Q. Who was the first woman to graduate from Harvard College?
Alas, it is not possible to name any single individual as being the first woman to receive a Harvard College diploma. The history of women undergraduates at Harvard is complicated and has evolved slowly in several stages. Here are a few of these key events:
- 1879: The Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women, known colloquially as “the Annex,” was established to provide young women with access to higher education. Instruction was provided by Harvard faculty in Radcliffe classrooms.
- 1894: The Annex was chartered as Radcliffe College. With the establishment of Radcliffe College, graduates received Radcliffe diplomas signed by the presidents of Radcliffe and Harvard.
- 1963: Women were granted Harvard degrees, receiving Harvard diplomas signed by the presidents of Harvard and Radcliffe.
- 1970: Harvard and Radcliffe celebrated joint commencement ceremonies for the first time.
- 1975: Harvard and Radcliffe admissions were merged, with the adoption of an equal access policy for all applicants regardless of gender.
- 2000: Radcliffe ceased issuing degrees. Since then, all undergraduates receive degrees solely from Harvard College.
For further study:
- History about the Institute. Website of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
- Howells, Dorothy Elia. A Century to Celebrate: Radcliffe College, 1879-1979. Cambridge, Mass.: Radcliffe College, 1978.
- It’s Complicated: 375 Years of Women at Harvard. Exhibition, Spring 2012. Website of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
- Research Guide: Harvard-Radcliffe Online Historical Reference Shelf. Harvard University Archives.
- Research Guide: Women at Harvard University. Harvard University Archives.
- Yards and Gates: Gender in Harvard and Radcliffe History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.