Trinity College’s new sculpture: 30 women to put on a pedestal

It has been more than 200 years coming, but better late than never: the provost of Trinity College Dublin wants the first woman to join the 40 men memorialised in marble busts in the Long Room of the Old Library. 

Patrick Prendergast has asked for nominations for who should sit alongside Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Edmund Burke and Jonathan Swift, among others. The woman needn’t have a Trinity connection nor be Irish, just be a scholar who is no longer alive. 

To get the ball rolling, here are 30 Irish scholars, writers and thinkers worth considering for the honour. 

read more here @ Irish Times

Scholarships for Somali Women

From CTV News:

An Alberta journalist who was held prisoner in Somalia is never going back there, but the scholarship program she has set up for girls in the poverty-stricken country could bring change.

Amanda Lindhout says 11 young Somali women have been selected to go to one of six different institutions in the country. She hopes she will be able to raise enough money to have 100 women studying in four years time.

Originally she and the Global Enrichment Foundation panel members had planned on picking 10 women as the first scholarship recipients, but she says there were too many good applicants.

Elena Piscopia

Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia

(1646 - 1684)

She was the daughter of Giovanni Battista Cornaro, Procurator of St.Marks. Her family was from the Venetian nobility, and produced 4 Doges, 3 Popes, 8 Cardinals and 1 Queen of Cyprus.

Elena began her classical education aged 7yo - she studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Mathematics, Philosophy and Astronomy. Theology was her favourite subject, and her later disputations in Latin and Greek at Padua drew scholars from all over Europe.

The University of Padua's rector approved Elena's application for the Doctorate of Theology - however, the Church raised objections to the granting of this particular degree (Theology) to a woman. Instead, Elena was obliged to apply for a Doctorate in Philosophy.

Elena's examinations drew such a crowd of academic, religious and political luminaries that the ceremony had to be moved to the Cathedral of Padua for lack of space at the Univeristy.

Aged 32yo, Elena was awarded a Doctorate of Philosphy (25/6/1678) - it is the first university degree ever received by a woman.

Elena spent the last 6 years of her life ministering to the poor while continuing her studies and devoting herself to religious observerances.

Elena died aged 38yo (1684), most likely of tuberculosis. She was buried in the Church of Sanat Giustina, Padua. The citizens of both Venice and Padua mourn her death.

A fuller account of Elena - written by Sarah Thieling (1995).

~~~ Melisende