London based law graduate with ‘great, great’ link to Queen’s University
Queen’s Whitla Hall is a famous landmark for everyone linked to the University. But when more than 100 alumni from across the generations gathered for a gala dinner in London, they were delighted to hear that one of guest had a special connection.
Susan Whitla, who received her degree in law in 2011, recalled how proud she was to walk across the stage in the hall named after her celebrated ancestor. Sir William Whitla, who died in 1933, was a major benefactor of Queen’s and a distinguished physician. The Sir William Whitla Hall opened in 1949 next to Queen’s Lanyon building and his former home at Lennoxvale is the residence of the Vice-Chancellor.
“The Whitla connection is that William Whitla was my great, great uncle. So, his brother’s family runs down through my family,’ Susan said. “My Dad studied Accountancy at Queen’s and, when he realised there was the Whitla Hall, his family explained our ancestry. When I joined, he passed this on to me and then there was great excitement on graduation day that we were Whitlas who graduated in the Whitla Hall. When walking across the stage at graduation you couldn’t help thinking, “it’s special that this is the Whitla Hall with the family connection.”
Susan is Global Director of Process & Quality at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner international law firm.
She was among the graduates at the Queen’s University Association London’s (QUAL) annual dinner in December which brought generations of graduates from 1964 to 2024 together at the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
The event marked the latest stage of the expansion of Queen’s graduate network in London. Almost one third of those attending were new to the alumni group.
Susan said it was her first QUAL event since before the Covid pandemic, but she was delighted to re-connect:
“This is the first time I’ve been back and I love the fact that there are so many different generations of people. The people who attended have such a love for Queens; they’ll always come back with their own memories of their time there.”
Susan spoke of meeting other law graduates who have built careers in London, as well as graduates from a host of other professions: “You network with people in your own sector, but also people who you otherwise wouldn’t run into to.”
The December dinner followed an event in September, where graduates gathered at a packed reception in Pall Mall. New events are planned for throughout 2025.