March is Women’s History Month, and we’re taking a look back into the archives of Penn State’s history to find notable moments of female empowerment and inclusivity. Penn State has a proud heritage featuring women throughout the past 150 years, but some of the historical facts seem shocking compared to the cultural norms of today. In 2020, Penn State is a place where students of all genders, abilities, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations are included and celebrated. This month, we honor the diversity, enthusiasm, and accomplishments that women have added to our University’s powerful story.
A timeline honoring women at Penn State
1865: Although she was not a registered student, Minerva Whitman holds the title of the first woman to attend classes at Penn State.
1871: The first six women were admitted to Penn State: Sara Ellen Robinson, Lizzie Hutchinson, Mary Devling, E. Kate Devling, Ellen Cross, and Rebecca Ewing.
1873: Rebecca Ewing, one of the first six admitted female students, was the first woman to earn her degree.
1884: Elizabeth Perry of La Prairie, Quebec, became the first foreign female student to enroll.
1898: E. Breckenridge Meek was the first woman to receive a graduate degree; she earned her Master’s degree in Biology.
1899: We Are! Women are first permitted to attend football games and cheer alongside the men.
1915: Field Hockey is the first women’s sport to be initiated at Penn State. In 2020, there are 14 women’s sports teams. In 1915, women also form their own student government, as they are not allowed to hold positions in the University-wide student organization.
1926: The first sorority arrives on campus, formalizing an earlier on-campus women’s organization. In 2020, there are 20 sorority chapters recognized at Penn State. Clara C. Philips is also the first woman appointed to the Board of Trustees. In 2020, there are 16 female members of the Board.
1931: A previous curfew for female students is liberalized to 9:00 pm.
1932: Mildred Settle Bunton was the first black woman to graduate from the University.
1938: Elizabeth Burton Mack becomes the first woman to receive a Doctor of Education degree.
1947: The Francis Atherton Hall is officially opened for women students with what the news of the times called “ultra-modern rooms.”
1956: The Airforce ROTC Program admits its first woman.
1957: Dinner dates become a possibility—men and women are allowed to share the same dining commons for the first time.
1964: The Faculty Bulletin publishes an article discussing the 2.5 to 1 gender ratio of students. Though students had been admitted on an equal basis since 1871, female student admissions were limited by the number of on-campus housing units available.
1969: Off-campus living for female students is approved by the Board of Trustees; women are also given keys to the residence halls so that they can come and go as they please, and their curfews are eliminated.
1970: By 1970, Penn State had one of the most extensive women’s athletics programs in the nation with 11 varsity sports, according to Penn State News. This was 2 years before Title IX legislation.
1971: Judith Operchal and Terri English are the first women to receive M.D. degrees and among the first graduating class of the Hershey Medical School.
1972: The first woman is elected into the senior men’s honor society.
1973: Penn State Alumna, Barbara Franklin, completed her term as Staff Assistant to President Richard M. Nixon with the mission to recruit talented women into leadership positions in the federal government. She went on to become the 29th Secretary of Commerce in the administration of President George H. W. Bush in 1992-93.
1975: The ratio of male to female students is now 1.6 to 1, as female enrollment grows. In the 2018-2019 school year, Penn State’s undergraduate student body was 46 percent female and 54 percent male.
1979: The Board of Trustees approves a Women’s Studies non-major option.
1980: The first woman tries out for the Nittany Lion Mascot position, leaving us to wonder how many one-armed push-ups she could do!
1981: University President John Oswald establishes the Commission for Women.
1982: Leni Barch is elected as the first female president of the Undergraduate Student Government. In 2020, the Penn State Student Body President is Laura McKinney.
1984: A sub-committee of the Senate Faculty Affairs Committee determines that there is an “unexplained” difference in salary of $952 between male and female faculty members. According to research conducted by Glassdoor, in 2019 men still earn, on average, 21.4% higher base pay than women.
1985: The Center for Women Students is opened on the University Park Campus.
2004: Cynthia A. Baldwin, the first African-American woman judge elected to the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas, became the first African-American woman to preside over Penn State’s Board of Trustees.
2014: Sandy Barbour is appointed Athletic Director at Penn State, becoming the first woman at Penn State to hold this position.
2017: The Center for Women Students changes its name to the Gender Equity Center to better reflect the diversity of the students it benefits and serves.
The Gender Equity Center plays a major role in advocating for and counseling students of all genders who are affected by sexism and misogyny. According to the Center’s Director, Audra Hixson, “The Gender Equity Center offers peer education opportunities for Penn State students to empower women and raise sensitivity among all students… These groups include Greeks Care, Peers Helping Reaffirm Educate and Empower, and Men Against Violence. All these groups provide valuable opportunities for students to gain personal and professional skills and knowledge while connecting with other peers. The important issues these groups provide education about include sexual assault, healthy relationships, gender roles, and bystander behaviors.”
If you’re looking to make an impact in celebration of Women’s History Month, you can help support gender equity programming and outreach at Penn State with a gift to the Gender Equity Center. Make your gift today or visit studentaffairs.psu.edu/genderequity for more information.
All information and photos from: Collection about Women Students at Penn State (1128), Penn State University Archives, Special Collections Library, Pennsylvania State University.
A look through the archives
Enjoy a series of photos and newsclippings taken from the Penn State archives highlighting women at the University.
