Activists and feminists •
Eleanor Acland (1878-1933), a British Liberal Party politician, suffragist, and novelist; President of the
Women's Liberal Federation •
Ruth Adler (1944–1994),
feminist, human rights campaigner and
child welfare advocate; founder of
Amnesty International's
Scotland and of
Scottish Women's Aid and helped to establish the Scottish Child Law Centre • Dame
Hester Adrian, Baroness Adrian (1899-1966), mental health worker; president of the
Howard League for Penal Reform •
Rachel Armitage (1873–1955), New Zealand
welfare worker and community leader; first New Zealand woman BA to complete a degree at Oxford •
Alison Assiter (1949), Professor of
Feminist Theory •
Jasodhara Bagchi (1937–2015), leading Indian feminist critic and activist •
Jane Esdon Brailsford (1874–1937), Scottish
suffragette •
Margaret Bramall (1916-2007), social worker and charity director; led the
Gingerbread from 1963 to 1979 •
Vera Brittain (1893–1970),
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, and
pacifist; author of
Testament of Youth •
Stella Browne (1880–1955), Canadian-born feminist, socialist,
sex radical, and
birth control campaigner; one of the first women to speak out in somewhat offensive ways about her beliefs with a "Forward, Charge!" approach •
Cicely Corbett Fisher (1885–1959), suffragist and
workers' rights activist •
Ann Dummett (1930–2012), activist, campaigner for
racial justice and published author •
Honora Enfield (1882–1935),
co-operative activist and founder of the International Women's Co-operative Guild •
Lilian Faithfull (1865–1952), teacher, headmistress,
women's rights advocate,
magistrate, social worker and humanitarian; one of the "
Steamboat ladies" who were part of the struggle for women to gain university education •
Lettice Fisher (1875–1956), founder of the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child, now known as
Gingerbread; wife of
H. A. L. Fisher • Dame
Evelyn Fox (1874–1955), noted health worker and driving force for the creation of the
British Epilepsy Association (BEA) and
National Association for Mental Health (now Mind) •
Julia Gasper, independent academic specialising in historical literature, and a right-wing political activist affiliated with the
English Democrats •
Katie Ghose (1970), campaigner and lawyer; Chief Executive of the
Women's Aid Federation of England and former Chief Executive of the
Electoral Reform Society •
Margaret Hills (1882–1967), teacher, suffragist organiser, feminist and socialist; first female
councillor on
Stroud District Council •
Clare Hodges (1957–2011), activist who advanced the medical understanding of
cannabis and campaigned for its widespread benefit as a
therapeutic medicine •
Winifred Holtby •
Ann Oakley (1944),
sociologist, feminist, and writer; author of ''
The Men's Room'' •
Adelaide Plumptre (1874–1948), Canadian activist, diplomat, and municipal politician in
Toronto; first woman elected chair of the
Canadian Red Cross,
Toronto Board of Education; first woman to sit in the
Toronto Board of Control •
Margaret Pyke (1893–1937), family planning activist and pioneer; founding member of the
British National Birth Control Committee (NBCC), later known as the
Family Planning Association (FPA) •
Eleanor Rathbone (1954–1998), Zambian
civil rights activist; first Zambian woman to receive a
Rhodes Scholarship; first woman to have her portrait displayed on the walls of the prestigious
Rhodes House •
Angela Sinclair-Loutit (1921–2016), social justice activist, pacifist and nurse; first female member of the
Friends' Ambulance Unit. • Princess
Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh (1871–1942), daughter of
Maharaja Duleep Singh and suffragist •
Cornelia Sorabji (1866–1954), first woman to practice law in India and Britain; first Indian national to study at any British university •
Hannah Stanton (1913-1993), social worker and anti-apartheid activist •
Radhabai Subbarayan (1891–1960), first female member of the
Indian Council of States (Rajya Sabha) •
Summia Tora, Afghan campaigner for women's and refugee rights and a social entrepreneur; included on the BBC's 100 Women list in 2023. •
Farhana Yamin (1965), lawyer, public speaker and climate activist
Architects •
Bessie Charles (1869–1932), architect; with her sister Ethel the first woman to study architecture at
University College London •
Ethel Charles (1924–2017), author and poet writing in both English and
Esperanto •
Vera Brittain (1928–2015), author and critic; listed by
The Observer as one of Britain's top 300 intellectuals in 2011 •
Gertrude Minnie Faulding (1875–1961), novelist and children's writer •
Geraldine Penrose Fitzgerald (1846–1939), Irish novelist and catholic convert; arguably the first Catholic Oxford woman student •
Penelope Fitzgerald American writer •
Alix Hawley (1975), Canadian novelist •
Emma Henderson (1958), author; shortlisted for the
Women's Prize for Fiction •
Joanna Hines (1949), writer •
Jane Aiken Hodge (1892–1969), author who wrote early novels of science fiction as well as plays and non-fiction •
Svava Jakobsdóttir (1930–2004), one of
Iceland's foremost 20th Century authors and feminist politicians •
Liz Jensen (1959), novelist •
Daisy Johnson (1990), writer; youngest author to be shortlisted for the
Booker Prize; winner of the
Edge Hill Short Story Prize •
Margaret Kennedy (1974), American author best known for her four novels
Man Walks Into a Room,
The History of Love,
Great House and
Forest Dark (which won an award from the
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards); selected as one of ''
The New Yorker's'' "20 Under 40" writers to watch. •
Marghanita Laski (1915–1988), journalist, radio panellist and novelist •
Margaret Leigh (1894–1973), writer who lived extensively in Scotland and wrote about life in
crofting communities •
Gillian Linscott (1944), author and winner of the
CWA Historical Dagger • Dame
Rose Macaulay (1949), novelist and poet; shortlisted for the
Booker Prize and Chevalier de l'
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres •
Constance Savery (1897–1999), author of novels and children's books •
Dorothy L. Sayers (1981), Welsh novelist of supernatural horror, known for his bestselling book
The Ghost Hunters (2013) •
Hilary Spurling (1940), writer, journalist and biographer; winner of the
Whitbread Prize •
Alexander Starritt (1985), Scottish-German novelist, journalist and entrepreneur •
Clara Linklater Thomson (1867-1934), writer, editor, and educator •
