Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick

Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick

Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick, née Balfour (1845-1936) was an activist for the higher education of women, Principal of Newnham College and a leading figure in the Society for Psychical Research.

Eleanor Mildred Balfour was born in East Lothian, daughter of James Maitland Balfour and Lady Blanche Harriet. She was thus born into perhaps the most prominent political clan in nineteenth-century Britain, the 'Hotel Cecil': her brother Arthur would eventually himself become prime minister. Another brother, Frank, a biologist, would die young in a climbing accident.

One of the first students at Newnham College in Cambridge, in 1876 she married (and became converted to feminism by) the philosopher Henry Sidgwick. In 1880 she became Vice-Principal of Newnham under the founding Principal Anne Clough, succeeding as Principal on Miss Clough's death in 1892. She and her husband resided there until 1900, the year of Henry Sidgwick's death. In 1894 Mrs Sidgwick was one of the first three women to serve on a royal commission, the Bryce commission on Secondary Education.

As a young woman, Eleanor had helped Rayleigh improve the accuracy of experimental measurement of electrical resistance; she subsequently turned her careful experimental mind to the question of testing the veracity of claims for psychical phenomena. She was elected President of the Society for Psychical Research in 1908 and named 'president of honour' in 1932.

In 1916 Mrs Sidgwick left Cambridge to live with one of her brothers near Woking: she remained there until her death in 1936.

Writings

Most of her writings related to Psychical Research, and are contained in the "Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research". However, some related to educational matters, and a couple of essays dealt with the morality of international affairs.

Further reading

* "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"
* N. Howard, "Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick and the Rayleighs," "Applied Optics" 3, 1120- (1964)
* Ethel Sidgwick, "Mrs Henry Sidgwick". London. 1936
* Helen Fowler, "Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick 1845-1936". In "Cambridge Women. Twelve Portraits", ed. Edward Shils and Carmen Blacker. Cambridge. 1996.

External links

* [http://www.newn.cam.ac.uk/about/bio_eleanorsidgwick.shtml Newnham biographies]
*


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Henry Sidgwick — Henry Sidgwick, philosophe anglais, né à Skipton dans le Yorkshire, a vécu du 31 mai 1838 au 28 août 1900. Ses travaux ont porté sur l économie et la morale. Avec Jeremy Bentham et James Mill, il fait partie de ce qu on …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Henry Sidgwick — Nacimiento 31 de mayo …   Wikipedia Español

  • Henry Sidgwick — Infobox Philosopher region = Western Philosophy era = 19th century philosophy color = #B0C4DE image caption = name = Henry Sidgwick birth = birth date|1838|5|31| death = death date and age|1900|8|28|1838|5|31| school tradition = Utilitarianism… …   Wikipedia

  • Hodgson Report — Als Hodgson Report bzw. Hodgson Bericht wird eine von Richard Hodgson durchgeführte Untersuchung der paranormalen Phänomene rund um Helena Petrovna Blavatsky und der Theosophischen Gesellschaft (TG) bezeichnet. Die Untersuchung diente zur… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • East Lothian — For other uses, see East Lothian (disambiguation). Haddingtonshire redirects here. See also Haddingtonshire (UK Parliament constituency). East Lothian Aest Lowden Lodainn an Ear Location …   Wikipedia

  • List of University of Birmingham people — This is a list of notable alumni and staff of the University of Birmingham:taff*The Rt. Hon.Joseph Chamberlain Former and First Chancellor who helped set up the University of Birmingham, Lord Mayor of Birmingham and father of Sir Austen… …   Wikipedia

  • Cambridge University Moral Sciences Club — Moral Sciences Club The club has met at St John s College since 1998. Founded First recorded meeting 19 October 1878 at Trinity Location University of Cambridge …   Wikipedia

  • James Maitland Balfour — (5 January 1820 ndash; 23 February 1856), of Whittinghame, Berwickshire, was a Scottish Member of Parliament. He was the father of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour.Balfour was the son of James Balfour and his wife Lady Eleanor,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”