Aberystwyth University honours first female lawyer in the West Indies
The chance discovery on eBay of a post card featuring a portrait of a young black woman in university robes has led a Welsh university to honour one of its alumni. As part of its International Women’s Day celebrations on Tuesday 8 March, Aberystwyth University will officially name a room in honour of Iris de Freitas, the first female lawyer in the West Indies. Born in 1896, Iris de Freitas was the daughter of a merchant in British Guiana. She registered as a student at Aberystwyth University in 1919 after a short period studying in Toronto. At Aberystwyth she studied botany, Latin and modern languages, law and jurisprudence, and lived in Alexandra Hall, the first purpose-built university hall of residence for female students in the UK. She also became Vice-President of the University’s Students’ Representative Council and the President of the Women’s Sectional Council. Iris graduated with a BA in 1922, but continued her association with the University and qualified for the degree of ...