Sylvia Thompson (1902–1968), novelist, writer and public speaker •
Doreen Wallace (1897–1989), novelist,
grammar school teacher and social campaigner •
Laura Wilson (1964), crime-writer; winner of the
Prix du Polar Européen and
CWA Historical Dagger and shortlisted for the
Gold Dagger •
Elizabeth Young, Baroness Kennet (1923–2014), writer, researcher, poet, artist, campaigner, analyst and questioning commentator
Children's writers •
Nina Bawden (1948), poet and philosopher; winner of the
Forward Poetry Prize •
Nesca Robb (1905–1976), Irish poet, writer and historian scholar; member of the
Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde •
E. J. Scovell (1907–1999), poet •
Margaret Stanley-Wrench (1916–1974), poet and novelist •
Kim Taplin (1943), poet and non-fiction writer •
Helen Waddell (1889–1965), Irish poet, translator and playwright; winner of the
Benson Medal •
Val Warner (1946-2020), poet, editor and translator who was best known for helping to increase the salience of poet
Charlotte Mew's work, received the
Eric Gregory Award Business & finance people •
Marjorie Abbatt (1899–1991), toy maker and businesswoman; President of the International Council for Children's Play •
Goga Ashkenazi (1980),
Kazakh businesswoman and socialite; head of
Vionnet •
Margaret Casely-Hayford (1959), lawyer and businesswoman; chairs the board of
Shakespeare's Globe; former chair of
ActionAid; first female Chancellor of
Coventry University; first black woman to be Partner in a
City law firm •
Angela Dean, banker and trustee; one of the '100 women to watch' in the Female FTSE Board Report in 2013 and 2014; managing director of
Morgan Stanley; Chair of the
International House London •
Cindy Gallop (1960), advertising consultant, founder and former chair of the US branch of advertising firm
Bartle Bogle Hegarty; founder of the IfWeRanTheWorld and MakeLoveNotPorn companies •
Suzanne Heywood (1969), executive and former civil servant; chair of
CNH Industrial •
Afua Kyei, British financial executive and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the
Bank of England; included as one of the most influential black people in the UK on the 2024
Powerlist; in 2023 listed among the 100 most reputable Africans •
Catherine Powell (1967), businesswoman, President of the Disney Parks, Western Region, where she oversees
Disneyland,
Walt Disney World, and
Disneyland Paris •
Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera PC (1962), investment banker and politician; government minister and Chairwoman of
Santander UK; first woman to head a major British bank; first woman and first person of colour to chair the
Royal Shakespeare Company Civil servants and diplomats •
Manel Abeysekera (1933), Sri Lanka's first woman career diplomat and ambassador •
Alyson Bailes (1949–2016), diplomat,
political scientist, academic and
polyglot •
Gill Bennett, Chief Historian of the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office between 1995 and 2005 •
Dame Gillian Brown (1923–1999), diplomat; second woman to be a British ambassador • Dame
Mary Keegan (1953), accountant and civil servant; chair of the
Financial Reporting Council; first female audit partner at
PwC • Dame
Alix Kilroy (1903–1999), one of the first two women to have entered the administrative grade of the civil service by examination (in 1925); founding member of the
SDP • Emily Maltman, British Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo •
Aaron Maniam (1979), award-winning poet and civil servant • Dame
Rosalind Marsden (1950), diplomat and public servant; Ambassador and
EUSR of Sudan •
Monica Milne MBE (1917-1980), civil servant; first woman to be appointed to the permanent staff of the Foreign Office • Dame
Anne Mueller (1930–2000), civil servant and academic; first woman to become a
Permanent Secretary at
HM Treasury; Chancellor of
De Montfort University •
Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko (1956), South African diplomat, currently the
United Nations Ambassador for South Africa; for the
Paris Agreement she was the leader of the
G77 bloc during negotiations •
Adelaide Plumptre (1874–1948), Canadian activist, diplomat, and municipal politician in
Toronto First woman elected chair of the
Canadian Red Cross,
Toronto Board of Education; first woman to sit in the
Toronto Board of Control •
Jill Rutter, civil servant •
Catherine Royle (1963), British Ambassador; Principal of Somerville College • Dame
Evelyn Sharp, Baroness Sharp (1903–1985), civil servant; first woman to hold the position of
Permanent Secretary •
Emma Sky (1968), expert on the Middle East; political advisor to General
Ray Odierno •
Ruth Thompson (1953–2016), civil servant; director of finance of Higher Education at the
DES • Dame
Anne Warburton (1872–1917),
Christian missionary in India, responsible for the founding of missions; first Principal of Lady Muir Memorial College,
Allahabad, India; Principal of
Westfield College, London •
Donalda Dickie (1883–1972), Canadian
normal school teacher; winner of the
Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature •
Flora Forster (1896–1981), Welsh educator and author •
Ethel Hurlbatt (1866–1934), Principal of
Bedford College, London; first President of
Aberdare Hall in
Cardiff; later Warden of
Royal Victoria College, the women's college of
McGill University, in
Montreal, Canada •
Julia Huxley (1862–1908), founded
Prior's Field School for girls; the game
word ladder was devised for her • Dame
Tamsyn Imison (1937–2017), educator and "educational strategist"; headteacher of the
Hampstead School •
Sonia Jackson (1934), Emeritus Professor at the
UCL Institute of Education; specialised in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) •
Lettice Jowitt (1878–1962), educationist and refugee worker; pioneer in the
settlement movement •
Jane Kirkaldy (1869–1932), science educator at various schools in
Oxford for 36 years; one of the first women to obtain first-class honors in the natural sciences; contributed greatly to the education of the generation of English women scientists •
Edith Marvin (1872–1958), inspector of schools •
Winifred Mercier (1878-1934), principal of
Whitelands College and advocate of co-educational classes •
Michele Moody-Adams, philosopher; first female and first African-American dean of
Columbia University • Dame
Anne Mueller (1930–2000), civil servant and academic; first woman to become a
Permanent Secretary at
HM Treasury; Chancellor of
De Montfort University •
Elisabeth Murray (1909–1998), English biographer and educationist •
Hilda D. Oakeley (1867–1950), philosopher, educationalist and author; first Warden of the new
Royal Victoria College; first woman to deliver
McGill's annual university lecture •
May Staveley (1863–1934), first warden of
Bristol's women's university settlement (
Clifton Hill House); head of the women's hall of residence at
Liverpool University; president of the
Bristol branch of the
International Federation of University Women •
Mary Sturt (1896-1993), educational psychologist and historian of education •
Jean Wilks (1917–2014), headmistress at
The Hertfordshire and Essex High School and
King Edward VI High School for Girls; first female Pro-Chancellor of
Birmingham University •
Olive Willis (1877–1964), educationist and headmistress; founded
Downe House School and was its head
Oxbridge heads of houses •
Mary Bennett (1913–2005), academic and Principal of
St Hilda's College, Oxford; daughter of
H. A. L. Fisher and
Lettice Fisher • Dame
Averil Cameron (1940-2026), professor emerita of
Late Antique and
Byzantine History; former Warden of
Keble College, Oxford; second woman to receive the
Kenyon Medal •
Elizabeth Millicent Chilver (1914–2014), Principal of
Bedford College, London and
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford •
Barbara Craig (1915–2005),
archaeologist,
classicist; Principal of Somerville College •
Helen Darbishire (1881–1961), literary scholar and Principal of Somerville College •
Margery Fry (1874–1958), prison reformer; one of the first women to become a magistrate; Secretary of the
Howard League for Penal Reform; Principal of Somerville College •
Grace Eleanor Hadow (1875–1940), author, principal of what would become
St Anne's College, Oxford, and vice-chairman of the
Women's Institute • Dame
Kathleen Kenyon (1906–1978), leading archaeologist of
Neolithic culture in the
Fertile Crescent, best known for her excavations of
Jericho; has been called one of the most influential archaeologists of the 20th century; refined the
Wheeler-Kenyon method; Principal of
St Hugh's College, Oxford •
Julia de Lacy Mann (1891–1985), economic historian and Principal of
St Hilda's College, Oxford •
Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve (1941), philosopher; first female winner of the
Berggruen Prize;
crossbench member of the
House of Lords; Principal of
Newnham College, Cambridge •
Daphne Park, Baroness Park of Monmouth (1921–2010), spy, clandestine senior controller in
MI6; Principal of Somerville College • Dame
Emily Penrose (1858–1942), Principal of
Royal Holloway College,
Bedford College and Somerville College; first woman to gain a First in
Greats (Classics) at Oxford •
Alice Prochaska (1947), former archivist and librarian; Principal of Somerville College •
Evelyn Procter (1897–1980), historian and academic; Principal of
St Hugh's College, Oxford; first female scholar to be admitted to the
National Historical Archive of Spain and the
Biblioteca Nacional de España •
Catherine Royle from
Spider-Man went to Somerville to study medicine in
The Amazing Spider-Man 2. •
Harriet Vane from
Gaudy Night, studied English. Undergraduate at Shrewsbury College, based on
Dorothy L. Sayers' own Somerville College. • The wife of
Master Keaton studied mathematics. • Mary, Marie, Margaret and Myfanwy from
Larkin's ''
Michaelmas Term at St Bride's'' • Grace Ritchie, the protagonist in
Slave of the Passion by
Deirdre Wilson • Helena Warner from
A Likeness in Stone by Julia Wallis Martin, was a student of Somerville.
Film and theatre •
Daphne Alexander, Cypriot/British actress best known for playing
Nadia Talianos in the
BBC Drama series
Casualty and
Modesty Blaise in three
BBC radio adaptations •
Lucinda Coxon (1962), playwright and screenwriter •
Lucienne Hill (1923–2012), French-English translator and actor; winner of the
Evening Standard Theatre Award and
Tony Award •
Penelope Houston (1927–2015), film critic and journal editor; edited
Sight & Sound for almost 35 years •
Calam Lynch (1994), actor of Irish descent, his films include the Disney adaptation of
Black Beauty (2020) and
Terence Davies'
Benediction (2021); on television, he appeared in the
BBC One drama
Mrs Wilson (2018) and the second season of the
Netflix series
Bridgerton (2022) •
Adrian Politowski (1978), a BAFTA-nominated Swedish film producer, fund manager, and entrepreneur •
Martin Desmond Roe, British-American film and television director, writer and producer, best known for
Buzkashi Boys (nominated for an Oscar); nominee for the
Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for
Two Distant Strangers (2020) at the
93rd Academy Awards •
Tessa Ross (1961), film producer and executive; received the
BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award and was named as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by ''
Woman's Hour in 2013; executive producer of 12 Years a Slave, 127 Hours, Billy Elliot and Ex Machina'' •
Moon Moon Sen (1954), Indian
Bollywood film actress; winner of the
Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress and
Kalakar Award for Best Actress Health professionals •
Kathryn Abel, psychiatrist specialising clinically in resistant schizophrenia and gender-specified service developments; co-chair of the
Office for Life Sciences •
Margery Abrahams (1896-1983), dietitian who helped organise the
Kindertransport scheme to rescue children from the Holocaust; first chairperson of the
British Dietetic Association •
Heather Ashton (1929–2019),
psychopharmacologist and physician best known for her clinical and research work on
benzodiazepene dependence •
Carys Bannister (1935–2010), first female
neurosurgeon in the United Kingdom •
Farah Bhatti, cardiac surgeon and professor; Chair of the
Royal College of Surgeons of England Women in Surgery Forum; first British woman of Pakistani origins to be made a cardiac surgeon in the United Kingdom • Lady
Eileen Crofton (1919–2010), physician and author; best known for her
anti-smoking campaigns •
Ann Dally (1926–2007), author and
psychiatrist; one of the first women to study medicine at
St Thomas' Hospital •
Jean Ginsburg (1926–2004), physician and
physiologist; first woman to graduate from
St Mary's Hospital Medical School •
Sylvia Gyde (1936-2024), public health doctor, medical researcher and
National Health Service administrator •
Kamila Hawthorne MBE, Welsh medical academic and GP; twice named ‘GP of the Year’ •
Christine Lee, medical researcher; first female scholar of the
