Terence Casey

Terence Anthony Casey was a prominent British trade unionist and educator who dedicated his career to representing teachers. Educated at Holy Cross School in Ramsgate and Camden College, Casey began his career as a teacher, serving with the Royal Army Education Corps during World War II. Following the war, he taught at state schools in London and joined the National Association of Schoolmasters (NAS), eventually becoming the headteacher of St Joseph's School in Maida Vale in 1956.

Casey's influence within the NAS grew rapidly. He successfully negotiated for the union's representation on the Burnham Committee starting in 1961, a position he maintained until his retirement. After serving as the union's president from 1962 to 1963, he was elected general secretary of the NAS in 1963. In this leadership role, Casey championed the creation of the Union of Women Teachers and fostered a close alliance between the two organizations, culminating in a highly contested merger in 1975 that formed the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

Beyond his national leadership, Casey was active internationally, serving as vice president of the International Federation of Free Teachers' Unions and treasurer of the European Teachers' Trade Union Committee. Known for his strong-willed leadership style, which occasionally drew criticism from contemporaries, he remained a powerful figure in British education policy. For his services, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1977. Following his retirement in 1983, he continued to serve on various educational and voluntary committees until his death in 1987.