Rosa Morison

Rosa Morison (5 June 1841 – 8 February 1912) was a British linguist and educationist. She offered her services for free to College Hall, London, and became their first Lady Superintendent of Women Students. She worked there until her death, outliving her lifelong partner, Eleanor Grove. The University of London named a hall of residence after the two of them in 2012.

Life Morison was born in Hammersmith in 1841. She was the fifth child of Catherine Agutter and William Morison. Her father was a baker. She had a good education completing in Queen's College, where she was soon employed as a linguist in 1866. She could teach Italian, Latin, and German. It was there that she met Eleanor Grove, who was employed as assistant secretary in 1872. Grove was so qualified that she was given the job despite missing the interview and sending her brother to speak on her behalf. She was later promoted to Lady Resident.

She and Eleanor loved the language of German, and they had similar views on education. In 1881 they lost confidence in the college's management, which they considered lax and inefficient. Moreover, the school was failing to rise to the opportunity raised by the ambitions of women's education at the University of London.

Morison was promoted in 1883 to the new post of "Lady Superintendent of Women Students". The women students included not only those at University College but also the students at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson's London School of Medicine for Women. The building has 33 floors and capacity for 500 students. The interior design is inspired by Rosa and Eleanor.