Oxford University Medical School •
Leah Lowenstein (1930–1984), American
nephrologist and academic administrator; first woman dean of a co-education medical school in the United States •
Dorothea Maude (1879–1959), physician and surgeon; first woman general practitioner in Oxford •
Helen Muir (1920–2005),
rheumatologist; best known for pioneering work into the causes of
osteoarthritis •
June Raine (1952), Chief Executive of the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), at the time when the MHRA was the first regulator to approve an m
RNA vaccine for use in humans, and the first Western regulator to approve a
COVID-19 vaccine • Dame
Janet Vaughan (1899–1993),
physiologist, academic and Principal of Somerville College; one of the first doctors to enter
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after the liberation •
Wisia Wedzicha, physician and Professor of Respiratory Medicine, winner of the
Helmholtz International Fellow Award •
Marcia Wilkinson (1919–2013),
neurologist; made a significant contribution to the understanding and surgical treatment of
carpal tunnel syndrome; established a
rehabilitation unit for disabled young people; first recipient of the
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Award •
Maggie Eisner (1947–2022), British general practitioner •
Cicely Williams (1893–1992), Jamaican physician, most notable for her discovery and research into
kwashiorkor Journalism •
Rose George, journalist and author of
The Big Necessity •
Evelyn Irons (1900–2000), Scottish journalist, first female
war correspondent to be decorated with the French
Croix de Guerre; first journalist to reach certain
WWII war zones; first female
Stanhope Medal recipient •
Marghanita Laski (1905–1990), Australian academic and historian; first associate professor in Australia outside the
natural sciences •
Eluned Garmon Jones (1897–1979), Welsh local historian •
Rose Graham (1875–1963), religious historian and first female President of the
British Archaeological Association; her early work on
ecclesiastical history is seen as a great foundation for later scholarship on
women's history •
Alice Greenwood (1862–1935), historian, teacher and writer; second headteacher of
Withington Girls' School •
Narayani Gupta (1942), Indian historian, author, and professor on urban history and cultural heritage •
Agnes Headlam-Morley (1902–1986), historian and academic; first woman to be appointed to a chair at Oxford •
Carole Hillenbrand (1943), Emerita Professor in
Islamic History; first non-
Muslim to be awarded the
King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies •
Philippa Mary Hoskin, historian of the English Middle Ages, who specializes in the religious, legal and administrative history of the English Church; first Professor of Medieval Studies at the
University of Lincoln •
M. D. R. Leys (1890–1967), historian and academic •
Amy Audrey Locke (1881-1916), historian •
Doris Ketelbey (1896–1990), historian and academic; sister to composer
Albert Ketelbey •
Amélie Kuhrt (1944-2023), historian and specialist in the history of the ancient Near East •
Julia de Lacy Mann (1891–1985), economic historian and Principal of
St Hilda's College, Oxford •
Margaret Mann Phillips (1906–1987), academic who specialized in
Renaissance literature and history •
Phoebe Pool (1913–1971),
art historian and spy for the
Soviet Union •
Edna Purdie (1894-1968), Emeritus Professor of German studies at the
University of London •
Mary Caroline Moorman (1905–1994), historian and biographer; daughter of
G. M. Trevelyan; winner of the
James Tait Black Memorial Prize •
Jane Robinson (1959),
social historian specialising in the study of women pioneers in various fields •
Emma Georgina Rothschild (1948), economic historian and professor of history at
Harvard University; wife of
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen; member of the
Rothschild family •
Zuzanna Shonfield (1919–2000), Polish-born British historian and writer •
Nancy Stepan, focuses on the history of science in Latin America •
Kate Williams (1927–1981),
Roman archaeologist and glass specialist; served as
Inspector of Ancient Monuments •
Gillian Clark,
Emeritus Professor of
Classics and
Ancient History •
Barbara Craig (1915–2005),
archaeologist,
classicist; Principal of Somerville College •
A. M. Dale (1901–1967), classicist and academic •
Claudine Dauphin (1950), French archaeologist specialising in the Byzantine period •
Elaine Fantham (1933–2016), British-Canadian classicist; President of the
American Philological Association •
Dorothea Gray (1905-1983), classicist known for her advocacy of pre-classical Greek archaeology •
Miriam T. Griffin (1935–2018), American classical scholar; held the first
Women in Classics dinner (at Somerville College) •
Jill Harries,
Emeritus Professor in Ancient History, known for her work on
late antiquity •
Isobel Henderson (1906–1967), ancient historian; one of the first woman tutors to be allowed to join Oxford's 'Ancient History Dinners' •
Mary A.B. Herford, early female lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the
University of Manchester •
Margaret Hobling (1897-1977), archaeologist and Quaker theologian •
Margaret Hubbard (1924–2011), Australian-born British classical scholar specialising in philology; described as "one of the most distinguished classical scholars of the modern age"; one of
St Anne's College's 15 founding fellows •
Helen Hughes-Brock (1938),
Minoan and
Mycenaean archaeologist •
Sarah C. Humphreys, classical scholar • Dame
Kathleen Kenyon (1906–1978), leading archaeologist of
Neolithic culture in the
Fertile Crescent, best known for her excavations of
Jericho; has been called one of the most influential archaeologists of the 20th century; refined the
Wheeler-Kenyon method; Principal of
St Hugh's College, Oxford •
Donna Carol Kurtz (1943), American classicist specializing in Greek art; first
Beazley Archivist at the
Ashmolean Museum •
Maria Millington Lathbury (1856-1944), classical scholar, archaeologist and
numismatist; mother-in-law of
Arthur Evans •
Irene Lemos,
classical archaeologist specialising in the
Late Bronze Age and
Early Iron Age of
Greece •
Tessa Rajak (1946), ancient historian, primarily focused on
Judaism in the
Hellenistic and Roman periods; expert on the writings of
Josephus •
Joyce Reynolds (1918–2022), classicist and academic, specialising in
Roman historical
epigraphy; first woman awarded the
Kenyon Medal •
Christina Riggs, American historian,
