"Coeducation at 25: Celebrating Accomplishment and Envisioning the Future," kicks off on Saturday with speakers, including keynote speaker Lani Guinier, workshops and performances and will continue throughout the spring. Although first suggested in 1871 by former President Henry Ward Beecher, coeducation was not formally considered until nearly a century later.
In 1969, the Board of Trustees voted to allow 11 college exchange students to attend Amherst for a semester, but controversy soon arose over coeducation until at a faculty meeting in 1972, when the faculty voted 76-20 in favor of it. While many students were in favor of the decision, most of the alumni and trustees were outraged.
After an initial vote by the Board of Trustees that rejected Amherst's transition to coeducation, the campus erupted in protest. On Nov. 2, 1974, the official decision was made in a 15-3 vote by the trustees. Nine women already visiting campus on exchange were accepted as transfer students and became the first women to graduate from Amherst in 1976.
Over the last 25 years, women have established their presence and identity on campus; however, the transition did not come easily. Early female students talk of sexist professors, insulting fellow students, the negative pervasiveness of fraternities and a fundamental lack of respect on campus. In 1979, four of the nine women professors at Amherst resigned as a protest to the sexism evident on campus.
"It's impressive to realize just how much women have impacted Amherst, from inside the classroom, on campus and off in the last 25 years," said Maura Klugman '05. "I feel fortunate to be a welcomed part of the Amherst community and for that I have to thank the women who paved the way before me. This is a way to celebrate that."
Despite the extreme challenges, women have persevered and created their own impressive history: the first Women and Gender Studies (WAGS) major graduated in 1989, crew was the first women's sports team in 1976, the Sabrinas were the first female a capella group in 1978 and Helen Von Schmidt '78 became the first alumna to be hired for a tenure-track position. Progress on issues of coeducation has continued into the present. Even as recently as 1997, the Rape Aggression Defense course became an important resource for women on campus.
This weekend's celebration is the result of much dedication by many Amherst students. "A lot of amazing people have worked really hard on this celebration, a mix of people who have been here since before '76, to recent alumnae and current students," said Leah Lotto '02, a student member of the planning committee. "So there's a range of perspectives represented in the program of the day."
The day begins in Johnson Chapel, as current students read accounts of past female graduates. "Our statement of purpose is to provide an engaging program for the Amherst college community which addressed the achievements and challenges of embracing coeducation," said Denise McGoldrick, director of health services. "We want to celebrate accomplishments, confront issues that breed complacency, explore new ideas, imagine new ways of teaching and express aspirations in creating a truly coeducational community."
Professor of Chemistry Patricia O'Hara, moderator of "Breaking in: Women in Science and Sports," is excited to celebrate coeducation. "Having been here myself for 18 of these 25 years, it's important for me to support both my past students and my current students," she said. "When you know your history, you have power. I'm all about your getting power."
Associate Dean of Students and Chair of the Core Planning Committee Bekki Lee is also thrilled. "Life at Amherst is such that it is all too easy to focus solely on one's day-to-day activities and responsibilities," Lee said. "Occasions such as the 25th anniversary of coeducation allow us to revisit past accomplishments and concerns and to recommit ourselves to the intellectual and social development of all members of the Amherst community."