Women's colleges in the United States

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Women's colleges in the United States initially began development during the early part of the 19th century. There are approximately sixty active women's colleges in the U.S.

Contents 1 19th century history 1.1 Background 1.2 Historically black colleges 1.3 Seven Sister colleges 1.4 Seven Sisters of the South 2 20th century history 2.1 Adopt coeducation 2.2 Remain women's college 3 21st century history 3.1 Adopt coeducation 3.2 Remain women's college 3.2.1 Commentary from presidents of women's colleges 4 Famous alumnae of women's colleges 5 Rankings 6 Trivia 7 See also 8 Footnotes 9 References 10 External links

[edit] 19th century history

[edit] Background

See main article: Timeline of women's colleges in the United States

Women's colleges were primarly founded during the early 19th century. According to Irene Harwarth, Mindi Maline, and Elizabeth DeBra, "women's colleges were founded during the mid- and late-19th century in response to a need for advanced education for women at a time when they were not admitted to most institutions of higher education." ^[1] While there were a few coeducational colleges (such as Oberlin College founded in 1833, Antioch College in 1853, and Bates College in 1855), most colleges and universities of high standing at that time were exclusively for men. In 1886, H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, a coordinate college of Tulane University, was founded as the first coordinate women's college in the United States.

[edit] Historically black colleges

See main article Historically black colleges and universities

Bennett College and Spelman College are historically black women's colleges which were both developed during the later half of the 19th century (although Bennett did not become a women's college until 1926). Bennett has been described as the Vassar of the South and Spelman as the Radcliffe College of historically black colleges. Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou have recently offered public support to Bennett College. ^[2]

[edit] Seven Sister colleges

See main article Seven Sisters colleges

Colleges for women were founded in the Northern United States during the early and mid 19th century. Seven of them (Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Radcliffe College, Bryn Mawr College and Barnard College) were grouped under the title of The Seven Sisters in 1927.

[edit] Seven Sisters of the South

See main article Seven Sisters of the South

The members of the Seven Sisters of the South are ill-defined, but two of the colleges are said to be Agnes Scott College [1] and Randolph-Macon Woman's College [2].

[edit] 20th century history

[edit] Adopt coeducation

One debate which developed from the period of the 1960s - 1990s (the time of second wave feminism) revolved around the question of coeducation. During this time, many of the most prominent American men's colleges, including multiple Ivy League institutions, became co-ed.

Two of the Seven Sister colleges also made transitions during this time. Beginning in 1963, students at Radcliffe College received Harvard diplomas signed by the presidents of Radcliffe and Harvard and joint commencement exercises began in 1970. The same year, several Harvard and Radcliffe dormitories began swapping students experimentally and in 1972 full co-residence was instituted. The departments of athletics of both schools merged shortly thereafter. In 1977, Harvard and Radcliffe signed an agreement which put undergraduate women entirely in Harvard College. In 1999 Radcliffe College was dissolved and Harvard University assumed full responsibility over the affairs of female undergraduates. Radcliffe is now the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in Women's Studies at Harvard University.

In addition, Vassar College declined an offer to merge with Yale University and instead became coeducational in 1969.

Other women's colleges also adopted coeducation such as Sarah Lawrence College which declined an offer to merge with Princeton University and became coeducational in 1969. Connecticut College also became co-ed during the late 1960s.

[edit] Remain women's college

Other schools responded to the tenets of second-wave feminism by maintaining their single-sex status.

Since 1900, the seven sister college Barnard College has been affiliated with Columbia University, but it continues to be independently governed. In 1983, Columbia College began admitting women after a decade of failed negotiations with Barnard for a merger along the lines of Harvard and Radcliffe. Of the original Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, and Wellesley College are still women's colleges.

In 1990, Mills College's tentative decision to become co-ed was met with so much resistance from students and alumnae that the proposal was dropped.

[edit] 21st century history

[edit] Adopt coeducation

Citing decreased enrollment as the primary factor, Wells College (in 2005) adopted coeducation, a move which re-opened public discourse over women's colleges. After making a similar claim, both Randolph-Macon Woman's College and Regis College announced in 2006 that they plan to move to coeducation beginning in Fall 2007.

