Rose Sidgwick (Rugby, 1877 – New York, 1918), was a British university teacher and one of the founders of the

International Federation of University Women Graduate Women International (GWI), originally named the International Federation of University Women (IFUW), is an international organisation for women university graduates. IFUW was founded in 1919 following the First World War by both British and ...

Life and career

Rose was born on 9 January 1877, the second daughter of Charlotte Sophia Wilson (1853–1924) and

Arthur Sidgwick Arthur Sidgwick (1840–1920) was an English classical scholar who had an early career as a schoolteacher. Despite his self-deprecating remark "in erudition I am naught", he is considered a great teacher of ancient Greek poetry. He also became an ...

(1840–1920). After the Oxford Girls High School, she received an honours degree in modern history at Oxford. In 1902, she enrolled in the Diploma of Education and passed the examination – with Distinction – one year later. At

Somerville College Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ir ...

she worked as temporary tutor in history and after a few years, as librarian. Sidgwick continued her career at the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

, where she was appointed as assistant lecturer in History. In addition she was involved in training programs for social workers and supporting the

Workers Educational Association The Workers' Educational Association (WEA), founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult education and one of Britain's biggest charities. The WEA is a democratic and voluntary adult education movement. It delivers lea ...

. During a trip to the USA in 1918, Rose, as a member of a British delegation, met several representatives of American universities and discussed the opportunities for closer cooperation between universities from the UK and the US. During the same visit, she also discussed the founding of a world organisation for higher educated women, with among others

Virginia Gildersleeve Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (October 3, 1877 – July 7, 1965) was an American academic, the long-time dean of Barnard College, co-founder of the International Federation of University Women, and the only woman delegated by United States ...

, Dean of

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

, resulting in the launch of

. She died from the effects of

flu Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...

on December 28, 1918 in New York.

References

External links

Graduate Women International
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidgwick, Rose British feminists Fellows of Somerville College, Oxford 1877 births 1918 deaths Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in New York (state)