museum curator, and academic; specialises in the
history of archaeology, photography, and
ancient Egyptian art •
Katherine Routledge (1866–1935),
archaeologist and anthropologist who initiated the first true survey of
Easter Island (leader of the
Mana Expedition) •
Susan Sherratt (1949), archaeologist of
Bronze Age Greece, Cyprus, and the eastern Mediterranean •
Maria Stamatopoulou, Greek classical archaeologist specialising in
Central Greece, and
Thessaly in particular •
Margerie Venables Taylor (1881–1963), archaeologist and editor of the
Journal of Roman Studies; held posts including Secretary for the
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies •
Vivian Wade-Gery (1897–1988), classical archaeologist •
Audrey Williams (1902–1978), Welsh archaeologist; first woman president of the
Royal Institution of South Wales •
Katharine Woolley (1888–1945), archaeologist who worked principally at the
Mesopotamian site of
Ur; married to archaeologist Sir
Leonard Woolley; inspiration for the murder victim in the novel
Murder in Mesopotamia by
Agatha Christie •
Maria Wyke (1957), professor of
Latin at
UCL Medievalists •
Caroline Barron (1940),
medieval historian; granddaughter of
David George Hogarth •
Margaret Clunies Ross (1942), medievalist; main research areas are
Old Norse-Icelandic studies •
Ursula Dronke (1920–2012), medievalist and former Vigfússon Reader in Old Norse in Oxford •
Antonia Gransden (1928/29–2020), historian and medievalist •
Judith Green (1961), medieval historian, specialising in
Anglo-Norman England •
Elspeth Kennedy (1921–2006), academic, prominent medievalist •
Clare Kirchberger, Anglican nun and medievalist who edited and translated several works of
Christian mysticism •
May McKisack (1900–1981), medieval historian •
Mildred Pope (1872–1956), scholar of
Anglo-Norman England; first woman to hold a readership at Oxford University; the character Miss Lydgate in
Sayers'
Gaudy Night (1935) is based on Pope •
Evelyn Procter (1897–1980), historian and academic; served as principal of
St Hugh's College, Oxford; first female scholar to be admitted to the
National Historical Archive of Spain and the
Biblioteca Nacional de España •
Margaret Twycross, historian specialising in
medieval theatre and iconography •
Teresa Webber,
palaeographer and medievalist
Law •
Margaret Casely-Hayford (1959), lawyer and businesswoman; chair of the board of
Shakespeare's Globe; former chair of
ActionAid •
Lady Fox (1928-2025), international lawyer and expert in
state immunity •
Elisabeth Jones, Welsh lawyer who served as the
Counsel General-designate for Wales •
Laeticia Kikonyogo (1940–2017), Ugandan lawyer and judge; rated the 6th most powerful person in Ugandan public life; first woman magistrate Grade I; first woman Chief Magistrate; first woman to be appointed
High Court judge; first woman Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda; one of the first ever women papal knights in the history of the
Catholic Church in Africa •
Akua Kuenyehia (1947), Ghanaian lawyer; one of the only three female African judges at the
International Criminal Court; first First Vice-president of that court •
Nemone Lethbridge (1932), barrister and playwright; one of Britain's first female barristers and the first woman at
Hare Court •
Anne M. Lofaso (1965), law professor •
Elizabeth Monk (1898-1980), Canadian lawyer and
Montreal city councillor; one of the first two women admitted to the
Quebec Bar and first Quebec woman to receive a
Queen's Counsel designation; recipient of the
Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case and
Governor General's Academic Medal •
Ann Olivarius (1955), American-British lawyer and
Rhodes Scholar • Dame
Judith Parker (1950), judge and barrister;
Queen's Counsel and Justice of the
High Court of England and Wales •
Anna Poole, Lady Poole,
Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland •
Cornelia Sorabji (1866–1954), first woman to practice law in India and Britain; first Indian national to study at any British university •
Amy Wax (1953), American lawyer and academic; winner of the
Lindback Award •
Farhana Yamin (1965), lawyer, public speaker and climate activist
Linguistics and literature •
Reem Bassiouney (1973), Egyptian author and professor of
sociolinguistics;
Sawiris Cultural Award winner •
Janet Bately, academic and
Professor Emeritus of English Language and Medieval Literature •
Catherine Belsey (1940–2021), literary critic and academic; author of
The Subject of Tragedy •
Sonia Bićanić (1920–2017), literary academic, author and translator •
Sarah Bilston, author and professor of English literature •
Carmen Blacker (1924–2009), scholar of
Japanese language •
Margaret Crum (1921-1986), scholar of English poetry and music, winner of the British Academy's
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize • Lady
Norma Dalrymple-Champneys (1902–1997), scholar of English literature; winner of the
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize •
Patricia Davies (1923), codebreaker who served as a special duties linguist in the
Women’s Royal Naval Service during World War II; she was key in developing programmes such as
University Challenge,
The Sky at Night, and
Ask the Family; recipient of the
Victory Medal and the
Legion of Honour •
Susie Dent (1964),
lexicographer and
etymologist; has appeared in "Dictionary Corner" on the
Channel 4 game show
Countdown since 1992 •
Una Ellis-Fermor (1894–1958), literary critic, author; described as "a major contributor to the study of the
English Renaissance";
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize winner •
Margery Fisher (1913–1992), literary critic and academic •
Janet Dean Fodor (1942–2023), psycholinguist •
Julia Gasper, independent academic specialising in historical literature; right-wing political activist affiliated with the
English Democrats •
Sybil Goulding (fl. 1914–1931), literary critic and academic •
Lorna Hutson (1958), ninth
Merton Professor of English Literature •
Agnes Latham (1905–1996), academic, Professor of English at
Bedford College •
Dominica Legge (1905–1986), scholar of the
Anglo-Norman language and founding member of the
Anglo-Norman Text Society •
Anna Laura Lepschy (1933), Italian linguist; recipient of the
Serena Medal •
Joycelynne Loncke,
Guyanese academic and
musicologist; areas of interest include
French literature and the
history of music •
Margaret Mann Phillips (1906–1987), academic who specialized in
Renaissance literature and history •
