Women at Indiana University: 150 Years of Experiences and Contributions

The first up close look at how women have shaped the history and legacy of Indiana University.

Women entered Indiana University in 1867. Over the next 150 years they left their mark but until now their stories have been underappreciated on the IU campus or received scant attention from historians. Through snapshots of IU women's experiences and contributions, the contributors to this volume explore essential questions about their lives and impact. What did it mean to write the petition for women's admission, to become the first "coed" enrolled? To be a woman of color on the predominantly white campus? To balance work, studies, and commuting, entering college as a non-traditional student? How did women contribute to their academic fields and departments? How did they tap opportunities, confront barriers, and forge networks of support to achieve their goals? These essays open the door not only to a more inclusive and accurate understanding of IU's past but also to greater visibility for IU women in our larger understanding of women in US higher education.