[edit] Remain women's college

Hollins University and Agnes Scott College announced in response to the decision by Randolph-Macon Woman's College to adopt coeducation that they plan to remain women's colleges.^[3][4]

According to a 06 November 2006 article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Agnes Scott College "officials say the college's enrollment has increased nearly 70 percent in the past 10 years." The article also states that Agnes Scott has created a special link on their official website for current Randolph-Macon Woman's College students after receiving a high number of requests for transfer information. ^[5][6]

A 05 November 2006 article in the Boston Globe stated that student leaders of the Seven Sisters colleges met recently in order to discuss "an obligation to maintain the traditions" of their colleges. The article also noted a correlation between endowment and the decision to move towards coeducation by stating that "although many small women's colleges are suffering financial woes, the schools with larger endowments are seeing more applicants. Mount Holyoke, for example, set an admissions record this year with the most applicants since 2002." ^[7]

[edit] Commentary from presidents of women's colleges

President of Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Virginia Worden, published an article in the Washington Post on 17 September 2006 which discusses the reasons behind the decision for Randolph-Macon Women's College to adopt coeducation.^[8]

A number of women's college presidents wrote articles in response to Worden's editorial, as well as to the general announcement concerning the move towards coeducation. Agnes Scott College President, Elizabeth Kiss, responds in an article published in 2006 that "women’s colleges are extraordinary incubators of achievement."^[9] Columbia College President, Caroline Whitson, argues in a 17 October 2006 article for The State that women's colleges produce leaders. ^[10] Mills College President, Janet L. Holmgren, offers another perspective in an 11 October 2006 article for the San Jose Mercury News. Referring to the period in 1990 when Mills almost adopted coeducation but decided against it, she argues that it is necessary to maintain women's colleges. ^[11] Simmons College President, Susan Scrimshaw, argues in an 4 October 2006 article for The Boston Globe that women's colleges continue to be relevant.^[12] Sweet Briar College President, Elisabeth Muhlenfeld, and Hollins University President, Nancy Gray, wrote in a 14 September 2006 article for The Roanoke Times that "Women's colleges must be an option." ^[13]

[edit] Famous alumnae of women's colleges

See also: Famous Seven Sisters alumnae

• Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a 1969 graduate of Wellesley College. She is the junior United States Senator from New York, serving her freshman term since January 3, 2001. She is a former First Lady of the United States (1993-2001).
• Sofia Coppola, attended Mills College and is a filmmaker.
• Kiran Desai, is a graduate of Hollins University and an author and recipient of the Man Booker Prize in 2006.
• Jhumpa Lahiri, is a 1989 graduate of Barnard College and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
• Suzan-Lori Parks, is a 1985 graduate of Mount Holyoke College and a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.
• Nancy Pelosi, is a 1962 graduate of the women's college, Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University).^[14] She is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and a likely candidate to win the 2007 election for Speaker of the House. If this occurs, she will be the first woman ever to hold this position.
• Alice Walker, attended Spelman College and Sarah Lawrence College and is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

[edit] Rankings

In 2006, The Washington Monthly ranked three women's colleges, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke in the top six of all liberal arts colleges in the United States.^[15], ^[16] The Washington Monthly is an alternative college guide to U.S. News and World Report.

[edit] Trivia

• Mount Holyoke has been part of the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission among liberal arts colleges since 2001.^[17], ^[18]

[edit] See also

• Hidden Ivies
• Women's college
• List of current and historical women's universities and colleges in the United States

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Harwarth, Irene B. "A Closer Look at Women's Colleges." National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 1999.
• ---, Mindi Maline and Elizabeth DeBra. "Women's Colleges in the United States: History, Issues, and Challenges: Executive Summary." U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.
• Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research (IUCPR). "New study finds women’s colleges are better equipped to help their students."
• Horowitz, Helen Lefkowitz. Alma Mater: Design and Experience in the Women's Colleges from Their Nineteenth-Century Beginnings to the 1930s. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993 (2nd edition).
• Rosenberg, Rosalind. "The Limits of Access: The History Of Coeducation in America." In Women and Higher Education: Essays from the Mount Holyoke College Sesquicentennial Symposia. Ed. John Mack Faragher and Florence Howe. New York: Norton, 1988.

[edit] External links

• In Virginia, three elite women's colleges reinvent themselves and find a new mission in a coed world - 06 November 2006 Newsweek article on Sweet Briar College, Hollins University, and Mary Baldwin College
• Women's Colleges Resist Co-ed Trend - Voice of America
• Alumnae of women's colleges - from the Women's College Coalition.