Marion Gilchrist was the first female graduate of the University of Glasgow, one of the first two women to qualify in medicine from a Scottish university; and a leading activist in the Women's suffrage Movement in Scotland. In recognition of her achievements she has been honoured in a number of ways.
Early life and education
Born 5 February 1864 at Bothwell Park farm to Margaret and William Gilchrist a prosperous tenant farmer, she had four older siblings; three brothers, John, William and Douglas, and one sister, Agnes. Her brother was the well known Scottish agriculturalist Douglas Alston Gilchrist. Marion's earlier education was at the localparish church when she was around 7 years old. She met with some challenges where her father and brother Douglas thought it pointless that she studied academic subjects however her brother John encouraged her and she attended and later went on to attend Hamilton Academy. In 1887, Gilchrist matriculated at Queen Margaret College, University of Glasgow, as an arts student and having begun the examinations while at Queen Margaret College, she attained LLA, awarded by the University of St Andrews in 1890. In the same year, she enrolled at the new Queen Margaret College Medical School. In July 1894, Gilchrist and Alice Robson became the first two women to graduate from University of Glasgow, and the first women to qualify in medicine at a Scottish university, graduating MB and CM. At university, Gilchrist was Vice-President of the Queen Margaret College Student Union; Vice-President of the Literary and Debating Society; Convener of the Queen Margaret College Committee of the Glasgow University Liberal Club, and on 22 January 1894, was elected President of the Women Students' Representative Council at its first meeting, Queen Margaret College.
Career
Medical career
After graduation, Gilchrist entered general practice, and following the death of her father in 1903 set up her own practice at 5 Buckingham Terrace, Glasgow, remaining at that address for the rest of her life.. Her niece, Margaret Menzies Campbell also worked with her at Buckingham Terrace. Specialising in ophthalmology, Gilchrist was appointed Assistant Surgeon for Diseases of the Eye at the Glasgow Victoria Infirmary, a post she was to hold from 1914 to 1930, and in 1927, she was also appointed an ophthalmic surgeon at Redlands Hospital for Women, Glasgow. Gilchrist also gave of her time on a voluntary basis as physician to Queen Margaret College Settlement's Invalid Children's School.
Gilchrist never married. She died at her home on 7 September 1952.
Honours
Marion Gilchrist's achievements were honoured when her home town named a public garden and a car park after her. The University of Glasgow named the Postgraduate Club after her. In 1932, a gift of £1,500 was used to endow a bed at Redlands Women’s hospital for the treatment of eye diseases which was also named in recognition of her. The Gilchrist Window in the north transept of the Parish Church in her birthplace of Bothwell was created by Douglas Strachan from funds gifted by Gilchrist. The inscription below the window reads, "To the Glory of God. Erected by Marion Gilchrist in memory of her father William Gilchrist and her mother Margaret Williamson, her brothers, John William and Douglas, and her sister Agnes." The Marion Gilchrist Prize was established in 1952 from Marion Gilchrist's bequest and is awarded annually by the University of Glasgow to "the most distinguished woman graduate in Medicine of the year." In 2012, on the 60th anniversary of her death, Bothwell Library had an exhibition to honour her achievements.
