Evanston College for Ladies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Evanston College for Ladies was a female-only Methodist-affiliated institution closely linked with Northwestern University. The college was established in 1871 as a boarding house and offered supplementary coursework for women working towards degrees at Northwestern (which became coeducational in 1869). The first dean of the college was Frances Willard, and the college was run by female trustees and an all-female Board of Directors.

While the college provided mainly room and board, it also offered a Bachelor of Arts degree that combined classes from Northwestern and the College. The institution also operated a college preparatory program open to both boys and girls. Evanston College for Ladies merged with Northwestern University in 1873. Upon merging with Northwestern University, Willard became Northwestern's first Dean of Women.