And Thus Entered Women:

September 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of Co-Education at Holy Cross. Several changes were made at Holy Cross during the years spanning 1967, when women attended classes during Co-Ed Day and 1976, when the first fully co-educational class walked across the stage at commencement.

This exhibit tells the story of these early women Crusaders through videos, news clippings, photographs and other archival materials drawn from the Holy Cross Archives and Distinctive Collections.

The process leading to the acceptance of women at Holy Cross was very gradual. From 1843 to 1967, women, even students' mothers and sisters, were forbidden to visit them in their private rooms. This excerpt from the 1925 Student Handbooks shows how strongly the Administration felt about this policy at the time. This policy remained on the books until 1967.

In 1967, women were permitted to visit students' dorm rooms during parietal hours, or the time set aside for students to meet privately with women. Originally, parietal hours occurred during special events such as the Junior Prom, and the Military Ball. They also didn't extend beyond 8PM. The Student Government Association (SGA) petitioned for extended parietal hours.

A peaceful demonstration was held before members of the SGA presented their case to Dr. John E. Shay, Dean of Men. Over the next few years, these hours were extended after several discussions between the Dean's office and the SGA. By 1970, the individual Housing Councils were put in charge of writing policies governing visitors to dorm rooms.

The discussions surrounding parietal hours were carried on concurrently with those regarding admitting women to Holy Cross. These conversations spanned from 1967, when the first Co-Ed Day was held, and 1971, when the Board of Trustees announced their decision to end the 129 year tradition of all-male education in the Fall of 1972. The SGA organized a Co-Education Day in October of 1967, to test the waters. Four hundred women from twelve colleges arrived at Holy Cross to experience a typical day in the life of a Holy Cross student

The day was far from typical. As news cameras rolled, and reporters polled students about their feelings regarding co-education at Holy Cross, women arrived in droves. The Crusader reported that while they appreciated the experiment, most women felt there was a lack of academic programming and overall organization for the day. Respondents focused on the social nature of the day and agreed that it was a successful mixing of the sexes on campus.

The SGA held a Co-Educational Week in February of 1969. Don McClain, Dean of Men, was pleased by the event for the most part. In a statement for Today, a newsletter on campus, Dean McClain wrote, "in many ways Co-Ed Week has been an unqualified success . . . The professors have remarked favorably on the number and participation of young women in their classes. The Campus Center has been a focal point of interest with full participation in all events scheduled."

By late 1969, the SGA was concerned that co-education had been put aside in favor of other issues on campus. Thus organizers were especially pleased by the overall success of the November of 1969 Co-Ed Day as it brought the "dying issue of co-education into the forefront" in time for the Board of Trustees to vote on co-education in December. Almost 400 women arrived on campus and attended classes, lectures, and events. The one disappointment was that Co-Ed Day did not draw many Black women students.

While the students experienced life with women through co-educational events, the administration began to address the many  challenges of housing women on campus through a series of reports and surveys. A  study of the College's residence halls was carried out in 1968 to determine which was best suited for women's housing. The report included the dorms' maximum capacity, costs for renovating these spaces for women, as well as a list of key concerns to be addressed. Highest on this list was the need to provide privacy and security for the incoming women. Dean McClain concluded that both Mulledy (now Brooks Hall) and Wheeler were optimal choices as they provided the most private and secure living conditions. Mulledy was ultimately chosen. The College also conducted a survey of the Holy Cross community through the Arthur D. Little firm which showed that the community largely supported co-education.

However, even though the College community supported the inclusion of women and the administration was prepared to make the structural changes necessary to house them, the Board of Trustees of 1969 voted to delay their decision until 1971. Their reservations were likely fueled by the estimated $2 million it would cost to prepare the campus for women, along with other pressing issues facing the College.

In 1970, Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J. succeeded Rev. Raymond Swords, S.J. as the 29th president of Holy Cross. One of his first actions as president was to push forward events that brought about co-education at Holy Cross. Upon his suggestion, a co-education committee was formed by the Board of Trustees in December of 1970. Fr. Brooks’ support, as well as the adjustment of the original inflated estimates for the budget for preparing the campus, led to the Board of Trustees voting in favor of co-education.  He was quoted to say:

My reasons [for supporting co-education] were not primarily founded on civilizing the society at Holy Cross. My reasons were based really on what I understood Jesuit education to be, namely, an effort to educate leaders in our society. And at the same time I was quite aware that the status of women was changing rather quickly, and therefore if Holy Cross was to be truthful to its roots and traditions, and consistent, then it should be educating women as well as men, because it was obvious that women were on the threshold of gaining some rather significant leadership roles.

