Alice Robson
Scottish medical doctor
About Alice Robson
Lived 1870 – 1945 (aged 74). Alice Robson was a British medical doctor.
Alice Lilian Louise Robson ( Cumming; 22 November 1870 – 4 July 1945) was a Scottish medical doctor and one of the first two women to be awarded a medical degree in Scotland.
Early life and education Alice Lilian Louise Cumming was born in Houston, Renfrewshire on 22 November 1870. Her father, James S. Cumming, was a general practitioner. She attended Queen Margaret College, studying arts before enrolling at Glasgow University to study medicine.
In 1894, Cumming received a Bachelor of Medicine and a Certified Midwife from the University of Glasgow. and they were featured in the international press.
The Journal of Education reported:At the summer graduation ceremony of the University of Glasgow, held on 26th July, the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Master in Surgery was conferred on women candidates for the first time in the history of any of the Scottish Universities. The two lady graduates who have had the honour of leading the van in this new departure are Miss Marion Gilchrist, Bothwell, and Miss Alice Lilian Louisa Cumming, Glasgow. Both have studied in Queen Margaret College, now the Women's Department of the University of Glasgow, for seven years, three in Arts and four in Medicine, their clinical work having been taken in the Royal Infirmary and Sick Children's Hospital... There was a large attendance of University students and of the general public at the ceremony and the two ladies were welcomed into the ranks of the Graduates in Medicine with much hearty and generous enthusiasm. Since graduation Miss Gilchrist has been appointed assistant to Dr Joseph McG. Robertson, a doctor in large practice in the West End of Glasgow; and Miss Cumming has accepted the post of Resident House Surgeon in the Eye Infirmary, Greenock. It was written that Cumming would practice as an assistant in her father's practice in Blythswood Square, Glasgow. Henry Robson later became the Bursar of Sidney Sussex College. They lived in Cambridge and had four daughters.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Alice Robson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Alice Robson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Alice Robson?
Scottish medical doctor (1870-1945)
When was Alice Robson born?
Alice Robson was born on 22 November 1870 in Houston.
When did Alice Robson die?
Alice Robson died on 4 July 1945.
What was Alice Robson's occupation?
Alice Robson was a medical doctor.
What nationality was Alice Robson?
Alice Robson was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alice Robson. https://biography.guide/alice-robson/
MLA: "Alice Robson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alice-robson/.
Chicago: "Alice Robson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alice-robson/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC