Emily Penrose was the second of five siblings, and oldest daughter of Francis Cramer Penrose, and his wife Harriette Gibbes, the daughter of Francis Gibbes, a surgeon of Harewood. Her paternal grandmother was Mrs Markham. Penrose studied in a private school in Wimbledon before studying languages in Versailles, Paris, Dresden and Berlin. She also trained as an artist with her father; a watercolour of the Parthenon attributed to her is in the collection of the British Museum. She lived with her family in Athens during 1886-87 while her father was director of the British School at Athens, during which time she kept a diary detailing her life in Athens and travels around Greece, and learned modern Greek. Her diary records her participation in the academic and social life of Athens, especially that of the foreign archaeological schools. The British School also has at least one watercolour painting probably by her. Penrose was educated at Somerville College at the University of Oxford, where she started as a scholar of Greats in 1889; this involved her learning both Latin and ancient Greekfrom scratch. She chose to specialise in archaeology after her experiences in Athens, and in 1892 became the first woman to gain a First in Greats. As women were not able to gain a degree from the University of Oxford at that time, she presented herself for an ad eundemUniversity of Dublin MA in 1904.
Career
Penrose taught for a short time as an extension lecturer in Oxford and London before being appointed as Professor in Ancient History and Principal of Bedford College from 1893-1898. She was subsequently the second Principal of Royal Holloway College from 1898-1907 where she succeeded Matilda Ellen Bishop. Bishop's resignation followed disagreement about Sunday Services with the governors. During Penrose's time as the Principal at the college, the social life developed as the numbers of students increased, even though Penrose had an unexpected weakness of shyness. However, in her time at the college she set it on the path which it successfully followed. She was instrumental in gaining the college admission to the newly formed University of London in 1900. This change led to increasing numbers of students studying for and being awarded London degrees, and a movement away from studying Oxford courses . In her final year as Principal at Royal Holloway, eight of the students were awarded first class University of London degrees. Penrose was also the Chairman of the University of London Classical board and a member of the senate council. Penrose was followed at Royal Holloway by Ellen Charlotte Higgins. On the death of the previous Principal, Agnes Catherine Maitland, Somerville college council invited Penrose to take the post as Principal of Somerville College, Oxford. In 1894 Somerville College had become the first of the five women's halls of residence to adopt the title of 'college' and the first of them to appoint its own teaching staff, the first to set an entrance examination, and the first to build a library. Penrose was closely involved in the establishment of a university delegacy for women students in 1910, on which she served as an elected member, which led ten years later to the admission of women to full membership of the university; she also served on numerous other committees, including becoming the statutory commissioner for the University of Oxford in 1923. During the First World War, when Somerville's buildings were requisitioned for use a was a leader at the time that women secured admission first to Oxford university lectures, then to examinations, and finally, in 1920, to university membership. During her time as Principal of Somerville, Penrose also presided over many changes, including plans for new buildings, major constitutional changes and temporary accommodation of the college in Oriel College during World War I. On her retirement in 1926, she was given a large sum as a farewell present, which she returned to the College to establish a student loan fund. She moved to London after her retirement, later moving to Bournemouth on the outbreak of World War II, where she died on 26 January 1942.
Legacy
The success of the 1920 campaign to admit women as full members of the University of Oxford owed much to the diplomatic skills and academic reputation of Penrose. On her retirement in 1926, Penrose was awarded an honorary Doctor of Civil Law by Oxford, the second woman given this title after Queen Mary; Sheffield University also awarded her an honorary LLD. In 1927 she was awarded a DBE for her work for education and made the first Honorary Fellow of Somerville College. Penrose was the subject of numerous photographs and portraits, including by Francis William Helps, Philip Alexius de Laszlo, and the Rhomaides Brothers.
