Vassar grad has affair with U.K. Home Secretary

Patrick Murray Staff Writer

The name Kimberly Solomon does not ring many bells around Vassar Campus. Granted, she graduated over 20 years ago, a member of the Class of 1982, so most professors might not have even known her. However, even professors who have been here since 1982 cannot provide any more information than a vague, “I think the name sounds familiar…” While Solomon may not have made much of a name for herself here at Vassar, she has made a name for herself as a graduate, going on to get married, become a successful publisher, and be named by London’s Daily Mirror as “the most frighteningly predatory American to cross the Atlantic since Wallis Simpson.”

Solomon, now Kimberly Quinn, has become the center of one of Great Britain’s leading sex scandals, involving one of the most powerful members of Tony Blair’s cabinet. According to The Chicago Tribune, Quinn began having an affair with Home Security Secretary David Blunkett, 57, for three years before leaving him to go back to her husband, magazine publisher Stephen Quinn. Blunkett, a blind man with working-class roots, established a solid reputation as a man of strong convictions and earned a wide respect among the British people.

While most politicians might want their affairs to end quietly, Blunkett brought his out into the open when he claimed paternity of Quinn’s children. Quinn gave birth to one child during the affair and is currently pregnant with another. Quinn denies that Blunkett is the father of either of her children and insists that both belong to her husband. Blunkett sued Quinn and demanded custody. However, just as the court ordered DNA-testing for Quinn’s children, memos surfaced that showed how Blunkett had, among other abuses of power, used his office to rush the visa of one of Quinn’s nannies, causing Blunkett to resign. Many allege that Quinn herself released the documents in an attempt to shame her former lover, but no connection has been proven.

That allegation, combined with Blunkett’s notoriety, has earned Quinn a reputation as a vile temptress who used, discarded, and eventually destroyed one of Britain’s most respected political figures. Not surprisingly, Vassar College has not rushed to comment on the story, which has puzzled some British tabloids. When asked about the scandal, President Fran Fergusson gave a definitive “no comment,” regarding the matter as “private.” Vassar’s Alumni Association (AAVC) also decided not to comment. Kimberly Solomon or Kimberly Quinn was not mentioned in any issues of its alumni magazine, The Vassar Quarterly, last year. While The Chicago Tribune referred to the AAVC’s behavior as “diplomatic silence,” The Vassar Quarterly insists that it simply followed procedure. According to Editor Samantha Soper ’91, “Anything printed [regarding alumni] goes to the Class Correspondent. Each class has a column. They can print news about members of their class. There are so many alums doing amazing things, we have such a limited space; we just had no interest in covering it.”

Vassar’s behavior toward the scandal mirror’s America’s attitude in general toward the story: indifference. Most British tabloids feasted on the Monica Lewinsky scandal seven years ago and hoped that the American Press would act likewise. However, barely any news outlets gave the matter any attention, save for a handful of articles, including one in The Chicago Tribune that focused on America ignoring the story. As for anyone worried about Vassar’s reputation, fear not. While British tabloids refer to Quinn as an “evil Yankee devil” and a “foul temptress,” they rarely refer to her as a Vassar graduate. Vassar Quarterly Assistant Editor Micah Buis ’02 was in England when the scandal broke and reported, “It’s a big deal, but [Quinn’s] never portrayed as a Vassar girl. She has a negative image, but there’s no direct association.”