Louisa Macdonald (10 December 1858 – 28 November 1949) was an educationist and women's suffragist.

Early life and education

Louisa Macdonald was born in 1858 in Arbroath, Scotland, the eleventh child of Ann (née Kid) and John Macdonald, town clerk and lawyer. Louisa and her sister

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...

enrolled at the

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, where they were among the first residents in College Hall. Macdonald graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in 1884 with first class honours in classics and honours in German. She graduated with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

in classics in 1886 and took up an immediate career in education by providing lectures and private lessons for students of College Hall.

Professional career

By 1891 Macdonald had become a Fellow of the

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

. Macdonald was chosen from a field of 65 applicants to be the founding principal of the

Women's College Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male stud ...

at the University of Sydney, and took up her position in rented premises at 'Strathmore' in Glebe in March 1892, with four students. Macdonald played an active role in the design and equipping of the Women's College buildings, designed by architects

John Sulman Sir John Sulman (29 August 1849 – 18 August 1934) was an Australian architect. Born in Greenwich, England, he emigrated to Sydney in 1885. From 1921 to 1924 he was chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee and influenced the develop ...

and John Porter Power to accommodate 26 students, which opened in 1894. Macdonald worked tirelessly to establish prosperity for the college, both economically and culturally, at a time when women's education was a low priority and in limited demand. Aided by her lifelong friend and companion, Evelyn Dickinson, Macdonald sought to establish a strong foundation for supporting women's education, based on values of social and intellectual equality. The architecture and grounds of the college reflected Macdonald's belief that gracious surroundings were an essential part of a liberal education.

Suffragism

Macdonald was actively involved in University life and causes in support of women. She was involved in the Sydney University Women's Association, the University Women's Society and the Women's Club, as well as the Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales, and the Women's Literary Society.

Later life and legacy

Macdonald resigned from the University in early 1919. Soon after her retirement announcement, a memorial to her service to the university was planned with the ''Louisa May Memorial Hall'' being dedicated in 1924. Macdonald died in 1949 in London.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Louisa 1858 births 1949 deaths Australian women academics Academic staff of the University of Sydney People from Arbroath Alumni of the University of London Australian suffragists Scottish emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian educators 19th-century Australian women 20th-century Australian women 19th-century women educators