Newnham College, Cambridge

Newnham College is a women's college in the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1872 by Henry Sidgwick and was the second Cambridge college to admit women, the first being Girton.

Women in the university

The idea of women attending the University was inevitably greeted with both derision and misogyny when first seriously raised in the 19th century, but matters progressed nonetheless; in 1860 Cambridge's Local Examinations Board (governing non-university examinations) allowed women to take exams for the first time. Concrete change within the university would have to wait until the first female colleges were formed, and following the foundation of Girton College (1870) and Newnham (1872) women were allowed into lectures, albeit at the discretion of the lecturer. By 1881, women were allowed to sit university examinations, and in 1921 were awarded "titles" as a result, although they would have to wait until 1947 before they were awarded degrees, and 1958 before they achieved equal rights to their male counterparts.

Related Topics:
1860 - 1881 - 1921 - 1947 - 1958

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In 1954, a third women's college, New Hall, was founded. Wolfson was the first mixed college and was founded in 1965. 1972 saw three men's colleges (Churchill, Clare and King's) admit women for the first time. Cambridge now has no all-male colleges and Girton is also mixed, although both Newnham and New Hall remain all-female.

Related Topics:
1954 - New Hall - Wolfson - 1965 - 1972 - Churchill - Clare - King's

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The college attracts a wide range of female students, including some students from non-"western" countries who might not have been willing or able to study at Cambridge were it not for the existence of women-only colleges (although the idea that studying at Newnham would protect these girls from "western decadence" is perhaps misled, as the college is integrated into the University). Most students choose to live at Newnham because they have a preference for an all-female environment, particularly if they are studying in departments which are male-dominated. Some others are quite vocal about the fact that they did not want to be in a women-only college, but were put there by the Cambridge "pool" system because there were not enough places at their chosen college.

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