Agnes Blackadder Hall

Agnes Blackadder Hall is the largest single-building Hall of Residence owned by the University of St Andrews. It was opened in 1993 and is located in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It has 519 bedrooms, of which 25 are shared. All are en-suite. Previously it was the only Hall in St Andrews to accommodate both catered and self-catered students, and catered students were in the significant majority. It currently provides residence for both catered and non-catered students.NamingThe name 'New Hall' was initially intended to be purely a temporary one. As the hall was opened at a time when the university had just celebrated the centenary of women's admission, it was mooted that the hall would be named for Elizabeth Garrett Anderson as one of the most famous women to attend the university. A mass meeting of the hall's residents was held to discuss the matter, and gather suggestions for the hall's permanent name. However, no name was ever decided upon by the university authorities, and it remained 'New Hall' by default from 1993 until 2012.Following a vote amongst students, on 17 April 2012 it was announced that New Hall would be renamed 'Agnes Forbes Blackadder Hall' from the 2012-13 session onwards, known informally as 'ABH', 'Blackadder Hall' or simply 'Blackadder'. Agnes Forbes Blackadder (1875-1964) is notable as the University of St Andrews' first female graduate, who received her MA on 29 March 1895. She went on to achieve great eminence through a distinguished medical career as a consultant dermatologist in London, one of the first women to be appointed in such a capacity in a hospital which was not exclusively for women. The new name, coincidentally or otherwise, reflects the significant population of medical students in residence due to the Medical School being relatively nearby.