On the 130th anniversary of the Department of Geography and Environment at LSE, Mirha Butt explores the contributions of three remarkable women who have not only enriched the academic field but have been instrumental in advocating for social change: Dr Hilda Ormsby, Dame Judith Rees and Professor Sylvia Chant.
Founded with LSE’s inception in 1895, the Department of Geography and Environment is a hub of groundbreaking research and thought leadership in geography and environmental studies. Some of its most profound impacts come from the contributions of its female scholars—trailblazers whose work has reshaped our understanding of space, place, and society.
Dr Hilda Ormsby (nee Rodway Jones (1877—1973)
Dr Hilda Ormsby was one of the quiet pillars of early 20th-century British geography, her contributions both profound and, at times, underappreciated in a male-dominated field. During the First World War, she contributed to Naval Intelligence by creating terrain maps of the Western Front, later earning her degree in Geography and becoming an LSE lecturer in 1918, as well as an assistant to Sir Halford Mackinder (LSE Director and one of the founders of modern geography).
She collaborated closely with her brother, Llewellyn, who later succeeded Mackinder as the Head of the Department, and she made significant academic contributions, including her 1924 text London on the Thames, thought to be the first geographical study of London.
In 1931, Ormsby earned a rare Doctor of Science (DSc) in Geography for her work on “The Geography of France – Regional and Economic”, and in 1933, she co-founded the Institute of British Geographers to focus on geographical scholarship beyond exploration. She became the first woman to serve on its council in 1936 and remained an influential figure, earning fellowships from both LSE and the Royal Geographical Society in 1962.
Ormsby, renowned for her engaging tutorials and innovative map classes, was also an exceptional teacher and departmental organiser. She captivated students with memorable courses on European geography, leading a celebrated seminar on London during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Her lectures were characterised by a fun, unconventional approach, earning her affectionate nicknames like “Dr O” or simply “Hilda” among staff and students.
In 1952, the Department had only one female member (Senior Lecturer, Audrey Lambert, 1952—1982), so Ormsby’s presence and achievements broke barriers in a predominantly male space. Her career highlights the complexities women faced in the early development of geography as an academic discipline, challenging the traditional portrayal of early 20th-century British geography as exclusively imperialist and masculinist.
In honour of her achievements, the Department runs the annual George and Hilda Ormsby prizes for best overall performance for undergraduate students and for best dissertation across all UG and PG programmes.
Dame Judith Rees, DBE (1944—)
Judith Rees earned her BSc from LSE in 1965 and, after a period teaching at Wye College in Kent, returned to LSE as a lecturer and completed her PhD in 1978. With research interests in climate change and environmental governance, Rees was Dean of Geography at the University of Hull in the early 1990s, before rejoining LSE as Head of Geography until 2004.
Since LSE’s founding in 1895, there have been 16 directors; Rees was LSE’s first female (interim) Director in 2011-12, and was Deputy Director from 1998 to 2004. She was also the first female President of the Royal Geographical Society. As well as being Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy from 2008 until 2012, Rees has worked as an advisor to the World Bank, UN Development Programme, and Friends of the Earth, among others. Her advice has covered a range of water and environment-related topics including the regulation of public and private water utilities, the provision of urban water and sanitation, sustainable development and regulatory regimes in environmental management.
In recognition of her significant contributions to higher education, Rees was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2006 and a DBE in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Recognised as LSE’s distinguished 13th Director, her portrait (by artist, Mark Roscoe) stands on the left-hand wall of the Shaw Library, amongst other significant figures in the School’s history.
