St Hilda's College
Elizabeth Topham Kennan‑Burns (1938–2025).
We were honoured to count Elizabeth Kennan‑Burns (née Topham; History, 1960) as an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College. A distinguished medieval historian and alumna, she graduated summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke (1960), earned a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford, and later completed her doctorate in medieval studies at the University of Washington. She passed away peacefully at her home in Kentucky on 18 July 2025, aged 87.
Elizabeth served as president of Mount Holyoke College from 1978 to 1995 where she championed women’s education, oversaw the creation of new academic programmes (environmental studies, computer science, Frances Perkins Programme), and led the rebuilding of South Hadley’s Village Commons after devastating fires.
An influential leader beyond academia, she held trustee roles at institutions including the Folger Shakespeare Library, the University of Notre Dame; corporate boards including Bell Atlantic/Verizon, Eversource, Putnam Funds, and contributed significantly to historic preservation in Massachusetts and Kentucky. Elizabeth was a published medieval scholar, preservationist, farmer, and co‑author of the mystery 'Overnight Float' (under the pseudonym Clare Munnings). Her legacy of academic rigour, visionary leadership, and devotion to public service continues to inspire all who value the mission of women’s education.