About Us

HISTORY

Isabella Thoburn College is the first Christian College for women in Asia. Its founder, Ms. Isabella Thoburn, was the first woman Methodist missionary to sail to India in 1869, after the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society (WFMS), of the Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in Boston to champion the cause of women in India.
The origin of the college was in a school for girls opened by Ms. Isabella Thoburn on 18 April 1870 in one room in the city-centre bazaar of Aminabad. There were then just six girls. By 1871, the school had expanded and moved to occupy a house named Lal Bagh, the house of the treasurer of the last Nawab of Awadh. On 12 July 1886, Miss Thoburn’s school was renamed as the Lucknow Women’s College and began to teach Fine Arts classes under the supervision of the University of Calcutta. In 1894, this connection was abandoned in favour of a new one with Allahabad University.
After Miss Thoburn’s death in an attack of cholera in 1901, the College, still at Lal Bagh, was given its present name in her honour. In 1923, during the Principalship of Ms. Florence Nichols, the College became a separate institution and moved to the Chand Bagh estate of almost 32 acres, where it has remained until the present day. Chand Bagh means “Moon Garden”. The property was once a royal garden. The College’s Principal, Sarah Chakko (1905–1954) was the first woman President of the World Council of Churches.
The College is now affiliated to Lucknow University. The buildings it has developed on the Chand Bagh campus since the 1920s include student hostels, lecture rooms, laboratories, a library, a College chapel and a large hall. The College teaches five undergraduate courses, leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLISc). It also offers postgraduate courses leading to the degrees of Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.).

VISION

Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, the first Women’s Christian College in South Asia was established on April 18, 1886, has been imparting quality education to young inquisitive girls for the past 132 years as one of the most prestigious college for the Arts, Science and Commerce in Lucknow. When the University of Lucknow was established, it became a constituent college of the University.
The institution traces its roots back to the founder Ms. Isabella Thoburn’s ideology: “No people ever rise higher, as a people, than the point to which they elevate their women.” When Ms. Thoburn came to Lucknow, she observed how there was noticeable discrepancy in the level of advancement of men and women. She decided that her first priority would be the education of girls, and the next priority would be evangelistic work with women secluded in their homes.
It is the mission of the College to assist in the creation of women leaders who manifest intellectual competence, spiritual maturity, mental strength and moral uprightness, who will champion the cause of justice, love, truth and peace, and who are ever open to further growth. This fulfils the criterion of Social Accountability towards the society. This vision was reflected in the location and property chosen for the institution as well.

MISSION

• To help girl students achieve self-discipline, cultivate good habits, and imbibe high ideals and virtues;
• To train students in clarity of thought and accuracy of expression and develop in them leadership quality;
• To build a community of staff and students committed to the common pursuit of truth and moral excellence;
• To promote a healthy modern outlook among the women while drawing inspiration from our motto, our ancient cultural heritage and tradition;
• To become an institution of social change and a force of integration among linguistic, religious and caste groups and to inspire young women to work for the eradication of social evils;
• To inculcate in the students a sense of responsibility to the nation and encourage their creative involvement in the building up of a new developed India, a country free from exploitation, injustice, ignorance, poverty, misery and corruption.

MOTTO

We receive to give
We try to inspire a hunger for learning, not only for degrees, because our true zenith is not reached unless each student leaves College with her gifts of intellect and personality developed for service.

IDEALS

The educational mission of this historic College is symbolised by these ten ideals. It is hoped that our students will endeavor to realise these traits and strive to maintain theses qualities in their lives.

COLLEGE COLOURS AND EMBLEM

Gold and White

1870: Isabella Thoburn started as a school.
1886: The College class founded.
The Cross: In the Centre of the shield is the Christian symbol of Love, Sacrifice and Service.
The Open Book: The Holy Bible. It also represents Learning.
The Dove: The Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit. It also represents Peace.
The Lotus: Our National Flower.