Newnham College, Cambridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Newnham College
Dining hall in March 2014
Arms of Newnham College Blazon: Argent, on a chevron azure between in chief two crosses botonny fitchy and in base a mullet sable, a griffin's head erased or between two mascles of the field
University	University of Cambridge
Location	Sidgwick Avenue (map)
Abbreviation	N
Founders	Anne Clough Marion Kennedy Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick Henry Sidgwick et al.
Established	1871
Named after	Newnham village
Gender	Women
Sister college	Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Principal	Alison Rose
Undergraduates	422 (2022-23)
Postgraduates	300 (2022-23)
Map
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Newnham College is a college at the University of Cambridge in England. It was created especially for women.

The college was started in 1871 by people who wanted to offer university-level lessons for women. Among them were the philosopher Henry Sidgwick and Millicent Garrett Fawcett, who fought for women's right to vote. Newnham was the second college for women at Cambridge, after Girton College. The college celebrated its 150th birthday in 2021 and 2022.

History of Newnham College

The story of Newnham College began in 1869. That year, a group called the "Association for Promoting the Higher Education of Women in Cambridge" was formed. Henry Sidgwick, a professor at Trinity, played a big part in helping women get into Cambridge University.

Early Days and First Students

In 1869, special lectures for women started in Cambridge. Many women wanted to attend, but they lived too far away to travel daily. So, in 1871, Henry Sidgwick rented a house at 74 Regent Street. Five female students lived there so they could attend the lectures. He asked Anne Clough, who used to run a school, to look after the house.

The next year, in 1872, Anne Clough and the students moved to a bigger house called Merton House. Later, they moved again to Bateman Street. Anne Clough eventually became the head of the college.

Growing Demand and New Buildings

More and more women wanted to study. So, the people supporting the college created a company to raise money. In 1875, the first building for Newnham College was built on Sidgwick Avenue. This is where the college still stands today.

In 1876, Henry Sidgwick married Eleanor Mildred Balfour. She also supported women's education. They lived at Newnham for some time in the 1880s and 1890s.

The college officially became one in 1880. From 1881, women were allowed to take university exams. Their results were listed separately from the men's.

Because so many students wanted to join, the college kept building. They added three more halls, a science lab, and a library before the First World War. The architect Basil Champneys designed all these buildings. He used a style called "Queen Anne style," which made the college look very unified and beautiful. These buildings are surrounded by lovely gardens. Unlike most Cambridge colleges, students at Newnham can walk on the grass for most of the year!

Changing Education for Women

In the mid-1800s, many young women in England didn't have good secondary schooling. This meant they couldn't go straight into the same university courses as young men. Newnham's founders understood this. They allowed students to study at a level that suited their skills. Some students took an extra year to prepare for degree-level work.

As more girls' secondary schools opened, the situation changed. Many teachers in these new schools had studied at women's colleges like Newnham. In 1890, a Newnham student named Philippa Fawcett achieved a higher score than the top male student in the difficult Mathematical Tripos exam. By the First World War, most Newnham students were ready for degree-level courses.

In 1893, a new building called the Pfeiffer Building was added. A poet named Emily Jane Pfeiffer left £5,000 in her will to help women's education, which helped pay for it.

Newnham had a different approach to teaching than Girton, another women's college. Girton's founder, Emily Davies, believed women should do the exact same courses as men. Newnham, however, wanted to offer courses that fit the students' needs. This meant Girton had fewer students at first. But Newnham stuck to its plan, and many of its members wanted to improve Cambridge's courses for everyone.

Finally, in 1948, Newnham and Girton became full colleges of the university.

Women's Journey in the University

Sidgwick Hall and the Sunken Garden.

At first, Cambridge University didn't officially recognize women students. Women had to ask each professor individually if they could take exams. In 1868, women were allowed to take non-university exams for the first time.

After Girton (1869) and Newnham (1871) were founded, women were allowed into lectures. But it was still up to each lecturer. By 1881, women were generally allowed to sit for university exams.

Fighting for Full Degrees

Women tried to get full university degrees and all the rights that came with them. But their attempts in 1887 and 1897 failed. In 1897, male students even caused damage in the Market Square while protesting against women getting degrees.

During the First World War, the men's colleges lost a lot of money. Cambridge and Oxford universities asked the government for financial help for the first time. This was a chance for women to try again for full inclusion. They wanted not just degree titles but also the right to vote and be involved in university decisions. Oxford granted this in 1920.

