ABSTRACT
This paper presents initial data on the sixteen women who were elected to membership of the British Psychological Society between its formation in 1901 and the dramatic expansion of membership in 1919. Born in the second half of the 19th century, they came predominantly from middle-class backgrounds. The proportions that married and/or had children, though low by current standards, are higher than those for women academics in general during this period. Most sought further qualifications after their first degree; half were awarded doctorates (again a relatively high proportion). They showed flexibility and diversity in their career paths. They were productive as authors and some at least received due recognition for their work. The most striking feature of the sample is the high proportion (almost half) employed as lecturers in teacher training colleges or university departments of education. This underlines not only the relative accessibility of university teaching as a profession for women in the early 20th century but also the key role that departments of education played in providing employment opportunities for women in higher education prior to the development of university departments of psychology in Britain.