Edith Morley OBE (1875–1964), literary scholar, activist and suffragette; first female professor in Britain •
Vivien Noakes (1937–2011), biographer, editor and critic •
Pamela Neville-Sington (1959-2017), American literary biographer and authority on the life and works of
Fanny Trollope,
Anthony Trollope, and
Robert Browning •
Helen Peters (1942), Canadian scholar of English literature and a specialist in the theatre of Newfoundland; winner of the British Academy's
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize •
Rebecca Posner (1929–2018),
philologist, linguist and academic; specialized in
Romance languages; President of the
Philological Society •
Phoebe Sheavyn (1865-1968), literary scholar and feminist; a professor at
Victoria University of Manchester and founding member of the
British Federation of University Women •
Dorjana Širola (1972), Croatian
quizzer,
linguist and
anglicist; highest placed woman at the
World Quizzing Championship in seven years; winner of
University Challenge for Somerville •
Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies •
Enid Starkie (1897–1970), Irish literary critic known for her biographical works on French poets; Officer of the
Legion of Honour •
Kathleen Mary Tillotson (1906–2001), academic and literary critic, professor of English and distinguished
Victorian scholar •
Joan Turville-Petre (1911–2006), noted academic in the field of
Anglo-Saxon,
Icelandic and
Scandinavian language studies •
Rosemond Tuve (1903–1964), American scholar of
English literature, specializing in
Renaissance literature, in particular
Edmund Spenser •
Kathleen Mary Williams (1919-1974), Welsh literary scholar •
David Willis, linguist and Celticist;
Jesus Professor of Celtic at the University of Oxford •
Deirdre Wilson (1941), linguist and cognitive scientist
Music •
Mary Chandler (1911-1996), composer, oboist, pianist and teacher. •
Harry Escott (1976), composer •
Sarah Ioannides (1972), Greek Cypriot-Scottish-Australian conductor and
Fulbright Scholar • Dame
Emma Kirkby (1949),
soprano; one of the world's most renowned
early music specialists;
The Queen's Medal for Music winner •
Joycelynne Loncke,
Guyanese academic and
musicologist; areas of interest include
French literature and the
history of music •
Grace-Evangeline Mason (1994), composer of
contemporary classical music •
Elizabeth Norman McKay (1931–2018), musicologist, pianist and
Lieder
accompanist •
Jean Redcliffe-Maud, Baroness Redcliffe-Maude (1904–1993), pianist
Other •
Sunethra Bandaranaike (1943), Sri Lankan philanthropist and socialite; daughter of Prime Minister
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike •
Sheila Cassidy (1937), doctor and torture survivor who brought to the attention of the UK public the widespread human rights abuses that were occurring in
Chile in the 1970s •
Eleanor Flexner (1908–1995), distinguished independent scholar and pioneer in what was to become the field of
women's studies •
Flora Grierson (1899–1966), publisher and co-owner of
Samson Press •
Amanda Harlech, Baroness Harlech (1959), fashion consultant; named to the
International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame; wife of
Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech •
Emily Georgiana Kemp (1860–1939), adventurer; donated the
Somerville College Chapel •
Frances Lincoln (1945–2001), independent publisher of illustrated books; won a
Woman of the Year award in 1995 •
Sheila Lochhead (1910-1994), hostess, prison visitor and writer; daughter of UK Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald; chair of the
National Association of Official Prison Visitors •
Henrietta Phipps (1931–2016), landscape gardener •
Helge Rubinstein, founder of
Ben's Cookies •
Joan Shelmerdine (1899–1994), publisher and co-owner of
Samson Press •
Edith Standen (1905–1998), American
museum curator and
military officer; one of the "
Monuments Men";
Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award winner •
Janet Upcott (1888-1985) social worker specialising in housing management •
Pamela Vandyke-Price (1923–2014),
wine taster and writer; first British woman to write about wine and spirits; receiver of the
Order of Agricultural Merit •
Joan Wicken (1925-2004), personal assistant and speechwriter to
Tanzanian president
Julius Nyerere •
Marion Wilberforce (1902–1995), Scottish aviator; one of the first eight members of the
Air Transport Auxiliary; one of only two women pool commanders in the whole ATA •
Beryl de Zoete (1879–1962), ballet dancer, orientalist, dance critic and dance researcher; also known as a translator of
Italo Svevo and
Alberto Moravia Philosophers •
Anita Avramides (1952), philosopher whose work focuses on the
philosophy of language and the
philosophy of the mind •
Annette Baier (1929–2012), New Zealand philosopher and
Hume scholar; well known also for her contributions to feminist philosophy and to the philosophy of mind •
Susanne Bobzien, German-born philosopher whose work focuses on logic & language, determinism & freedom, and
ancient philosophy; first woman appointed a tutorial fellow at
The Queen's College, Oxford •
Sarah Broadie, professor at the
University of St Andrews; specialises in
ancient philosophy, with a particular emphasis on
Aristotle and
Plato •
Patricia Churchland (1943), Canadian-American analytic philosopher, noted for her contributions to
neurophilosophy and the
philosophy of mind; winner of a
MacArthur Fellowship •
Philippa Foot (1920–2010), philosopher and
ethicist, creator of the
trolley problem •
Celia Green (1935), writer on
philosophical skepticism and
psychology •
Rosalind Hursthouse (1943), New Zealand moral philosopher noted for her work on virtue ethics •
Hidé Ishiguro (c. 1935), Japanese analytic philosopher; expert on the philosopher
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz •
Martha Kneale (1909–2001), philosopher; President of the
Aristotelian Society •
Genevieve Lloyd (1941), Australian philosopher and
feminist; first female Professor of Philosophy in Australia; author of
The Man of Reason •
Penelope Mackie, philosopher, Professor of Philosophy University of Nottingham work on modality and necessity •
Mary Midgley (1919–2018),
moral philosopher •
Michele Moody-Adams, African-American philosopher; first female and first African-American dean of
Columbia University • Dame
Iris Murdoch (1971), former Conservative Party politician and MP;
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care •
