75th Anniversary Of Lahore College For Women. (1997-10)

Lahore College for Women, Lahore is celebrating its platinum Jubilee this year spread over an area of 287,500 square feet with 5000 students and 262 staff members the institution is headed presently by Prof. Dr. (Mrs.) Bushra Mateen B.Sc. (Hon) M.Sc. Chem. (Pb) Ph.D. (London) F.R.C.S. Chartered Chemist.
This Premier Postgraduate female institution in Punjab was established in May 1922 by the Government to provide higher education to Women. It was affiliated to the University of Punjab at under graduate level in 18 subjects in 1922, for graduate classes in 14 subjects in 1925, for post-graduate classes in English in 1940 and for Honours classes in five subjects in 1949.
Originally this college was situated in a building on Hall Road with a hostel. There were separate Kitchens for Hindu and Muslim students. In the beginning there were 60 students 25 of whom were boarders and 13 staff members. College benefited from the services of qualified male teachers due to the shortage of female teachers. Miss G. Harrison was the first principal of Lahore College for Women, Lahore and Mrs. E.B. Heer was the first warden of its hostel.
In 1951 the college was shifted to the present building which was originally a school Smatam Dharam School. At that time the number of students was only 600. The number of students and staff members increased over the decades and today there are about 5,000 students 262 members of teaching staff and 145 members of non-teaching staff. Number of faculties at Inter level is 27, at graduate level 29 and post-graduate level 10.
In 1951 the college consisted of (1) Academic Block 2) Old Hostel Building, 3) Principal Residence and 6 Staff quarters. These buildings were insufficient to meet the growing number of students. However land was available and a new Science Block, two Hostels for under-graduate and post-graduate students, Main staff room and professors rooms, Statistics and Mathematics Departments and Auditorium, were added over the last 56 years.
Still college has about 32 Kanals of land and a multi-storey Post graduate Block has been designed to start Masters classes in at least 1 C more subjects according to the need of the hours to meet the challenges of 21st century.
At present Lahore College for Women, Lahore is aspiring to develop itself into a centre of Excellence and higher seat of learning with degree awarding status. Lahore College for Women, Lahore is lucky enough to benefit from the sincere services of Principals like Mrs. Gerry Harrison, Mrs. Durrani, Miss Henry Lal, Dr. Miss Ali Mohammad, Dr. Kanzeen Yousaf, Dr. Mrs. Razia Noor Mohammad, Dr. Miss lqbal Dar, Mrs. M. B. Hassan and presently Dr Mrs. Bushra Mateen whose dexterity in handling both administrative and academic affairs of the college is highly commendable over the last 7~ years, all these ladies not only contributed in showing excellent academic results but also initiated golden traditions of regularly conducting co- curricular activities/sports and maintaining the excellent standards o character-building and discipline in the college on the Lines of the motto of the college which is.
\"Discipline ensures success\"
College colour is green. Students wear uniform (white dress in Summer and white dress with black jersey and green blazer in winter) college magazine \"KIRAN\" quenches the literary thirst of student Lahore College for Women, Lahore is the only female institution in Punjab which was granted the autonomous status in financial and administrative matters on 1st August, 1990 PLCOSA (Pakistan Lahore College Old Students Association) known as L.C.A. as well has been registered a NGO with the Social Work Department Govt. of the Punjab and is working regularly for the development of the college. Recently Lahore College for Women administration with the collaboration of L.C.A. succeeded ir establishing a full-fledged computer centre in the premises of the college with the help of Ministry of Women Division and Youth Affairs, Islamabad, This Centre has started functioning from December, 1996 with the collaboration of physics and Mathematics Departments of the college.
The fact that the old students of Lahore College have occupied the key posts in the past as well as at present makes it a prestigious institution, In the pre-partition period, this female institution contributed in creating awareness and political consciousness among women folk and at present the students of the college are serving for the national cause in the field of education (principals of all college in Lahore and many other cities are old students of Lahore College) health, banking and other economic and social sector.
(Contributed by Lahore College for Women)
To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Lahore College for Women, Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 3/- denomination on September 23, 1997.