Florence returns to university's oldest hall of residence to mark 75th anniversary celebrations
PA110/03 — September 10 2003
Students who studied at The University of Nottingham as far back as the 1950s will be back on campus this weekend to take part in celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of its oldest hall of residence.
More than 120 former students, staff and friends of the University are expected to attend the celebrations at Florence Boot Hall on Saturday September 13, that will include an exhibition illustrating the life of Florence Boot, an afternoon tea party, an evening reception with jazz quartet and a dinner.
Florence Boot Hall was founded as a hall of residence for women on the University Park campus in 1928 by Florence, Lady Trent, wife of the philanthropist, businessman and founder of the Boots Company, Jesse Boot.
She was determined that young women should be given the opportunity to pursue higher education, especially to train as pharmacists, in what was a predominantly male field. Florence took a huge personal interest in the setting up of the hall, even insisting on getting involved with the designs and furnishings down to the last tiny details, such as which china should be bought. Despite recent renovations at the hall, many of the original features and furnishings have been retained.
While living in Nottingham Florence retained her great affection for the hall and from time to time would even drop in to take tea with the students.
Elizabeth Jones, who is one of the organiser's of the 75th anniversary events and was a tutor at Florence Boot Hall for 23 years before retiring last year, said: "Florence was a very remarkable woman who really was ahead of her time.
"She personally gave money for the founding of the hall and insisted that it should be called a hall of residence and not a hostel as it would otherwise have been at that time. She wanted it to be set up in a way that was more homely, with a social, family atmosphere, rather than just a collection of individual rooms inhabited by students studying there.
"Although she herself had no formal higher education, she believed that it was vitally important that people, especially women, should be given the chance to continue with their studies."
One of the highlights of Saturday's celebrations will be a tree planting in the grounds of the hall by Florence's great great granddaughter Florence Houston to mark the occasion and in memory of the hall's founder.
The day will start with members of the Boot family, including two of Florence Boot's granddaughters, taking a tour of the Millennium Gardens at both Boots plc and on University Park Campus.
Visitors on Saturday will be able to view an exhibition of Florence Boot memorabilia in the hall that will include material loaned from the Boots Group plc archives and drawings of the first students rooms, library and dining room.
The tea party at the hall from 3.30pm will be attended by the Boots family members, alumni of Florence Boot Hall and university staff members, including Professor Barry Azzopardi, whose chair - Lady Trent Chair of Chemical Engineering - is named and funded in memory of Florence Boot.
The evening reception in the Junior Common Room of the hall will be accompanied by 1920s music from the jazz quartet New Orleans Heat, in which the late Chris Blount, chef at Florence Boot Hall, used to play.
The reception will be followed by a dinner attended by Boots family members, members of the association Friends of Florence Boot Hall and alumni from every decade from the 1950s to the present day.
— Ends —
Notes to editors: Photographers and film crews are welcome to attend the event to photograph the tree planting by Florence Boot's great great granddaughter at Florence Boot Hall at 4.15pm on Saturday September 13.
Please contact Elizabeth Jones on +44 (0)1636 636365, +44 (0)115 951 4532 or e.jones@nottingham.ac.uk or Press Officer Emma Thorne in the University's Public Affairs Office on +44 (0)115 951 5793, emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk
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