Personal Papers of Sarah Emily Davies

In 1897 a syndicate was appointed to consider full membership of Cambridge University. It recommended the admission of women to titular degrees. The recommendation was rejected by 1707 votes to 661. This was reported as 'The largest vote ever taken upon an academic subject with the history of the University'. By 1897 all British universities except Oxford and Cambridge admitted women as members on equal terms with men. In 1904 Trinity College Dublin admitted women. For three years, women who were in all but name graduates of Oxford or Cambridge could apply for Dublin degrees. Over 250 Girtonians made use of the privilege. In 1916 a decision was taken to admit women to the 1st and 2nd M.B. examinations (the 3rd M.B was not open to women until 1932). This was the first concession since 1881. In 1919 women were admitted to full membership at Oxford University. In 1920 Cambridge rejected a further proposal to admit women by 904 votes to 712. In 1921 a Grace admitting women to titular degrees was passed. It also gave women the right of admission to University lectures and laboratories, thus regularising the normal practice of over 40 years. However, women were still not admitted to full membership of the University of Cambridge until 1948. The papers listed here relate to attempts to gain women membership of both Oxford and Cambridge universities.