50 Years of Women at Wadham: Marking a Milestone

We enjoyed an unforgettable experience as Wadham transformed itself into “Studio 74” for our Commemoration Ball. Taking inspiration from the legendary New York nightclub, while marking the milestone of 50 years since the admission of women to the College, our guests enjoyed a world of celebration, sophistication and (of course) party. A wonderful evening was had by all, including over 100 alumni who returned to College, spanning the past five decades of Wadhamites. As shared by one alumna, “It was a beautiful evening and Wadham looked magical - perhaps my only regret is deciding to hurtle down a rather creaky helter skelter!”

Many alumnae and alumni joined us for the inaugural anniversary event on 21 September 2024 as we reflected on this significant milestone. Two panel events, Wadham Women: a positive force and Gender and Power in Higher Education, were well-attended by former students from the early years of co-education and beyond.

For 'Wadham Women: a positive force, Professor Shazia Choudhry, Hackney Fellow in Law, brought together alumnae whose careers involve advocating for the rights of women and girls in a global context. Abby Ajayi (Law, 1998), Verena Knaus (Honorary Fellow; History, 1995) and Lucy Lake (Honorary Fellow; Human Sciences, 1991). It was a unique opportunity to hear our four speakers sharing stories and insights around advocating for the rights of girls and women in a global context.

Cláudia Pazos Alonso, Wadham's Fellow and Tutor in Portuguese and Tutor for Women, hosted Gender and Power in Higher Education. Panelists, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone (Honorary Fellow; English, 1975), Karmjit Kaur (PPE, 2004), Professor Dame Ursula Martin (Emeritus Fellow) and Professor Jane Garnett (Tutor in History and the History of Art), discussed women's role in higher education; the progress over the past 50 years; and the challenges that persist today.

Both events are still available to watch on our YouTube channel.

A University-wide 'Meeting Minds' panel hosted by Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey at the Maths Institute, 'Five @ Fifty: the first co-ed colleges looking to the future', brought together an impressive mix of speakers from the five Oxford colleges that took this inevitable and overdue step five decades ago (Brasenose, Hertford, Jesus, St Catherine’s and Wadham). Wadham alumna, Mary Ann Sieghart (PPE, 1979), was among the panelists.

We continued to mark 50 Years of Women at Wadham with this event, which showcased Wadham women working at the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. The podcast is available to listen to here.

Hosted by Warden Robert Hannigan and chaired by Claire Brown (Oxford Science Enterprises), the panel featured Wadham alumnae, Sophie Costello (Chemistry, 1996) and Katerina Spranger (DPhil Engineering Science, 2010), current student, Diana Mandewo (MSc Applied Digital Health, 2024), and Professor Monika Gullerova (Wadham Fellow and Tutor in Medicine).

The panelists, each from diverse backgrounds, shared their journeys through academia and business ownership.

Mary Ann Sieghart studied PPE at Wadham from 1979-1982, and she is now an award-winning journalist, radio presenter, and author of The Authority Gap. She returned to College to speak to our students about her time here as part of one of the early cohorts of women students, and to consider this question. Fellow PPEist, Kayla McKinnie (PPE, 2023), led the talk with Mary Ann. Here, Kayla tells us about the discussion and its conclusions.