1970 was also an important year in the history of co-education at Holy Cross as Eileen Tosney, the College's first woman registrar, was welcomed on campus. She was the only woman in an upper level administrative position at the time of her arrival. Tosney also served as chair of the Committee for the Status of Women at Holy Cross, a committee charged with ensuring the wellbeing of women at Holy Cross. Helen Whall, Professor emerita of English, remembered, "She and Sr. Anna Kane, S.S.J., '74, called that committee into being when such an entity was vital. Eileen insisted that women be taken seriously." (Holy Cross Magazine, Spring 2021, p.89) She served as a role model for countless women throughout her long career which spanned from 1970 to her retirement in 1996.

In September of 1972, the first women arrived at Holy Cross thus signaling the official start of co-education. Thirty women were accepted early decision into the class of 1975. Another 250 were accepted into the class of 1976. Six future members of the class of 1975 posed with the student handbook for the January 1972 edition of Crossroads, the alumni magazine, to mark this momentous occassion.

Preparations for the incoming women were complicated by the large class of freshmen in 1969, the largest freshman class as of that time. Members of that class received a memo asking them to consider remaining in their rooms rather than moving to more desirable housing to help house women in the same dormitory. The 1972 Housing Lottery became a great point of contention. Mulledy (now Brooks Hall), the dorm chosen to house the first women on campus, was also the newest and thus the most desirable choice for upperclassmen. This caused resentment. Karen Sitek Campito, '76, noted, "I think they overdid it in a way, giving us the nicest dorm - you know, there was a lot of resentment there, and a lot of women felt, well why shouldn't we have to just go through the same things  that the other freshmen had to go through, living in the so-called 'freshmen dorms' . . . It's almost like they put you on a pedestal at first." (Cahill, p. 29)

The women were further isolated by the security measures that kept them safe. The corridors in Mulledy Hall were locked and a receptionist fielded requests to visit residents. However, these measures had isolating effects on them. Deborah Fullham-Winston, '74, commented in Women on the Hill that living in Mulledy was "like living in a tower. We weren't exactly integrated into the community in any meaningful way." (Cahill, p. 29) Their placement also caused Freshmen women and men to be physically divided, making it very difficult for the class of 1975 to bond. Carlin Hall and Alumni Hall, traditionally the "Freshmen Dorms," were on the complete opposite end of campus from Mulledy Hall. They felt this divide psychologically as well. Maureen Dillon Greulich, '76 remembered, "We were on a stage. It was hard, it was very hard. Everything we did was somewhat analyzed, how we looked, how we dressed, and how bright we were . . ." (Cahill, p. 36)

Marilyn Boucher Butler, Associate Dean of Students arrived at Holy Cross at the same time as the first women on campus. She served as their contact and helped them acclimate to life on campus. She was often called "Dean of Women" for her efforts on the part of women.

Butler also served as a guide for the administration as Holy Cross acclimated to the presence of women on campus. For instance, she was able to convince the administration that it was unnecessary to remove showers and install bathtubs in all of the women's bathrooms. In an interview for the College's 175th Anniversary she recalled, "One of the older Jesuit priests, who oversaw physical plant, had this idea that (he had done a lot of research) the showers needed to come out and bathtubs needed to be put in, so that the ladies could soak." However, one bathtub was installed in Mulledy Hall on his direction. ( https://www.holycross.edu/175th-anniversary/stories-and-coverage/sanctae-cruciana )

In 1972, activities designed for women were scarce. While they participated in co-ed student organizations such as the Crusader, Fenwick and ACT Theater, and Purple Key, there were few activities focused on women. This was especially true in the case of athletics. The Athletics department had stated that they were waiting for women to arrive to determine their interest in varsity sports but were ready to start intramural sports when they arrived. No plans were made until October. As Kathy Maloy, '74 recalled, "There was nothing. There were no sports to get involved in. They just didn't know what was going to happen yet, never mind have a women's team of any sport." (Cahill, p. 114)

In October, Debra Fulham-Winston formed a committee of women who worked with the Athletics Department and Rev. Francis Hart, S.J., Director of Intramural Sports, to plan the first women's athletics events on campus. Intramural tennis and basketball were made available during the fall semester and plans for other sports programs were made for that spring. However, there were no facilities for the women at the Field House, the home for intramural sports at Holy Cross, during that first year which led to many issues.

