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Quotations from Women at Penn

Dedicated to the memory of Ruth Branning Molloy, B.S. in Ed. 1930

Many of these quotations were used in
Jenny Holzer's Hill Square sculpture
commemorating 125 Years of Women at Penn

 

1750-1900

Painting of Hannah Sergeant Ewing (1739-1806) wife of Provost John Ewing. Sergeant Hall, the first women's dormitory at Penn, was named in her honor.1892 photograph of College Hall facade, with two towers and circular drivephoto of earliest women matriculants (Gertrude Pierce Klein Easby, Anna Flanigan, and Mary Thorn Lewis Gannett)in the chemistry lab, 1878

1910-1919

Photograph of Penn coeds walking down the street, 1918Detail of pen and ink sketch of elegant 'Ivy Girl'1912 photograph of Old Sergeant Hall Interior - Bedroom

1920-1929

1927 photograph of women students in gym uniforms having their feet measured during physical examinations, Bennett Hall gymnasium1928 photograph of Betty Funston kneeling with rifle1928 photograph of 'New' Sergeant Hall, the women's dorm built 1924, demolished 1975

1930-1939

Sepia photograph of 6 costumed actors in a Bowling Green dramatic production, late 1920sPhotograph of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority members, 1930 1935 photograph of First day women were allowed to row: women and coaches on the Schuylkill, Philadelphia Art Museum in the background

1940-1949

Photograph of College for Women classroom during the 1940s1947 photograph of Bennett HallPhotograph of captains of women's sports teams in 1940

1950-1959

1950 photograph of Sergeant Hall (Women's dorm 1924-1971, demolished 1975) Interior - Dining Room, 34th and ChestnutPhotograph of Eisenlohr demonstration, 1952. Penn students, some with musical instruments, listen to Nancy Gross, Chair of Musical Education Students Assoc. The students seek to have courses in music education, business education and health education, restored to the School of Education curriculum.1951 photograph of Bennett Hall (built 1925) interior - Women's Lounge

1960-1969

Photograph of Althea K. Hottel Award winner with Honor men, the first co-ed Ivy Day, 1963Color photo of dorm room in Sergeant Hall, c. 1960Photograph of Hill College House women's residence c. 1965

1970-1979

Color photograph of woman running from 1977 Penn yearbookPhotograph of woman's dorm room from 1978 Penn yearbookColor slide of Roosevelt Hotel, which served as a women's dormitory in the 1960s and 1970s

 

Perhaps by dispelling old myths explicitly defining femininity and implicitly defining masculinity, women will liberate a few males as well.

Mary-Elizabeth Tondreau, 1971 B.A.

1971 yearbook photograph of Mary-Elizabeth Tondreau
 

Today's woman is interested in an education that prepares her to be more than a housewife, a nurse or an educator. We are here to support her-socially and academically-as she pursues those goals.

Lorraine Minette Howard, 1971 B.A.; 1973 M.B.A.; Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts for Women, 1973-1975; Assistant Dean of Advising Services at the School of Arts and Sciences (after the schools merged in 1975)

 

I was the second or third French woman in the MBA program, and the only woman in most of my business classes, with all the conspicuousness you can imagine in those days. Whenever my name was called every single person (man) turned to me -- being the only representative of my gender and nationality, I was supposed to have an opinion (different?!) on any issue that was raised in class discussions! It wasn't always easy to deal with the sometimes condescending comments from teachers and classmates, but for the most part curiosity, recognition and respect were the most frequent attitudes people had towards this 'daring and original student'.

Catherine Anne Geneste, 1972 A.M., 1973 M.B.A.

Photograph of Women's Liberation Movement protest at the peace sculpture in front of Van Pelt Library, 17 March 1970
1980-1989
1990-2003

Color slide of woman at graduationColor slide of woman softball playerColor slide of woman, with baseball cap, in class

More on Women at Penn

 

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