Education
The only child of middle-aged parents she attended Wakefield Girls" High School and went up to read physics at College, University of London (RHC) in 1932, graduating in 1936.
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Marjorie Williamson
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She stayed at as a Demonstrator in physics, before spending the Second World War years lecturing at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth (now Aberystwyth University). In 1945, she moved to Bedford College, London, as a lecturer in physics. At Bedford she was involved not only in the physics department, but took a great interest in the administration of the college.
In 1955 she was appointed Principal of Street Mary"s College, Durham.
She was invited to become Principal of College, University of London, (RHC) in 1962 following the resignation of Doctor Edith Clara Batho. Before Williamson became Principal, RHC admitted only women as undergraduates and offered a relatively restricted number of courses.
Men were only admitted as postgraduates after 1945. Because of this, and its situation in the outer London suburb of Englefield Green, Surrey, the RHC was seen as something of a backwater.
Williamson set out to change this image by admitting men undergraduates and by a comprehensive expansion into new buildings and academic disciplines.
She provided a new Students" Union building and revived the religious life of the college by the appointment of four honorary chaplains. By the time she retired as Principal in 1973, the college had admitted men as undergraduates since 1965 and expanded into new buildings, and staff had been recruited for new departments such as biochemistry, statistics, computer science and music She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on her retirement in 1973.
Lionel Butler was her successor.