Sam Gyimah MP (1909–1999), Labour politician and journalist
International •
Margaret Ballinger (1894–1980), South African politician, first President of the
Liberal Party of South Africa, "Queen of the Blacks"; held considerable power in the government of South Africa •
Kalpana Bista (1905-2001), first female
Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Nepal •
Indira Gandhi former member of the
New Hampshire House of Representatives •
Koila Nailatikau (1953), Fijian diplomat and politician; First Lady of Fiji from 2009 until 2015 •
Adelaide Plumptre (1874–1948), Canadian activist, diplomat, and municipal politician in
Toronto; first woman elected chair of the
Canadian Red Cross,
Toronto Board of Education; first woman to sit in the
Toronto Board of Control •
Radhabai Subbarayan (1926–2015), psychologist and academic, specialising in
developmental psychology •
Anne Treisman (1935–2018), psychologist who specialised in cognitive psychology; developed the
feature integration theory and
attenuation theory; awarded the
National Medal of Science,
Grawemeyer Award and first woman to receive the
Golden Brain Award Radio and television • Dame
Elan Closs Stephens (1948),
Chair of the BBC (2023–2024); Welsh educator and
pro-chancellor of
Aberystwyth University •
Margaret Jay, Baroness Jay of Paddington (1939), politician for the
Labour Party; former
BBC television producer and presenter •
Kara Miller, Jamaican creator of
The Lifestylista; health & wellness expert; television host; writer & director working in film and television •
Sarah Mulvey (1974–2010), commissioning editor and television producer •
Nesta Pain (1905-1995), broadcaster and writer • Dame
Esther Rantzen (1940), journalist and television presenter, best known for presenting the hit BBC television series ''
That's Life!''; first woman to receive a Dimbleby Award from
BAFTA •
Mary Somerville (1897–1963), first director of
BBC School Radio •
Joanna Spicer (1906–1992), television executive employed by the BBC; involved with discussions that lead to
Civilisation and
Doctor Who; "ran BBC Television single handed" •
Anne Symonds (1917–2017), broadcaster for the
BBC World Service; grandmother-in-law of
Boris Johnson •
Xand van Tulleken (1978), TV presenter with his identical twin brother
Chris van Tulleken •
Rebecca Wilcox (1980), television presenter, mainly for the BBC •
Kate Williams (1898 – 1954), one of the early
Baháʼís in Britain •
Christina Le Moignan (1942),
Methodist minister and academic, who served as
President of the Methodist Conference •
Janet Soskice (1951), Canadian-born Catholic theologian and philosopher; her work has dealt with the role of
women in Christianity Missionaries •
Audrey Donnithorne (1922–2020), British-Chinese political economist and missionary, prominent in her efforts to rebuild the Catholic Church in China after the
Cultural Revolution for which she was awarded the
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice •
Agnes de Selincourt (1934–2015), English
socialite and art dealer, described as one of the most original and respected art dealers of her generation • Dame
Hester Adrian, Baroness Adrian (1899-1966), mental health worker; president of the
Howard League for Penal Reform •
Lady Anne Brewis (1911–2002),
botanist; daughter of
Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne • Lady
Susan Chitty (1929-2021), novelist and a writer of biographies; wife of
Sir Thomas Willes Chitty, 3rd Baronet • Lady
Norma Dalrymple-Champneys (1902–1997), scholar of English literature; winner of the
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize; wife of
Sir Weldon Dalrymple-Champneys, 2nd Baronet •
Amanda Harlech, Baroness Harlech (1959), fashion consultant; named to the
International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame •
Christine Longford, Countess of Longford (1900–1980), playwright; wife of
Edward Pakenham, 6th Earl of Longford •
Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda (1883–1958), Welsh
peeress,
businesswoman, significant suffragette,
RMS Lusitania survivor, first female director of the
Institute of Directors, founder of
Time and Tide and the
Six Point Group • The Hon.
Mary Anna Marten (1929–2010), aristocrat and landowner who made legal history in the
Crichel Down affair; goddaughter of
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother;
High Sheriff of Dorset; archaeologist •
Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873–1938), aristocrat and society hostess; cousin of
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; her patronage was influential in artistic and intellectual circles; associated with the
Bloomsbury Group; inspiration for several literary characters by
Aldous Huxley,
D. H. Lawrence,
Graham Greene,
Alan Bennett and
Constance Malleson • Princess
Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh (1945),
biologist; professor of
ethology; wife of
Richard Dawkins •
Marianne Fillenz (1924–2012),
neuroscientist •
Lilian Jane Gould (1861–1936),
biologist; one of the first women admitted to the
Linnaean Society; one of the first European breeders of
Siamese cats •
Shirley Hodgson (1945), geneticist •
Loeske Kruuk, evolutionary ecologist; winner of the
Philip Leverhulme Prize •
Rosalind Maskell (1928–2016),
microbiologist known for her work on
urinary tract infections • Dame
Angela McLean (1961), professor of
mathematical biology •
Jane Mellanby (1938-2021), neuroscientist and academic •
Christine Nicol, Professor of Animal Welfare at the
Royal Veterinary College; winner of the
Prince Laurent Foundation prize; her work has contributed to EU ban on conventional
battery cages for laying hens in 2012 •
Sohaila Rastan, geneticist •
Elsie Maud Wakefield (1886–1972),
mycologist and
plant pathologist Botanists •
Lady Anne Brewis (1911–2002),
botanist; daughter of
Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne •
Adeline May Cowan (1892–1981), botanist who was active in India •
Emilia Frances Noel (c. 1868–1950), botanist, author and illustrator •
Molly Marples (1908-1998), New Zealand microbial ecologist/medical mycologist who spent most of her career at the
University of Otago; noted as an early proponent of the theory that skin provides an ecosystem that supports a diversity of microorganisms •
Edith Philip Smith (1897–1976), Scottish botanist and teacher •
Pat Wolseley (1938), botanist specialised in
lichen Chemists •
Jean Baum, American chemist, distinguished professor of chemistry and chemical biology at
