Marjorie Williamson
Encyclopedia
Dame Elsie Marjorie Williamson, DBE (30 July 1913, Wakefield
, Yorkshire
, England — 12 August 2002 Lower Raydon, Suffolk
) was a British academic, educator, physicist and university administrator.
, before spending the Second World War years lecturing at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth
.
In 1945, she moved to Bedford College, London, as a lecturer in physics. She spent 10 years there, gaining her PhD
and working in the fields of relativity, quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory. At Bedford she was involved not only in the physics department, but took a great interest in the administration of the college.
In 1955 she was appointed Principal of St Mary's College, Durham
.
, (RHC) in 1962 following the resignation of Dr Edith Clara Batho
. Before Williamson became Principal, RHC admitted only women as undergraduates and offered a relatively restricted number of courses. Men were only admitted as postgraduates after 1945. Because of this, and its situation in the outer London
suburb of Englefield Green
, Surrey
, the RHC was seen as something of a backwater.
Williamson set out to change this image by admitting men undergraduates and by a comprehensive expansion into new buildings and academic disciplines. She provided a new Students' Union building and revived the religious life of the college by the appointment of four honorary chaplains.
By the time she retired as Principal in 1973, the college had admitted men as undergraduates since 1965 and expanded into new buildings, and staff had been recruited for new departments such as biochemistry, statistics, computer science and music
.
She was appointed DBE on her retirement in 1973. Lionel Butler
was her successor.
, where she was a valued and popular member of the community, taking a close interest in village life and acting as a volunteer for the National Trust at nearby Charlecote Park
. She moved again in 1985 to a converted barn in Suffolk
, near a lifelong friend, Ann Thomson, also a graduate of Royal Holloway. She died, unmarried, in 2002.
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England — 12 August 2002 Lower Raydon, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
) was a British academic, educator, physicist and university administrator.
Education
The only child of middle-aged parents she attended Wakefield High School for Girls and went up to read physics at Royal Holloway College, University of London (RHC) in 1932, graduating in 1936.Early career
She stayed at Royal Holloway as a Demonstrator in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, before spending the Second World War years lecturing at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
.
In 1945, she moved to Bedford College, London, as a lecturer in physics. She spent 10 years there, gaining her PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
and working in the fields of relativity, quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory. At Bedford she was involved not only in the physics department, but took a great interest in the administration of the college.
In 1955 she was appointed Principal of St Mary's College, Durham
St Mary's College, Durham
St Mary's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. Following the grant of a supplemental charter in 1895 allowing women to receive degrees of the university, St Mary's was founded as the Women's Hostel in 1899, adopting its present name in May 1920...
.
Royal Holloway
She was invited to become Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of LondonUniversity of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, (RHC) in 1962 following the resignation of Dr Edith Clara Batho
Edith Clara Batho
Dr Edith Clara Batho was Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1945-1962.-Education:She was educated at Highbury Hill High School, now Highbury Fields School in Islington, London...
. Before Williamson became Principal, RHC admitted only women as undergraduates and offered a relatively restricted number of courses. Men were only admitted as postgraduates after 1945. Because of this, and its situation in the outer London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb of Englefield Green
Englefield Green
Englefield Green is a large village in northern Surrey, England. It is home to Royal Holloway, University of London, the south eastern corner of Windsor Great Park and close to the towns of Egham, Windsor, Staines and Virginia Water...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the RHC was seen as something of a backwater.
Williamson set out to change this image by admitting men undergraduates and by a comprehensive expansion into new buildings and academic disciplines. She provided a new Students' Union building and revived the religious life of the college by the appointment of four honorary chaplains.
By the time she retired as Principal in 1973, the college had admitted men as undergraduates since 1965 and expanded into new buildings, and staff had been recruited for new departments such as biochemistry, statistics, computer science and music
.
She was appointed DBE on her retirement in 1973. Lionel Butler
Lionel Harry Butler
Dr Lionel Butler FRHistS MA DPhil was an academic and Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London from 1973-1981.-Education and war service:...
was her successor.
Personal life
On leaving Royal Holloway, Williamson moved to a small village in WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, where she was a valued and popular member of the community, taking a close interest in village life and acting as a volunteer for the National Trust at nearby Charlecote Park
Charlecote Park
Charlecote Park is a grand 16th century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon in Wellesbourne, about east of Stratford-upon-Avon and south of Warwick, Warwickshire, England. It has been administered by the National Trust since 1946 and is open to the public...
. She moved again in 1985 to a converted barn in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, near a lifelong friend, Ann Thomson, also a graduate of Royal Holloway. She died, unmarried, in 2002.