Margaret Cheney Room
The Margaret Cheney Room was founded in 1884. Cheney Room exists to promote community, relationship building, support, and empowerment of all students at MIT as it relates to gender.
Ellen Swallow Richards `73, the first MIT woman student, graduated in 1873. Marie C. Turner was the first Black woman to attend MIT in 1905. Ellen Swallow Richards secured the funds for a woman’s laboratory (1875) devoted to exclusively instructing women in chemistry (that location is now the location of Walker Memorial). Richards petitioned strongly for a women’s space to continue to be on campus. Thus in 1884 Ellen Swallow Richards and Ednah Dow Cheney raised funds to help establish a space for women on MIT’s campus. This space was named Margaret Cheney `82 after Ednah Dow Cheney’s daughter. Learn more about the history of women at MIT and the evolution of the Cheney Room by clicking through the interactive timeline created by the Association of MIT Alumnae (AMITA).
- AMITA Interactive Timeline – The Women of MIT
- AMITA Interactive Timeline – Margaret Cheney Room History
Use of the Margaret Cheney Room
The Margaret Cheney Room is not open to the public, but all students may request tap access to freely use the space by filling out the WXGS – Margaret Cheney Room Tap Access form
Students and student groups who use the Cheney Room may reserve spaces for private events, programs, hangouts, studying and more. It is recommended students fill out the Margaret Cheney Room – Space Reservation Form at least a week in advance so there’s enough time for the WXGS staff to approve the reservation and send out a confirmation email with instructions.