Evelyn Procter
{{Short description|British historian and academic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox academic
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Evelyn Procter
| honorific_suffix = FRHistS
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| birth_name = Evelyn Emma Stefanos Procter
| birth_date = 6 June 1897
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|3|22|1897|6|6|df=y}}
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| title = Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford (1946 to 1962)
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| discipline = Historian
| sub_discipline = Medieval Spanish History
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| education = Corran School for Girls
Cheltenham Ladies' College
| alma_mater = Somerville College, Oxford
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| notable_students = Richard A. Fletcher
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| workplaces = Somerville College, Oxford
St Hugh's College, Oxford
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| awards = Legion of Honour
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Evelyn Emma Stefanos Procter, FRHistS (6 June 1897 – 22 March 1980) was a British historian and academic. She served as principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford, from 1946 to 1962.
Early life
Procter was born on 6 June 1897 in Hunton Bridge, Hertfordshire.{{cite web|last=Highfield|first=J. R. L.|title=Procter, Evelyn Emma Stefanos (1897–1980)|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65552|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|accessdate=21 April 2014|date=May 2010}} She was educated at two all girls private schools; Corran School for Girls in Watford and Cheltenham Ladies' College in Cheltenham.{{cite news|title=Miss E. E. S. Procter|newspaper=The Times|date=26 March 1980|page=19}} In 1915, she went to Somerville College, Oxford, as a commoner to study modern history. Her college tutors were Margaret Hayes Robinson and Florence O'Loughlin. During her time at the University of Oxford, she was awarded a blue for lacrosse. In 1918, she graduated with a distinguished first class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
Academic career
Procter began her academic career as a teacher at Saint Felix School, Southwold. She spent the first two years after graduating teaching.
In 1921, Procter was elected Mary Somerville Research Fellow at Somerville College, Oxford. She undertook research on the medieval history of Spain, including visits in 1922 to the archives in Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, and Lisbon. She was the first female scholar to be admitted to the National Historical Archive of Spain and the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
In 1925, Procter was appointed a tutor in history at St Hugh's College, Oxford, and was elected a fellow the following year.{{cite web|title=PROCTER, Evelyn Emma Stefanos|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U158681|website=Who Was Who|publisher=Oxford University Press|accessdate=29 November 2016|date=April 2014}}
From 1933 to 1939, she was a university lecturer in medieval European history. In 1936, to mark 50 years since St Hugh's College, Oxford was founded, a "Group Portrait" was painted of Evelyn Procter, Edith Wardale, English Language Tutor; Elizabeth Francis, French Tutor; Barbara Gwyer, the then Principal; and Cecilia Ady, History Tutor by Henry Lamb.{{Cite book |url=https://messumswiltshire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Henry-Lamb-Exhibition-Catalogue-1.pdf |title=Henry Lamb RA (1883-1960) People and Portraits – catalogue |publisher=Messums}}
In 1946, she was elected Principal of St Hugh's College in succession to Barbara Gwyer. She was invited to deliver the Norman MacColl lectures at the University of Cambridge in the academic year 1948 to 1949. In 1951, she published these lectures as a monograph titled Alfonso X of Castile, Patron of Literature and Learning. She also acted as a supervisor for a number of postgraduates. These included Derek Lomax who became Professor of Spanish at Birmingham University, and Richard Fletcher who became Professor of History at the University of York.
Later life
Following her retirement in 1962, Procter was elected an Honorary Fellow of St Hugh's College, Oxford, which allowed her to keep in close contact with her former college.
In retirement, Procter lived in Eynsham, Oxford. She died on 22 March 1980, aged 82.
Honours
Proctor had been elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS). She was appointed Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in honour of her role in the foundation of the Maison Française d'Oxford.
References
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{{s-bef|before=Barbara Gwyer}}
{{s-ttl|title=Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford|years=1946 to 1962}}
{{s-aft|after=Kathleen Kenyon}}
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Category:Fellows of St Hugh's College, Oxford
Category:Principals of St Hugh's College, Oxford
Category:People from Three Rivers District
Category:People educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
Category:Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford
Category:20th-century British historians
Category:Fellows of the Royal Historical Society