Mistress of Girton College 1916–22

Katharine Jex-Blake was from a large academic family, several of whom
came to Girton – although she was the first. She was born at Rugby where
her father was headmaster of Rugby School (later Dean of Wells) and was
educated at home. She came up to Girton as a Goldsmiths’ Scholar in the
Easter Term of 1879 to read Classics. She and Dora Clark were the first
Girtonians to attain a First Class in Part I of the Classical Tripos in
1882 and she was the second to take a Part II the following year. After
a year as Classics Mistress at Notting Hill High School, she returned to
Girton as Resident Classics Lecturer in 1885, becoming Director of
Studies 1901–19, Vice-Mistress 1903–16 and Mistress 1916–22. She was a
gifted teacher and her pupils include Agnata Ramsay, Dorothy Tarrant,
Dorothy Brock and Margaret Postgate. She is remembered with both awe and
affection. On her retirement in 1922 she presented a sum of money to the
College to endow research – the Jex-Blake Fellowship was inaugurated
from that fund.