Fred Reid (campaigner)

Fred Reid
Fred Reid in 2017
Born1937
Glasgow, Scotland
Died29 March 2025(2025-03-29) (aged 87–88)
Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England
OccupationsHistorian, author, disability rights campaigner
Known forAdvocacy for blind and visually impaired people; historical works on Keir Hardie and Thomas Hardy
SpouseEtta Reid (m. 1963)
Children3
HonorsHonorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt), University of Warwick (2017, with Etta Reid)
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Warwick (Honorary Professor)
Notable worksKeir Hardie: The Making of a Socialist (1978); Thomas Hardy and History (2017)

Fred Reid (1937 – 29 March 2025) was a Scottish-born historian, author, and disability rights campaigner. Blind from the age of 14, he became an influential advocate for blind and visually impaired people in the United Kingdom, while also producing respected works of historical scholarship. He lived for much of his later life in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, and was an honorary professor at the University of Warwick.