First female Vice-Chancellor Dame Lillian Penson honoured as family views her portrait at Senate House

Several members of Dame Lillian Penson's family were welcomed to the University of London on Tuesday 10 June, where they explored archival records documenting her career and viewed her official portrait which is displayed on the first floor of Senate House.

Peggy Bazlinton, Dame Lillian's niece, was joined by her husband and other family members for the visit. Peggy said: "We were delighted to see the portrait displayed so prominently in Senate House. We were very proud to be reminded of her many achievements and to learn of them in greater detail."

Dame Lillian Penson (1896-1963) made history when she became the first woman appointed as Vice-Chancellor in both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in 1948. Born in London, she graduated with a BA in History from the University of London in 1912 before building a distinguished academic career.

She taught at Birkbeck from 1921 to 1930, and part-time at East London (later Queen Mary) College from 1923. In 1930 she was appointed Professor of Modern History at Bedford College, where she specialised in colonial history.

She was appointed the first female principal of the all-women Westfield College, University of London, in 1939. During her tenure, she oversaw the integration of Westfield into the University of London and fought for women's education and equal opportunities for female academics.

From the late 1930s Lillian became increasingly involved in the governance of London University. This culminated with her appointment in 1948, becoming the first woman to be Vice-Chancellor, not only in the United Kingdom, but the wider commonwealth. Her tenure as Vice-Chancellor was marked by a commitment to academic excellence, student welfare and social justice.

Lillian also played a key role in the establishment of the University of London's International Programmes, which now serves around 40,000 students worldwide.

Beyond her academic achievements, Lillian was a committed social reformer, and she worked to promote women's rights, racial equality and the welfare of refugees and migrants. Her efforts earned her numerous awards and honours, including the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

The portrait, which was created by renowned artist Adebanji Alade, was commissioned in 2022 as no official portrait was painted of Dame Lillian when she stood down as Vice-Chancellor.