Lana Oconnell
Women have been studying at Oxford University since the late 19th century, but it wasn't until 1920 that women were allowed to graduate with full degrees. The first women to graduate from Oxford collected their degrees in the Sheldonian Theatre in October 1920. This came after decades of campaigning by women's societies and educational reformers, and despite resistance from male students and academics. In 1927, a quota was imposed, limiting the number of women admitted to the university to 840 (roughly a sixth of the undergraduate body). This was raised to 940 in 1948 and finally scrapped in 1957.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First women's higher education institution | Lady Margaret Hall |
| Year of opening | 1879 |
| Number of initial students | 9 |
| First principal | Elizabeth Wordsworth |
| First women to matriculate and graduate with full degrees | Annie Rogers and Ivy Williams |
| Year of matriculation and graduation | 1920 |
| Year of formal admission of women | 1920 |
| First female professor | Ophthalmologist Ida Mann |
| Year | 1946 |
| First woman Pro-Vice-Chancellor | Lucy Sutherland |
| Year | 1959 |
| First woman Vice-Chancellor | Professor Louise Richardson |
| Year | 2015 |
| First black woman to head an Oxford college | Baroness Valerie Amos |
| Year | 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Women's halls and societies
Women have been making history at Oxford University for over a century. In 1920, Oxford University formally admitted women, and the first women were awarded degrees that year. This came after decades of campaigning and activism by women at Oxford.
The first women's hall of residence at Oxford was established in 1878 and opened in 1879. Named Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), it was an Anglican institution with just nine students. Simultaneously, Somerville Hall was founded as a non-denominational institution with twelve students. These pioneering women's halls and societies played a crucial role in the advancement of women's education at Oxford.
St Hugh's, named after St Hugh of Avalon, offered lower fees and accommodation for just four students when it opened. St Hilda's Hall, founded by the principal of Cheltenham Ladies College, Dorothea Beale, soon followed with seven students. St Hilda's aimed to house pupils from Cheltenham Ladies College.
The Society for Oxford Home-Students, which later became St Anne's College, was established in 1893 with twenty-five women students. This society welcomed women residing in family homes or as lodgers in Oxford, rather than in halls. By 1893, two additional women's halls had been established, further expanding opportunities for women's education at Oxford.
The development of these women's halls and societies was a significant step towards gender equality at Oxford University. They provided a foundation for women to pursue higher education and contributed to the broader movement for women's rights and recognition in academia and beyond.
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The Two Woman Rule
Women have been making extraordinary contributions to academic excellence and University life at Oxford for over a century now. The first women were admitted to Oxford University in 1878, when Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville Hall were established as the first women's halls of residence. However, despite women being allowed to take all the examinations leading to a BA degree, they were not awarded degrees until 1920.
In the early days of coeducation at Oxford, conditions were imposed on interactions between male and female students. One such condition was 'The Two Woman Rule'. This rule stated that a woman could not go to tea, go punting on the river, or go to the theatre with a man unless she was accompanied by another woman. This was actually seen as an improvement on the previous rule, which required a senior woman to accompany them. The Two Woman Rule was indicative of the resistance and anxiety that surrounded the integration of women into Oxford University. Male undergraduates expressed fears of an "invasion of the Amazons", while academics doubted the prudence of coeducation. Even after women were granted degrees in 1920, they continued to face barriers and discrimination, such as a quota system that limited the number of women admitted to the University.
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The first female graduates
Women have been making history at Oxford University since the late 19th century. In 1878, Oxford's first women's higher education institution, Lady Margaret Hall, was founded. The college opened in October 1879 with just nine students. At the same time, Somerville Hall, a non-denominational institution, was established and opened with twelve students. By 1893, two additional women's halls had been established: St Hugh's and St Hilda's Hall.
Despite these advancements, women were not permitted to receive degrees from Oxford University. In 1895, Oxford and Cambridge were the only British universities to exclude women from degrees. In 1896, degrees for women were formally proposed, but the resolution was rejected by 240 votes to 140. A further four resolutions were also opposed. During this time, women were allowed to take all the examinations leading to a BA degree at Oxford, but they were not awarded the degree itself.
In 1910, a new phase in the campaign for women's education at Oxford began with the establishment of the Delegacy for Women Students. In 1914, all women were allowed to attend lectures unchaperoned, and in 1915, the first women were invited to lecture at the University. The Bachelor of Medicine degree was opened to women in 1916, and in 1917, the University became financially responsible for women's examinations.
