Queen Elizabeth College (QEC) had its origins in the Ladies' (later Women's) Department of King's College London, England, opened in 1885. The first King's 'extension' lectures for ladies were held at Richmond in 1871, and from 1878 in Kensington, with chaperones in attendance.

In 1881, the Council resolved 'to establish a department of King's College London, for the higher education of women, to be conducted on the same principles as the existing departments of education at this college'. By 1886, the King's College London Ladies' Department at 13 Kensington Square had 500 students. In 1902 it became the King's College London Women's Department and in 1908 King's College for Women. In 1907 lectures were given in subjects then thought to be specially relevant to women, such as 'the economics of health' and 'women and the land', and in 1908 systematic instruction in household and social sciences began.^[1]

In 1915, the Household and Social Science Department of King's College for Women opened at Campden Hill Road, Kensington, while other departments were transferred to the Strand site. In 1928 the Department became completely independent as King's College of Household and Social Science, and in 1953 it received a royal charter, its name was changed to Queen Elizabeth College and men were admitted for the first time. The College became distinguished in particular for its teaching and research in nutrition, physiology, hygiene and microbiology. It was recognised as a School of the University of London in 1956.

The original Campden Hill Road buildings combined both the lecture theatres, laboratories and library but also included the only Hall of residence - Queen Mary Hall. By the late 1960s the expansion of student numbers and the need for additional laboratory capacity necessitated the construction of a new Building - the Atkins building ^[1] located on Campden Hill, behind the main college

Alumni of the Women's college, its predecessors and of QEC include the writer Radclyffe Hall.

King's merger [edit]

QEC re-merged with King's College London in 1985,^[1] and the "Kensington campus" became associated with biomedical sciences. However, the campus was closed and sold in 2000 with the contents being decanted to the Franklin-Wilkins Building, on Stamford Street near Waterloo Station. Part of the campus has subsequently been converted into high-quality apartments which retain some QEC branding.

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• QEC Alumni Association

v t e University of London Colleges and institutions Current Birkbeck Courtauld Institute of Art Goldsmiths Heythrop College Institute of Cancer Research Institute of Education King's College London London Business School The London School of Economics and Political Science London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Queen Mary Royal Academy of Music Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Royal Holloway Royal Veterinary College St. George's SOAS University College London Former and defunct Bedford College Chelsea College of Science and Technology Imperial College London New College London Queen Elizabeth College Regent's Park College Royal Postgraduate Medical School School of Pharmacy School of Slavonic and East European Studies St Thomas's Hospital Medical School Westfield College Wye College Central bodies and programmes London Consortium Senate House Libraries School of Advanced Study Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Institute of Classical Studies Institute of Commonwealth Studies Institute of English Studies Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies Institute of Historical Research Institute of Musical Research Institute of Philosophy Institute for the Study of the Americas Warburg Institute University of London Institute in Paris University of London International Programmes University Marine Biological Station Millport People Academics Alumni Chancellor: HRH The Princess Royal Heads of Colleges Vice-Chancellor: Professor Sir Adrian Smith Visitor: Nick Clegg Places and buildings Current Bloomsbury Gordon Square Halls of residence Canterbury Hall College Hall Commonwealth Hall Connaught Hall Hughes Parry Hall International Hall Lilian Penson House Nutford House Malet Street Russell Square Senate House Tavistock Square Torrington Square Woburn Square Former 6 Burlington Gardens Church of Christ the King Other Academic dress The Careers Group History London Student University of London Big Band University of London Boat Club University of London Computer Centre University of London Union Parliamentary Constituency (Abolished) Category Commons