Janet Low (d.1962)
As far as we know, the first woman to teach History formally within the University was Janet Low. She was one of several people, men and women, appointed during the First World War as ‘Temporary Lecturers and…
Search by author: Aileen Fyfe
Anne Wright (c.1925-1981)
Anne Wright had a life-long connection to St Andrews. She was born here, the daughter of an academic; was educated here; and spent the last 15 years of her life as Warden of Hamilton Hall and lecturer in Modern…
History graduates: statistics 1900-1975
Just one student graduated with Honours in History in 1900; by 1975, the graduating class had grown to 59 students. We know this, because the University of St Andrews ‘Calendars’, published annually, contained lists of…
Elizabeth Hutton MA 1903
Elizabeth Peddie Steele Hutton (d.1906) was one of the first two women to graduate M.A. with Honours in History from St Andrews. She graduated in 1903. In contrast to the youthful image of women students, Elizabeth…
Doris Ketelbey, 1896-1990
(Caroline) Doris Ketelbey was the first woman to hold a long-term position as member of staff in History at St Andrews [read about other early women staff]. She was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer in 1935; and…
Early women lecturers
When we began this project, we thought we knew that the old department of Mediaeval History had a better track-record of appointing women than the old department of Modern History. Local memory ‘knew’ about the…
History at St Andrews in 1965
In 1965, there was no ‘School of History’ at St Andrews, but History was being taught in a number of different contexts. The annual St Andrews University Calendar [i.e. directory or year book] for 1965-66 provides a…
Early women graduates
In 1903, the first women graduated with Honours in History from St Andrews. History had only became an option for M.A. students at St Andrews in the 1890s. The first Lecturer in History, James Mackinnon, was appointed…
Elizabeth Menzies, PhD 1954
Elizabeth Alexandra Menzies, MA 1949, PhD 1954 Elizabeth Menzies appears to have been the third woman to have been awarded a Ph.D. in History from St Andrews, receiving it in 1954 – a quarter of a century after the…
Edith Thomson, PhD 1928
Edith Elizabeth Bruce Thomson, MA St Andrews 1923; PhD St Andrews 1928 Edith Thomson was the second woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in History at St Andrews for a thesis entitled ‘Scotland under Lauderdale‘. She was…