Some progress towards women playing on varsity teams had been made by November 1972 when Sue Keane, '75 was placed on the 1973 varsity men's crew team. She said in an interview for the November 3, 1972, Crusader, "I originally intended to become a coxwain for a girl's crew, but the only spot left was on the four men crew. So Coach (Jim) Murphy put me there." (Crusader, November 3, 1972, p.12)

In the beginning of 1973, the changes created by co-education were only just being felt. One student commented in a Crusader poll that Holy Cross was "still somewhat an 'all-male school' with girls." (Crusader February 2, 1973, p.10) While most felt that women were largely accepted on campus, they reported that many still resented their presence. Both women and men stated that the administration was still giving women preferential treatment. One woman said, "Boys resent it when the Administration shows preference for the needs of women. Women should be treated as equally as possible to attain acceptance by men." (Crusader April 13, 1973, p.3)  Much of this feeling of inequality was brought out by the extension of women's housing into Wheeler and Beaven Halls.

Programming focused on women increased in 1973. The Cross and Scroll, a student-run lecture series,  hosted a women's forum in February 1973 entitled "Man's World, Woman's Place: A Women's Forum." Five key figures in the women's movement, including Elizabeth Janeway, author of the "Man's World, Woman's Place: a Study in Social Mythology,” spoke on the Equal Rights Amendment and presented workshops that touched on their lectures. Unfortunately the forum was scheduled on a Friday, which competed with parties. Maria B. Duvall,  ex-1976, wrote in an editorial for the Crusader, "I was disappointed in the lack of turnout because if the women on this campus do not take themselves seriously enough to attend a forum like this, and begin to recognize some of the overt implications of sexism on this campus, then the sexism will continue to exist and to flourish through acceptance." (Crusader February 16, 1973, p.3)

The Women's Organization was also formed in 1973. This organization was dedicated to presenting lectures and workshops to inform and inspire women on campus. It also served to strengthen the women's sense of community on campus.

Opportunities for women to participate in sports and campus organizations also increased in 1973. Diane Sepavich, the first director of women's athletic programming at Holy Cross, was hired in November. She created athletics programming for women that included classes in gymnastics and co-ed volleyball.

Sepavich also formed the first women's basketball team at that time. They began playing against area colleges the following spring. While Sepavich was responsible for recruiting the team, the actual coaching was performed by the team members themselves, thus showing their drive to succeed. They won their first game against Quinsigamond Community College on February 15, 1974.

Women continued to participate in intermural sports, including basketball and tennis. However the facilities had yet to improve for women. Gail Buschmann, '77, who won the women's intramural women's tennis tournament in 1973, said in an interview for the Crusader, "Although there is going to be a girl's team in the spring, I wish that we could have the advantages and facilities that the men's tennis team has. Their team has the use of the indoor courts in Shrewsbury during the winter. We don't." (Crusader, November 2, 1973, p. 13)

Some sports teams branched out to include women's teams. The women's crew team began practicing and women on the fencing team gained greater status on their team. Four womem. Kathy Swierzbin, '76, Sharon Labs, '76, Liz Maturo, '76, and Olivia Bettencourt, ex-1976, who had joined the co-ed fencing team the previous fall, began fencing officially as the women's foil team. Sharon Labs was chosen as co-captain along with Greg Bowe for the 1973-1974 season. The women's fencing team was recognized officially in 1975.

