Forty Years: The History of Women at Bowdoin

A Class Project of GWS 280 - Fall 2011

Team Photographs

These photographs of women’s sports teams in the Bowdoin Bugle demonstrate the progress of women’s athletics over the span of the 1970’s. They illustrate the sports women played at and for the College, starting in 1972 with two varsity sports, field hockey and swimming (women were members of the men’s team), and increasing to ten teams by the 1978-79 academic year.

’71-’72: No yearbook photos of women’s teams

’72-’73: Field Hockey (20 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); 3 women included in the Men’s Swimming team photo with Coach Charlie Butt
(Documents JH, 60.1 and 60.2)

’73-’74: Tennis (8 women with Coach Edward Reid); Lacrosse (22 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Field Hockey (14 women with Coach Sally LaPointe and her assistant); Basketball (10 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Skiing (6 women); Squash (8 women with Coach Edward Reid); 3 women included in the Men’s Swimming team photo with Coach Charlie Butt
(Documents JH, 60.3, 60.4, 60.5, 60.6, 60.7 60.8, and 60.9)

’74-75: Lacrosse (25 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Field Hockey (15 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); 2 women included in the Men’s Swimming team photo with Coach Charlie Butt; Basketball (11 women with Coach Sally LaPointe)
(Documents JH, 60.10, 60.11, 60.12, and 60.13)

’75-’76: Swimming (15 women with Coach Charlie Butt); Field Hockey (12 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Basketball (15 women with Coach Richard Mersereau); Squash (9 women with Coach Edward Reid); JV Field Hockey (12 women with Coach Sally LaPointe)
(Documents JH, 60.14, 60.15, 60.16, 60.17, and 60.18)

’76-’77: Field Hockey (17 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Basketball (13 women with Coach Richard Mersereau and his assistant); Lacrosse (15 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Track (10 women with Coach Lynn Ruddy); Tennis (14 women with Coach Edward Reid and his assistant); Squash (8 women with Coach Edward Reid); Swimming (16 women)
(Documents JH, 60.19, 60.20, 60.21, 60.22, 60.23, 60.24, and 60.25)

’77-’78: No team photos, but teams represented include: Field Hockey, Sailing, Swimming, Track, Basketball, Tennis

’78-‘79: Cross Country (10 women with Coach Lynn Ruddy); Ice Hockey (14 women); Swimming (24 women with Coach Charlie Butt and Coach Lynn Ruddy); Indoor Track (9 women with Coach Frank Sabasteanski); Squash (10 women with Coach Edward Reid); Basketball (11 women with Coach Richard Mersereau); Outdoor Track (10 women with Coach Lynn Ruddy); Tennis (10 women with Coach Edward Reid); Field Hockey (14 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Lacrosse (17 women with Coach Sally LaPointe); Soccer (28 women with Coach Ray Bicknell)
(Documents JH, 60.26, 60.27, 60.28, 60.29, 60.30, 60.31, 60.32, 60.33, 60.34, 60.35, and 60.36)

Poem in the Bugle, “Bowdoin Coeds”

This poem (Document 3, GB) was published in 1890, in the Bowdoin College yearbook, which has been in continuous publication since 1847.  The mission of the yearbook states that it is “to document people, campus events, student organizations and athletics from a student’s perspective in a comprehensive volume to be published each academic year.”  By publishing this poem in the college yearbook, the editors make a statement that coeducation was not compatible with the values of the college.  In 1890, popular attitude still believed that women had no place in an institution like Bowdoin.

In 1890, men still felt superior to women and assumed that college, at least their college, was no place for women.  The picture that accompanies the poem depicts a wall separating the man from the woman symbolizes this definite separatism.  A century later, in 1971, Bowdoin finally became coeducational.  And today, in 2011, more women than men attend Bowdoin.

 

GB3 - Poem in the 1890 Bugle, "Bowdoin Coeds"
GB3 - Poem in the 1890 Bugle, "Bowdoin Coeds"