Cecilie Thoresen Krog

She was born in Eidsvoll as a daughter of physician Nils Windfeldt Thoresen (1822–1907) and Marie Johanne Benneche (1827–99). She grew up together with her sister and three brothers. As a young girl she enjoyed skiing, including ski jumping. She married lawyer Fredrik Arentz Krog in 1887, and was the mother of journalist and playwright Helge Krog. She was the sister-in-law of teacher, politician and fellow women's rights activist Gina Krog. She died in Kristiania in 1911, after having suffered from infective endocarditis for several years.[2]

Cecilie attended private schools and graduated from Nissen Girls School in 1879. She wanted to achieve the examen artium, but encountered problems from the authorities. A letter from her father to the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Church Affairs to allow her to field as an exam candidate was met with a refusal. She subsequently contacted the Minister of Church, who asked Royal Frederick University (now University of Oslo) for a statement. When the statement from the university was negative, she contacted member of the Parliament of Norway Hagbard Emanuel Berner, who proposed a private Act amendment, which passed in 1882.[2] She passed the examen artium in 1882, as the first Norwegian woman.[3]

She eventually became a student of science at the University of Oslo and later at the University of Copenhagen.[1] She terminated her university studies when she got married in 1887 and gave birth to three children the next three years.[2]

She was a board member of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights from its foundation in 1884[1] and a board member of the humanitarian organization Norwegian Women's Public Health Association from its foundation in 1896.[2][4] She was a co-founder of the Norwegian National Women's Council in 1904.[2]