"Equal education is the condition for equal participation".  — Grace Annie Lockhart

This special edition of the Record marks an important milestone in the Mount Allison story. One hundred and fifty years ago, on May 25, 1875, Grace Annie Lockhart quietly crossed the stage at Lingley Hall to receive her degree, becoming the first woman in the British Empire to earn a university credential. Every feature in this issue reflects the path her accomplishment helped open for women in classrooms, laboratories, boardrooms, and communities around the world.

Lockhart’s achievement was not a solitary act. It grew from the work of those who believed that women deserved the same access to knowledge as men. This includes our founder Charles Frederick Allison and educators such as Mary Electa Adams and her colleagues at the Mount Allison Ladies’ College who insisted on rigorous academic standards for women. Their efforts led to co-education in 1872, which made Grace’s historic graduation possible three years later.

In an 1896 reflection, Grace described higher education as preparation “for the higher spheres of action, whether they be political, professional, or social.” She argued that women required the same education as men “under the same circumstances.” For her, learning was not ornamental. It was the foundation for participation, leadership, and service. That vision continues to guide Mount Allison today.

This anniversary issue also honours the generations of women who followed her. Students, faculty, staff, and alumnae have shaped Mount Allison through their intellect, creativity, and care. They are the professors who challenged us to think differently, the mentors who recognized our potential, and the colleagues who demonstrate daily what leadership looks like through kindness and competence.

It is also a moment to celebrate the women who continue this work now. Across campus and beyond, they are researchers, administrators, volunteers, and community builders who keep Mount Allison vibrant and connected to the wider world. Their stories remind us that progress depends not only on the great breakthroughs of the past but also on the persistence and generosity of those who teach and lift others every day.

As I complete my final term on the Mount Allison Alumni Board, I carry Lockhart’s words with me. “Equal education is the condition for equal participation”. When Mount Allison classrooms welcome students of every gender and background, when our labs, studios, and seminar tables reflect the world we serve, we are not only celebrating Lockhart’s argument. We are living it.

To all the women who have made the road possible for the rest of us to walk, thank you. Each generation of Allisonians builds on the example you have set through your leadership and service.

Jennie Henderson (‘03)
Past President, Mount Allison Alumni Board