Marjorie Ruth Dilley (January 26, 1903 – October 28, 1989) was an American political scientist.
[1] After graduating, she lived in New Mexico and Colorado, working as a high school teacher in both states.
In 1937, Dilley published her PhD dissertation thesis in the form of a book, also called British policy in Kenya Colony.
[6] For this reason, the book was praised for being one of the first analyses to turn a critical eye towards British colonial activity in East Africa, and was viewed by the Colonial Office as highly critical of their policies,[1] but was also critiqued for eliding and largely omitting the actions and preferences of the Kenyan people.
[6] The fact that she wrote the book in England and America without ever visiting Kenya was described both as a benefit and a detriment, leading to a deeply researched volume that also lacked any detailed discussion of the victims of colonization.