Fundraiser launched to honour St Andrews scholar

The School of Divinity hopes to raise £2300, which would be used to fund an oil portrait of Lucy Menzies.

Ms Menzies was born in St Andrews in 1882 and died there in 1954.

She wrote on St Columba and Queen Margaret. Shortly before her death, she was the first woman to be awarded an honorary D.D. from the University of St Andrews.

An artist has already been given the task of creating a portrait of Lucy, with around £1800 of the donations going towards the commission.

The remaining £500 would be used to pay for museum-grade glass and a frame.

College Hall is already home to a collection of oil paintings of former principals and professors, with just one spot remaining.

The room currently has no portraits of women.

Judith Wolfe, professor of philosophical theology, said the tradition of having portraits in the college had stopped around 15 years ago.

She said: “We wanted to capture one of the women who has contributed here.

“She was a local woman who was esteemed in the church and the university.

“She seemed an obvious choice, as someone who is respected in the local community and the church.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/f/a-portrait-of-lucy-menzies-for-college-hall.