14 Facts About Millicent Mackenzie

Millicent Hughes Mackenzie was a British professor of education at University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, the first female professor in Wales and the first appointed to a fully chartered university in the United Kingdom.

Millicent Mackenzie wrote on the philosophy of education, founded the Cardiff Suffragette branch, became the only woman candidate in Wales in the 1918 general election, and was a key initiator of Steiner-Waldorf education in the United Kingdom.

Hester Millicent Hughes was born in 1863 into the family of Walter William Hughes of Bristol.

Millicent Mackenzie attended school in the Bristol suburb of Clifton and later was sent for further schooling to Switzerland, after which she attended University College, Bristol and the Cambridge Teacher Training College.

Millicent Mackenzie made history through her appointment to associate professor in 1904 and to professor of education in 1910, making her the first female professor in Wales and the first female professor appointed to a fully chartered university in the United Kingdom.

Millicent Mackenzie was appointed a member of the Senate in 1909; she was the first woman appointed to the College's Senate, though the Senate minutes record her as having attended and been active in Senate meetings since 25 October 1904.

Millicent Mackenzie played a key role in the establishment of the College School.

Millicent Mackenzie published many other books and lectures on education.

On her return to Britain, Millicent Mackenzie then initiated the educational conference in Stratford-on-Avon in April 1922, was the founder and chairperson of the "Educational Union" whose purpose was to bring awareness of Rudolf Steiner's educational ideas into English and American teacher's organisations and directed the organisational group for the summer conference "Spiritual Values in Education and Social Life" in August 1922 in Oxford.

Millicent Mackenzie organised the public lecture of Rudolf Steiner on education on 30 August 1924 in Essex Hall, London under the auspices of the Educational Union for the Realisation of Spiritual Values and gave the welcoming address.

Millicent Mackenzie joined the women's movement, co-founding the Cardiff and District Women's Suffrage Society and stood as Labour Party candidate in the 1918 general election for the newly created University of Wales constituency, losing to former Flintshire Liberal MP Herbert Lewis.

Millicent Mackenzie was the first woman to stand in a parliamentary election in Wales.

Millicent Mackenzie edited his autobiographical notes and published them in 1936.

Parc Millicent Mackenzie is situated behind National Museum Cardiff, between Park Place and Museum Avenue.