“LSE and the Department of Geography and Environment owes Judith a considerable debt for her leadership and vision in driving forward research and teaching in environment and sustainability at the School. Examples abound but, to name a few, this includes putting “Environment” at the heart of the renaming of the LSE Geography Department, being pivotal to the launch of the Department’s environmental teaching programmes for its BSc and MSc students and playing an instrumental role in founding and directing the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. The substantial legacy of all this, and so much more, is tangible in LSE flourishing research and teaching on environment and sustainability today. I owe Judith a personal debt too. Judith was on the selection panel for the Lectureship in the Department that I interviewed for, and was appointed to, in autumn 1998. Over 25 amazing years later, I remain truly appreciative of being a small part of this legacy!” – Professor Giles Atkinson, Acting Director of the Grantham Research Institute and Professor of Environmental Policy (2024)
Professor Sylvia Chant (1958—2019)
“Professor Sylvia Chant was not only recognised for her world-leading research on gender and development but also for her unwavering commitment to education. Her door was always open to students, and her enthusiasm and passion for scholarship were truly infectious. She set a high standard for what it means to be a scholar, educator, and mentor, serving as a significant reference point for me.” – Professor Hyun Bang Shin, Head of Department and Professor of Geography and Urban Studies (2024)
“Joining the department as a Graduate Intern, Sylvia welcomed me with warmth and helped me settle in. She would often pop into the office to check in on us – always with genuine care. She treated all members of staff in the department and across LSE with respect, and it was the little things, like her thoughtful Christmas cards, that made a lasting impact.” – Isobel Jones, Communications and Events Officer
Described by Professor Gareth Jones as “perhaps the most remarkable academic in the Department over the past 30 years”, Professor Sylvia Chant was a world-leading feminist geographer, responsible for co-establishing LSE’s MSc Urbanisation and Development programme, as well as the Gender Institute.
A specialist in gender and development (GAD), Chant carried out research in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Philippines and The Gambia, held visiting professorships in Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, and in 2011, was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts. Chant really engaged with the women whom she interviewed, keeping in touch with many of them years after her first encounters, and at LSE, she was regarded as an inspiring and generous teacher, with many of her PhD students going on to pursue impactful careers in gender and international development.
Her insights into women-headed households and broader gender inequalities significantly influenced the policy advice she provided to international organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, UN Women, and the World Bank, and she co-authored the UN-Habitat report “State of Women in Cities, 2012-13”, which advocated for the recognition of gender issues in urban planning. Her involvement with the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children also played a crucial role in the country’s decision to ban female genital mutilation in 2015—only a few of her remarkable contributions to society at large.
“In reflecting on this relationship I am struck by Sylv’s positivity – she could be annoyed, upset, frustrated by the world around (including the LSE, which she loved) – but she was always incredibly positive about people.” – Professor Gareth Jones, Professor of Urban Geography (2024)
In her honour, the Department of Geography and Environment established the Sylvia Chant Public Lecture Series, and a scholarship was launched in her memory, thanks to the generosity of one of her former students, Etienne Cadestin (MSc Urbanisation and Development 2009).
Chant is fondly remembered by both faculty and students as not only a formidable academic but a generous and warm human being, deeply compassionate and driven by a genuine desire to understand and improve the lives of women in marginalised communities.
The impact of these trailblazing women reminds us how the field can be a vital force for social change. As we celebrate 130 years of geographical education and research at LSE, let’s continue to support and uplift the next generation of scholars and changemakers.
References
Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment. (2024). Judith Rees – Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment. [online] Available at: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/profile/judith-rees/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2024].
LSE Gender Pay Gap Report 2023. (2023).
Maddrell, A. (2006). Revisiting the Region: ‘Ordinary’ and ‘Exceptional’ Regions in the Work of Hilda Ormsby 1917–1940. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 38(9), pp.1739–1752. doi:https://doi.org/10.1068/a37188.
McIlwaine, C. (2020). Sylvia Chant obituary. The Guardian. [online] 18 Mar. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/mar/18/sylvia-chant-obituary.
Nassef Manabilang Adiong (2015). Welcome, Professor Sylvia Chant FRSA FAcSS. [online] Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). Available at: https://phiso.org/2015/11/03/welcome-professor-sylvia-chant-frsa-facss/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2024].
Richards, P. (2024). Dr Hilda Ormsby, c1910. [online] Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/3983646216 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2024].
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