Queen Mary’s College can be described as a child of destiny which has blossomed into an epitome of empowered womanhood, a seed of thought which has grown into a strong fruit-bearing, shade-giving tree, the spark of an idea which remains an ever-glowing flame.

The venture to establish a college for women as far back as 1914 was indeed a bold foray. Recorded history has shed light on the fact that the essay of a school girl, Nallamuthu (in March 1913), on “the need for a college for women in the Madras Presidency” was instrumental in the founding of the college. The zeal of all those who laboured in the early years to empower women through education can be seen in yet another path-breaker - the education of the first three child widow graduates of Madras Presidency, Ammu Kutty, Lakshmi and Parvathy who were housed at the Ice House widows’ home Sarada Illam was at QMC.

The walls of QMC reverberate with poignant stories like these. In recent years Queen Mary’s College has excelled in opportunities given to the visually challenged in parasports. The work at Queen Mary’s College has most certainly been a labour of love since the time of its inception.

The reputation of the college rests not merely on its antiquity but on the credentials of its faculty and the performance of the students who excel in academics, sports and the fine arts. Our vision is to ensure “democratization of education”. Getting down to brass tacks, our mission is to work towards the “all round development” of our students and give them “an education that equips them to face challenges in their personal and professional lives.”

As Principal of Queen Mary's College, I have the privilege of entering into the labours of legendary Principals who along with their team of faculty have carved a path by responding to the challenges of their times.

I have internalized the zeal of the pioneers and been a time traveller, pausing at every milestone in the journey of QMC. This journey is a rite of passage to effective service in the college. It is a journey that I share with fellow "Queen Marians" – faculty, students and alumnae – and together we continue our march towards new horizons. The milestones we have covered in recent years include, e governance, ICT enabled learning, making students job-ready through skill based value additions to the curriculum. Queen Mary’s College has a unique calling – as a government college it is committed to being egalitarian and upholding the principles of inclusiveness and equal opportunity.

Given our history we are attuned to listening to the voices which spell out the needs of society. We make it our mission to respond to these voices through our innovative strategies for the teaching-learning process.

Queen Mary’s as stands poised on the famous Beach Road of Chennai speaks to our times. The wide expanse of ocean, viewed from the stately buildings and corridors of QMC is met with an equally expansive vision. Those who have experienced the elation that comes from working from a room with a view can relate to our claim that the achievements of Queen Mary's College over the years comes from epiphanic moments.

Incidentally, these lines have been penned from “a room with a view”. May each day at QMC be fraught with inspiration!