Winifred Margaret Woodburn, better known as Winnie Ewing, was one of the first hundred women to graduate in Law from the University of Glasgow. She was born in Glasgow on 10th July 1929 to Christina Bell Anderson and George Woodburn, a stationer and supporter of the Independent Labour Party. Brought up in Langside she was a pupil at Battlefield School and Queen’s Park Secondary. She was a good all-round student and active in extracurricular activities. When she went up to university it was with a strong interest in History, which she chose in addition to Constitutional History and German for the first year of her curriculum in the Arts Faculty. Classes in Astronomy, Logic and Civil Law followed and her M.A.(1949) took the shape of a prelude to a degree in Law, which she began the same year. She progressed smoothly through the curriculum, earning a certificate of distinction in Scots Law. She also joined the student Scottish Nationalist Association. After graduating LL.B. in 1951 and having met all the requirements for professional registration she was admitted as a solicitor and acquired a practising certificate in 1952. Her legal education in the Faculty was not over, however. In 1957 she enrolled in History of Scots Law and in the following year in Industrial Law. Winnie continued to establish herself in practice, combining a busy career with marriage in 1956 to chartered accountant Stewart Ewing (M.A. 1949) with whom she had three children. From 1962-67 she was Secretary to the Glasgow Bar Association. Her career, however, turned to Politics when she famously won the Hamilton by-election for the SNP in 1967. Thereafter she served in the Westminster Parliament (1967-70, 1974-79), the Scottish Parliament (1999-2003) and the European Parliament (1979-99). From 1987-2005 she was President of the Scottish National Party. She served for 38 years in representative politics and enjoyed the sobriquet of ‘Madame Ecosse’, conferred by Le Monde newspaper for her passionate commitment to Scotland. In 1995 Glasgow University conferred the degree of Honorary LLD. Winifred Ewing died on 21st June 2023, assured of an important place in Scottish history.
Sources
University of Glasgow Registry and General Council Records
Scotlands People
CoSS Petitions List CS46/1952/461
Law Lists
