Complex sentence: However, some of his closest friends strongly disagreed (notably Edward Clarke Lowe who believed that University education should be open to women) and they eventually prevailed with Woodard to secure his blessing to the foundation of the School of S. Anne in 1874.
Split into simpler sentences: However, some of his closest friends strongly disagreed (notably Edward Clarke Lowe who believed that University education should be open to women). Woodard was eventually persuaded to give his blessing to the foundation of the School of S. Anne in 1874.