Shailabala Das was born Calcutta in 1875. After the death of her mother in 1892 she was adopted by Madhusudan Das and came to live Cuttack. She never learnt to speak oriya but her identification with Odisha particularly with the women of the state was commendable.

She lived at a time when woman occupied an inferior position in Indian Society and were not allowed to express themselves. Madhusudan Das saw to it that Shailabala gets modern education. She became the first odia woman to join Ravenshaw College which was the bastion of Gentleman. 1906 she went to England for higher education. She returned Cuttack in 1907 never to leave Cuttack again. In 1925 she was made an Honorary Magistrate, the first odia women to receive this honour and in 1927 She became a member of the senate Patna University, to which all the colleges of Odisha were th affiliated.

In 1951, she made a gift of the house where she lived since her arrival at Cuttack, known as "Madhu Smriti", to the Government of Odisha. This house is the present Shailabala Women's College, a premier institute for young ladies.

The college will complete its 100 years in 2013. The credit of this nationally recognized seat of learning goes to the fearles fighter, Shailabala Das, who throughout her life fought for the right of women.