The Women's Organization continued to provide programs focusing on women. In her letter to Eileen Dooley, Director of Student Activities, Denise Carver, '76, wrote, "within the past year, the appearance of more women faculty members and female students has led to the formation of the Holy Cross Women's Organization. We hope to make the Holy Cross community both a relaxing and stimulating atmosphere for all women." (letter to Eileen Dooley, RE. The Women's Organization, RG 15.1A, Student Organizations, Women's Organizations, College of the Holy Cross Archives and Distinctive Collections)

The co-education plan continued throughout 1974 as more dorms were renovated for women. By the fall of 1974, women's housing expanded to Alumni, Hanselmen, and Clark,  thus making most of the existing dorms co-ed. The adjustments were difficult but the renovations, especially those completed in Alumni Hall, one of the oldest dorms on campus, were appreciated by all. Women also experienced the housing lottery for the first time that fall. The renovations across campus allowed for the possibility of more women to be accepted at Holy Cross. Thus, the College began an advertising campaign that showed Holy Cross as a co-educational school.

Progress was made towards recognizing the accomplishments of women on campus in 1974. On March 1, 1974, the Women's Organization hosted  its first major event, "A Day for Women." Despite their small budget, the weekend was deemed a success. The event, which had as its slogan "Women are Not Chicks,” featured dinners, lectures, workshops,  and art exhibits celebrating women. The weekend drew large numbers from Worcester and Boston.

The College Choir Women's Chorus was also founded in 1974.

On May 31, 1974, 17 pioneering women who had transferred to Holy Cross after their sophomore year at other schools became the first women to cross the Commencement stage. Joanne C. Ball was the first woman to receive a diploma from Holy Cross.

In September of 1974, two women members of the Holy Cross community became role models when they took on milestone positions.

Sr. Anna Kane, S.S.J., arrived on campus as a graduate student instructor in Chemistry in 1972, and earned her Masters degree in 1974. She was then appointed as the first woman chaplain at Holy Cross, a position she held until 1984. She also served as a part time Chemistry laboratory instructor. Sr. Kane was instrumental in the foundation of Abby’s House, a women’s shelter in Worcester. She set up the original college partnership with the organization in 1976, and encouraged Holy Cross students to volunteer, many of whom were members of the Women’s Organization. It's likely Sr. Anna was one of the first women to serve as a Catholic college chaplain.

Following her nine years at Holy Cross, Sr. Kane served in the Office of Ministerial Resources at Mont Marie in Holyoke, the Director of Family Life Volunteers, a Ministry of the Little Sisters of the Assumption in Worcester, and Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator for Brookhaven Hospice in Framingham.

Dr. Ogretta McNeil joined the Psychology department in 1969 as a visiting professor. In 1971, she became the first woman hired to a tenure track position and the first Black professor to serve on the faculty. In 1974, she earned tenure and was promoted to the rank of associate professor, becoming the first Black tenured professor. Later, she served as the Chair of the Psychology department and continued teaching psychology until her retirement in 1997. In addition to her work in the classroom, Professor McNeil was known as a champion for diversity on campus. In 1982, she was appointed as the black student advisor and in 1984, she was appointed assistant dean for academic services for ALANA (African-American, Latin American, Asian-American or Native American heritage) students.

Both women had a positive impact for women on campus as their positions provided female representation on a campus where the percentage of women to men was still quite low.

1974 also saw women in leadership roles of student organizations. Joan Sinopoli, '76, was named the first woman editor-in-chief of the Crusader. This was also important given that the Crusader was about to celebrate its 50th year of publication. She is currently the head of Sinopoli marketing consulting LLC.

That fall also saw the addition of women's varsity field hockey and crew. This brought the roster to four varsity women's teams: Women's basketball, tennis, field hockey, and crew.  These sports were also allotted funds for essential expenditures such as uniforms, use of buses,and funds for lodging and food, as well as the salaries of four coaches. Thus women's athletics program prospects were looking up. But as Ann Cahill explained, this was largely due to the efforts of the women themselves.

Virtually every woman's team . . . came into existence because of the persistence and assertiveness of the women who were committted to the idea of a female athletic program. Lacking the most fundamental necessities, the teams were essentially put through a trial period. If they showed enough consistent effort for three or more years, they would then begin to receive some degree of institutional support. Those were . . . difficult years, and the wounds still smart. (Cahill p. 115)

In November 15, 1974, the Crusader ran a series of articles discussing the multiple viewpoints held about co-education. Most of those interviewed spoke of the social changes that occurred at Holy Cross during those first years. A member of the class of 1975 saw his as a "lost" class as they were caught between two traditions: all-male and co-ed. Others were more optimistic about the changes, and saw the merits of both systems. Many mentioned the shift in culture at Holy Cross, noting that the busloads of women from neighboring colleges wanting to attend weekend mixers at Holy Cross stopped coming. Women interviewees felt that there was a decrease in community as their numbers on campus rose.

