International Women’s Day: University House

Since the University of Birmingham received its royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1900 it has admitted female students. The university was one of the first in the UK to admit women outside of London, the first to welcome women to study medicine, and one of the first higher education institutions to have a specific hall of residence for only women. As we mark the 125^th anniversary of the university, and recognise International Women’s Day, we take a look at the history of University House and the women who made it possible.

A room of her own

Before the University of Birmingham was officially established, the majority of students at Mason Science College were from Birmingham and the surrounding area and so lived at home or with family or friends. On its founding, one of the key commitments was to accept women and people of all religious backgrounds as equal members of the university. So, once the college was incorporated into the new university there was a realisation that there would be a need for residential accommodation for women students.

The idea of a hall of residence for women students was first considered in 1902 when a meeting was held to elect an executive committee chaired by Alice Beale and formed exclusively of women. The committee issued a document to schools and colleges at the university indicating that accommodation for women students would be established by October 1903, if there was sufficient interest. With limited initial response, University House was not established until 1904, making Birmingham one of the first universities to offer female-only student accommodation.

Originally, a building the university rented on Hagley Road in 1904, University House was not restricted to university students but was also open to those studying at the School of Art and the School of Cookery. By the end of the 1904-05 academic year, there was a total of ten residents at University House.

In 1906, as demand for accommodation for female students increased, a Canvassing Committee raised the funds to purchase a site for a purpose-built residential building for women at the university. Neville Chamberlain was the chairperson of the committee, and his cousin, Charlotte Chamberlain, served as secretary. Prominent Birmingham families including Emmeline Cadbury and university staff donated funds for the building.

Herbert Buckland was chosen as architect and a site on Edgbaston Park Road was leased from the Calthorpe Estate. The completed building, the lease of the site, all subscriptions, and donations, together with the furniture and equipment were offered as a free gift to the University of Birmingham.

In October 1908, the University of Birmingham opened and housed students in what we now know as University House. By 1909 there were 35 residents living in the accommodation building.

The first warden

Margery Fry was the first warden of the 1904 University House, and a member of a sub-committee appointed to draw up requirements for the new University House in 1906. This included provisions for a stage, and spacious public rooms, with the dining room boarded for dancing. She stayed on as warden of University House until 1914. Her responsibilities included care of the residents living there and maintenance of the property, for which she earned an annual salary of £60. Margery fostered a deep sense of community for the female students through arts events and classes such as painting and literature.

Margery worked closely with Rose Sidgwick, assistant lecturer in History and the first female lecturer at the University of Birmingham. Rose was also involved in the development of training programmes for social workers and was a founder of the International Federation of University Women. Working together, both Rose and Margery wrote plays for the students living in University House.

Margery went on to become one of the first woman governors at King Edward’s School and was a member of the University Council. During the First World War, she collaborated with the Friend’s War Victims Relief Committee, and from 1915-1917 was based in Marne, France, teaching and supporting people impacted by the war. Once the war ended, Margery turned her attention to prison reform and worked on the amalgamation of the Penal Reform League and the Howard Association. She also became one of the first female magistrates in Britain in 1921.

Margery kept close connections with the University of Birmingham and University House in particular, attending reunions and events for those that lived in the accommodation, until her death in 1958.

University House now

University House became one of the UK’s first mixed-sex halls of residence in 1964. According to the then warden, Julia Friend, this was prompted by 'the greater mixing of the sexes and the larger part that women are playing in the whole life of the university'. In 2002, it closed as a hall of residence and two years later was developed into Birmingham Business School.

Now, the University of Birmingham proudly teaches 21,733 female students which equates to 56.4% of our student population. Our history shows that since we were established, a woman’s place is, and has always been, at the University of Birmingham.