But in Cambridge, women lost again in 1921. They only got the "BA tit" – the title of a degree – but not the full rights. Male students celebrated by using a handcart to smash the bronze gates at Newnham. These gates were a memorial to Anne Clough.

Full Recognition at Last

For many years, women were stuck "on the threshold" of the university. They could hold university jobs, but they couldn't speak or vote on important matters. Finally, in 1948, women were given full membership in the university. However, the university could still limit how many women could join.

After the Second World War, more universities expanded. In 1954, a third women's college, New Hall (now Murray Edwards College), was founded. In 1965, Darwin College became the first college to accept both men and women.

In the 1970s, three men's colleges (Churchill, Clare, and King's) started admitting women. Slowly, Cambridge stopped being a "men's university." Now, there are no all-male colleges in Cambridge. Girton College also accepts both men and women. Newnham and Murray Edwards Colleges still have only female students. Lucy Cavendish College started admitting men in 2021.

Because other women-only colleges in the UK started admitting men, people wondered if Newnham would too. But Newnham College remains a women-only college for its students.

College Shield

The college's shield, or "arms," was granted in 1923. It was designed to include symbols from the families of the people who helped start the college.

• The chevron shape links to the Balfour and Kennedy families.
• Its blue color and the mascles (diamond shapes) refer to the Clough family.
• The crosses come from the Kennedy family.
• The mullet (star shape) comes from the Balfour family.
• The griffin's head comes from the Sidgwick family.

The college does not have a "crest" (a symbol usually placed above the shield). It was decided that a crest and helmet would not be right for a college made up entirely of women.

College Life

Pfeiffer Arch – the main entrance to the college before the Porters' Lodge moved to Sidgwick Avenue

Newnham College has a very long indoor corridor. People used to joke it was the second-longest in Europe! It was built so the women wouldn't have to go outside in the rain. The old laboratory building is now a space for cultural events like plays, music, and art shows.

The college has a formal hall for special meals and a modern buttery where students can eat and relax. Newnham is also home to the Yates Thompson Library, built in 1897. This library was very important because women were not allowed into the main University Library for a long time. It has over 100,000 books, including many rare ones.

Students have two main groups that look after their interests and organize social events:

• The Junior Combination Room (JCR) is for undergraduate students.
• The Middle Combination Room (MCR) is for graduate students.

Newnham has many clubs and societies, including rowing, football, netball, and tennis. It also has several choirs. Newnham does not have its own chapel because it is not linked to a specific religion. Choral scholars from Newnham sing in Selwyn College's choir. The Newnham College Boat Club was the first rowing club for women at Cambridge University.

Principals

• Anne Clough (1871–1892)
• Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick (1892–1910)
• Katharine Stephen (January 1911 – 1920)
• Blanche Athena Clough (1920–1923)
• Pernel Strachey (1923–1941)
• Myra Curtis (1942–1954)
• Ruth Louisa Cohen (1954–1972)
• Jean Floud (1973–1982)
• Sheila Jeanne Browne (1983–1992)
• Onora O'Neill (1992–2006)
• Patricia Hodgson (2006–2012)
• Carol M. Black (2012–July 2019)
• Alison Rose (October 2019–present)

Famous Former Students

• 

  Dame Emma Thompson, actress, writer

• 

  Dame Jane Goodall, primatologist

• 

  Patricia Hewitt, former government minister

• 

  Diane Abbott, Member of Parliament

• 

  Clare Balding, television presenter

Many talented women have studied at Newnham College. Here are just a few:

Newnham in Books and Movies

Newnham College has appeared in several stories:

• It's described in two of Virginia Woolf's books, A Room of One's Own (called 'Fernham') and "A Women's College from the Outside."
• In James Hilton's novel Random Harvest, a character named Kitty attends Newnham College.
• Newnham College was shown in the 2019 film Red Joan.
• The TV show Grantchester set the first episode of its fifth series (2020) at Newnham. The story involved a student's death after a big party called a May Ball.

Images for kids

• 

  Sidgwick Hall and the sunken garden of Newnham College.

• 

  A view of Sidgwick.

• 

  Peile Building.

• 

  A view of Pfeiffer Arch and the Old Hall building.

• 

  The Buttery, March 2017

See also

In Spanish: Newnham College para niños

• Category:Fellows of Newnham College, Cambridge
• Listed buildings in Cambridge (west)