918 |language=En}}</ref>

Born in [Prestwich](/source/Prestwich), Southern was educated at [Stand Grammar School](/source/Stand_Grammar_School).  He was interested in the co-operative movement from an early age, joining the [Co-operative Wholesale Society](/source/Co-operative_Wholesale_Society) (CWS) in 1923.  He studied at the [Co-operative College](/source/Co-operative_College), and from 1929 worked for the [Co-operative Union](/source/Co-operative_Union).  In his spare time, he completed a degree in commerce with the [University of Manchester](/source/University_of_Manchester).<ref name="obituary">{{cite news|title=Former UK Co-op chief dies aged 92|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6108104.Former_UK_Co_op_chief_dies_aged_92/|accessdate=10 March 2018|work=Lancashire Telegraph|date=1 October 1999}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

In 1946, Southern was appointed as assistant general secretary of the Co-operative Union, and he was promoted to general secretary in 1950.  He remained in this post until his retirement, in 1972, also serving as a vice-president of the [International Co-operative Alliance](/source/International_Co-operative_Alliance) and as president of the 1969 [Co-operative Congress](/source/Co-operative_Congress).<ref name="obituary" />

Southern devoted much of his spare time to the Stand Unitarian Chapel, serving as secretary of its trustees, and as superintendent of its [Sunday school](/source/Sunday_school).  He was also secretary of the [Besses o' th' Barn Band](/source/Besses_o'_th'_Barn_Band) Company, a [brass band](/source/brass_band), and was active in the Radcliffe Literary Society and Camera Club.  He was made a [Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1953, and was knighted in the [1970 New Year Honours](/source/1970_New_Year_Honours).<ref name="obituary" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-npo}}
{{succession box|title=General Secretary of the [Co-operative Union](/source/Co-operative_Union)|years=1950&ndash;1972|before=[Robert Palmer](/source/Robert_Palmer%2C_1st_Baron_Rusholme)|after=Clarence Hilditch}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern, Robert}}
Category:1907 births
Category:1999 deaths
Category:Alumni of the Co-operative College
Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:British co-operative organisers
Category:Knights Bachelor
Category:People from Prestwich
Category:People educated at Stand Grammar School
Category:Date of death missing

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robert Southern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Southern) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Southern?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.