Finally, in 1920, the first matriculation ceremony for women was held on October 7, and on October 14, women were first awarded degrees from Oxford University. The women's college principals, Emily Penrose, Henrietta Jex Blake, Eleanor Jourdain, Winifred Moberly, and Bertha Johnson, were the first women to receive the MA degree. Annie Rogers and Ivy Williams were among the first to graduate with full degrees in 1920 and were commemorated with blue plaques in 2020.
Despite the milestone of women receiving degrees, challenges remained. In 1927, a quota was imposed, limiting the number of women admitted to the University to no more than 840. This quota was raised to 940 in 1948 and finally lifted in 1957. It was not until 1959 that the five women's colleges were given the same status as the men's colleges, and in 2015, Professor Louise Richardson became the first woman to hold the post of Vice-Chancellor. In 2020, Baroness Valerie Amos became the first black woman to head an Oxford college.
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Quotas and limitations
Women have been making remarkable contributions to Oxford University for over a century now. While women were allowed to take all the examinations leading to the BA degree at Oxford in the late 1800s, they were not awarded degrees until 1920. The first women to graduate from Oxford received their degrees in October 1920. This came at a time when women were still fighting for the right to vote.
Despite the formal admission of women at Oxford University in 1920, the university imposed a quota system in 1927, limiting the number of women admitted to no more than 840. This restriction was not lifted until 1957. During this period, the quota was raised to 940 in 1948. The implementation of this quota system was influenced by the reluctance of men at Oxford to share power with women, as admitting women to degrees also granted them membership on university committees and boards.
In addition to the quota on the number of female students, women at Oxford also faced other limitations and restrictions. Initially, women were regarded as "honoured guests" at the university, and their status remained uncertain. They had to contend with sexist attitudes and stereotypes, as reflected in a 1914 letter from the head of one women's college, warning students about the distraction their tight skirts and exposed legs caused for male examinees. Relationships between men and women at the university were also restricted. A rule known as "The Two Woman Rule" required that a woman could only go to tea, rowing, or the theatre with a man if another woman accompanied them.
Even after the formal admission of women, Oxford continued to be a predominantly male space. It was not until 1959 that the five women's colleges were given the same status as the men's colleges, and their heads became eligible to become Vice-Chancellor. It took until 2015 for Professor Louise Richardson to become the first female Vice-Chancellor, and in 2020, Baroness Valerie Amos became the first black woman to head an Oxford college.
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First female professor
The University of Oxford's first women's higher education institution was named Lady Margaret Hall (LMH). It was founded in 1878 and opened in October 1879 with just nine students. At the same time, Somerville Hall (named after the mathematician Mary Somerville) was established as a non-denominational institution.
Despite women being allowed to take all the examinations leading to the BA degree at Oxford, they were not awarded degrees until 1920. This meant that they had little to show for their efforts by the time they left the university. Consequently, pro and anti-degree debates ensued, and the Hebdomadal Council was petitioned by educational reformers and members of the University who demanded that women receive recognition for their efforts. All petitions and proposed resolutions to the University statutes were denied in the first move for degrees in 1896. Women continued to be regarded at best as ‘honoured guests’.
In November 1910, a new and important phase of the campaign for women’s education in Oxford began with the establishment of a Delegacy for Women Students. This was prompted by H.T. Gerrans’s suggestion to the Hebdomadal Council that women should be recognised as members of the University and that the university should itself formally assume supervision and control of them.
In 1920, the first women were awarded degrees at Oxford, marking the formal admission of women at the university.
In 1946, Ida Mann, an ophthalmologist, became the first female professor at the University of Oxford.
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Frequently asked questions
Women have been studying at Oxford University since the late 1800s, but they were not allowed to graduate with degrees until 1920.
Oxford's first women's higher education institution was Lady Margaret Hall, which opened in 1879 with nine students.
Early women students at Oxford faced significant resistance and sexism. They were subject to strict rules and restrictions, such as the "Two Woman Rule", which prevented them from meeting men alone. They also had to contend with a quota system imposed in 1927, limiting the number of women admitted to the university.
The first women to receive degrees from Oxford University were Annie Rogers and Ivy Williams, who graduated with full degrees in 1920.
Some early milestones include the establishment of women's societies and halls, such as Somerville Hall in 1878, and the Oxford Women Students' Society for Women's Suffrage in 1911. In 1914, women were allowed to attend lectures unchaperoned, and in 1915, the first women were invited to lecture at the university.
