St. Hilda's was founded in 1893 by Dorothea Beale, Principal of Cheltenham Ladies College a major figure in the fields of women's education and female suffrage. It was established in Cowley House on the banks of the River Cherwell. Subsequently the College acquired Cherwell Hall and Milham Ford School on adjacent sites, and further building has created an attractive riverside site. This includes the Jacqueline Du Pré Music Building, a concert hall of professional standards, opened in 1995.
In 2008, St. Hilda's was the final Oxford College to go mixed by admitting men.
Alongside administrative records, the College archive includes a collection of letters of founder Dorothea Beale (1831-1906) and first Principal Esther Burrows (1847-1935), these papers include material relating to early women's education at Oxford. We also hold the papers and MS scores of composer Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) and a collection notes, speeches and articles of journalist Sue Lloyd-Roberts ( 1950-2015) . The archive also preserves photographs, news cuttings, obituaries, written reminiscences and a strong collection of recorded interviews covering student life from 1909 onwards.
Archivist: Mr Oliver Mahony
Open: Wednesday and Thursday 10am-5pm and Friday 9am-2.30pm
Visiting hours: Wednesday and Thursday 10.30am-4.30pm
Address: St. Hildas, Cowley Place, Oxford OX4 1DY
Phone: (01865) 276882
E-mail: archives@st-hildas.ox.ac.uk
Web: https://www.st-hildas.ox.ac.uk/content/archives
Further Reading:
Margaret E. Rayner, ‘The Centenary History of St. Hilda’s College, Oxford’ (Oxford, 1993)