Rutgers University •
Jenny Pickworth Glusker (1931),
biochemist and
crystallographer; winner of the
Garvan–Olin Medal,
John Scott Medal and
William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement •
Rita Harradence (1915–2012), Australian biochemist who synthesised
penicillamine;
1851 Exhibition Scholar •
Pauline Harrison (1926–2024), protein crystallographer • Dame
Julia Higgins (1942),
polymer scientist, winner of the
Holweck Medal and
Legion of Honour, President of the
British Science Association,
Institution of Chemical Engineers and
Institute of Physics •
Dorothy Hodgkin (1954–2014), statistician •
Anne Cobbe (1920–1971), mathematician •
Jane Kister (1944–2019), mathematical logician and executive editor of
Mathematical Reviews •
Pamela Liebeck (1930–2012), mathematician and mathematics educator •
Hilary Ockendon (1941), applied mathematician and an expert on problems in
fluid dynamics • Dame
Kathleen Ollerenshaw (1912–2014), mathematician, politician,
Lord Mayor of Manchester •
Robyn Owens, Australian applied mathematician and computer scientist known for her research in computer vision and face recognition •
Caroline Series (1951), mathematician; President of the
London Mathematical Society;
Whitehead Prize winner •
Mary Wynne Warner (1932–1998), mathematician, specializing in
fuzzy mathematics Physicists •
Joanna Haigh (1954),
physicist and academic; President of the
Royal Meteorological Society •
Jacqueline Mitton (1948), astronomer, writer, and media consultant; asteroid
4027 Mitton is named after her •
Alexandra Olaya-Castro (1976),
Colombian theoretical physicist; winner of the
Maxwell Prize •
Anne Tropper (1954), physicist •
Julia Yeomans (1954),
theoretical physicist and academic
Social scientists •
Reem Bassiouney (1973), Egyptian author and professor of
sociolinguistics;
Sawiris Cultural Award winner •
Heather Grabbe (1970), Senior Fellow at the think-tank
Bruegel in Brussels; director of the Open Society European Policy Institute •
Gwendolen M. Carter (1906–1991), Canadian-American political scientist; one of the founders of
African Studies in the United States; first female president of the
African Studies Association; among the most widely known scholars of African affairs in the twentieth century •
Ann Oakley (1944),
sociologist,
feminist, and writer; author of ''
The Men's Room'' •
Nandini Sundar (1967), Indian professor of sociology; recipient of the
Infosys Prize for Social Sciences Anthropologists •
Brenda Beck (c. 1940),
anthropologist and
Tamil culture icon •
Beatrice Blackwood (1889–1975), anthropologist; ran the
Pitt Rivers Museum •
Maria Czaplicka (1884–1921), Polish
cultural anthropologist best known for her
ethnography of
Siberian shamanism; first woman to receive a
Mianowski Scholarship and first female lecturer in anthropology at Oxford •
Rada Dyson-Hudson (1930-2016), American anthropologist •
Ruth Finnegan (1933), Northern Irish linguistic anthropologist; recipient of the
Rivers Memorial Medal •
Barbara Freire-Marreco (1879–1967), anthropologist and folklorist; one of the first two women to gain a Diploma in Anthropology at Oxford •
Katherine Routledge (1866–1935),
archaeologist and anthropologist who initiated the first true survey of
Easter Island (leader of the
Mana Expedition) •
Mai Yamani Indian
Marxist economist •
Frances Stewart (1940), professor emeritus of
development economics; daughter of
Nicholas Kaldor •
Doreen Warriner (1904–1972), development economist, known chiefly for her role in rescuing refugees just before World War II •
Alison Wolf, Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (1949), economist and professor at
KCL Sports •
Margaret Darvall (1909–1996), mountaineer; president of the
Ladies' Alpine Club and the
Pinnacle Club •
Rosamund Dashwood (1924–2007), one of the top female masters (i.e. over 35)
runners in Canadian history •
Sheila Hill (1928-2022),
cricketer, umpire, scorer and administrator; helped with the development of the
Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers and was the first woman to be elected to its general council; one of the first ten women granted honorary
MCC membership •
Sophie Le Marchand (1988), cricketer •
Jamie Powe (1995), cricketer •
Mary Russell Vick (1922–2012),
field hockey player •
Smit Singh (1991), present National Record holder of India in
skeet shooting •
Dorjana Širola (1972), Croatian
quizzer,
linguist and
anglicist; highest placed woman at the
World Quizzing Championship in seven years; winner of
University Challenge for Somerville •
Claire Tomlinson (1944), highest-rated female polo player; first woman to win the
County Cup and the
Queen's Cup; first woman in the world to rise to five goals; first female player in
The Varsity Polo Match; first female captain of the
OUPC Rowers •
Fiona Freckleton competed at the
1992 Summer Olympics and
1993 World Rowing Championships •
Jennifer Goldsack (1982), American rower; competed at the
2008 Summer Olympics •
Luka Grubor (1973), Croatian rower; won a gold medal at the
2000 Summer Olympics •
Patricia Reid (1964), rower; competed at the 1992
Summer Olympics; silver and bronze medalist at the
1986 Commonwealth Games Spies •
Jenifer Hart (1914–2005), academic and senior civil servant; accused of having been a spy for the
Soviet Union •
Daphne Park, Baroness Park of Monmouth (1921–2010), spy, clandestine senior controller in
MI6; Principal of Somerville College •
Phoebe Pool (1913–1971),
art historian and spy for the
Soviet Union Translators •
Anthea Bell (1936–2018), translator of numerous literary works, especially children's literature, including
Austerlitz and the French
Asterix comics •
Catherine Glyn Davies (1926–2007), Welsh
historian of philosophy and
linguistics; translator •
Lucienne Hill (1923–2012), French-English translator and actor; winner of the
Evening Standard Theatre Award and
Tony Award •
Emily Lorimer (1881–1949), Anglo-Irish journalist, linguist, political analyst, and writer •
Janet Seymour-Smith (1930-1998), worked as a translator of Greek texts for
Robert Graves and she became a life-long muse and collaborator with her husband
Martin Seymour-Smith •
Helen Waddell (1889–1965), Irish poet, translator and playwright; winner of the
Benson Medal •
Eithne Wilkins (1914-1975), New Zealand Germanic Studies scholar, translator and poet •
Beryl de Zoete (1879–1962), ballet dancer, orientalist, dance critic and dance researcher; also known as a translator of
Italo Svevo and
Alberto Moravia ==Fellows & staff==