The interviewees also mentioned that the rise in academic standards reduced the "work-play balance." This focus was likely spurred on by the competitive spirit that women adopted as they felt that they needed to prove themselves worthy of Holy Cross. However, many spoke of how the difficulties they experienced at the beginning began to smooth over as women's presence at Holy Cross became more accepted. Rosanne Oronato Anderson, class of 1976, stated, "Academically, there was a lot of competitiveness in my class. In the beginning, the women felt like they had to prove themselves. Now, there is a lot less of that- everyone tries to get their work done without trying to outdo each other. We've graduated to the stage where people are working for their own sake, rather than out of competition." (Crusader, November 15, 1975, p 10)

1975 was named the International Year of Women by the United Nations. The Women's Organization continued to be an important unifying source for women on campus in 1975.  One of their first tasks for the new year was to create a women's studies library in Hogan. It was co-founded by Kim McElaney, '76,  and Marie Hetu MacDonald, '76. This library included pamphlets and books on women's health, literature, and history that were not already housed in Dinand Library. A cross-referenced list was created by Kim McElaney that gathered the holdings of area colleges as well as Dinand Library for these subjects into one resource.

Hetu stated that the long-term goal of the Women's Organization was to "realize that we women are a power and, in so doing, hope to have more women incorporated into the faculty and administration at Holy Cross, and to have more successful role models. As a power I mean that women constitute a large number on campus, and so we need more influence on policies." (Crusader, January 31, 1975, p.6) Her words proved to be prophetic as Kim McElaney was named the first woman and first layperson to hold the position of Director of the Office of College Chaplains in 1992.

The Women's Organization also hosted a successful Women's Weekend that spring. Titled "Genesis II," the weekend focused on the role of women in society. It took place on International Women's Day, March 8, 1975.

In keeping with the occasion of the International Women's Year, Mabel Lang, PhD, a professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College, was chosen by Fr. Brooks to give the commencement address that year. She was the first woman commencement speaker.

Programming for the International Women's Year continued that Fall. The Women's Organization held workshops and lectures for the yearlong celebration. The Chaplains' Office also co-hosted a Women's Symposium with the local branch of the National Association of Women Religious.

Women's athletics experienced several gains during the Fall of 1975. The completion of the Hart Athletics Center in December of 1975 provided women with much needed practice and competition space for volleyball, basketball and gymnastics. In addition, women's volleyball gained varsity status that September.

1976 marked the first year women graduates had spent all four years of their Holy Cross career on campus. It was a year of firsts.

The 1976 Commencement was filled with pomp and circumstance. Like the first Co-Ed Day nine years before, news cameras were drawn to Holy Cross to capture the events. The women had illustrious company as Mother Teresa, along with other honorary degree recipients, was honored for her charity work. While the day threatened rain, and morterboards blew from several heads during the processional, the downpour mercifully held off until the end of commencement.

The women who stepped onto Mount St. James during the formative years of co-education paved the way for those who came after. Their bravery, integrity, resilience, and dedication helped shape today's Holy Cross. Their efforts brought about many of the organizations and athletics teams that still flourish and they served as models for future generations. When looking for a closing remark for this exhibit chronicling the experiences of women at Holy Cross from 1972-1976, we found this quote from Maureen Dillon Grulich, '76, taken from her interview for Cahill's book. We would certainly agree that they were a special group who helped bring about a new era at Holy Cross.

[I wanted to leave behind] a place where, if a woman is bright, and articulate, she can stand next to any man; where someone is judged not on whether they're male or female, or good-looking or not, or whatever, just the fact that they can succeed. I think we did that. We were a special group that came through, those first couple of years . . . When I look back on it, it was a very vibrant group of females. Lots of leaders in that crowd. (Cahill, 38)

Maureen Dillon Greulich, '76

For more reflections on co-education at Holy Cross from 1972 to 1992 please read Ann J. Cahill's Women on the Hill: Alumnae Reflect on Twenty Years at Holy Cross, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, 1993.

For more milestones in the history of co-education at Holy Cross please visit our  timeline .

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We hope you enjoyed this exhibit.  We welcome your  comments.