President Howell – Forty Years: The History of Women at Bowdoin

Excerpt from the Report of the President’s Commission on Athletics

This document is an excerpt from the June 1, 1972 Report of the President’s Commission on Athletics (Document JH, 56), written by President Roger Howell, Jr., directly after the end of the first full year of coeducation at Bowdoin. The President notes the importance of investigating women’s athletics in order to for the report to “have any validity.” Because the first year of women’s athletics had displayed low numbers, the College gave a survey to women to determine their interest in physical activity. The survey indicated that women did want to participate in athletics.

The President comments on the necessity for women to have not only mentors and teachers who were of the same gender, but also their own areas on campus such as locker rooms, field space, and their own equipment. Howell writes, “The Commission notes with approval the inclusion of funds in the 1972-73 budget for such equipment.” He also acknowledges that Bowdoin women need a voice on campus in groups that had a say in athletics. President Howell concludes by stating the importance of providing female athletes with the opportunity for and resources to shape their own program in ways conducive to them, not merely to men, and not to the administration.

JH56 Page 1 - Excerpt from the Report of the President's Commission on Athletics

JH56 Page 2 - Excerpt from the Report of the President's Commission on Athletics

JH56 Page 3 - Excerpt from the Report of the President's Commission on Athletics

JH56 Page 4 - Excerpt from the Report of the President's Commission on Athletics

Letter from Sally LaPointe to President Howell

The first women’s coach at Bowdoin, and supervisor of the women’s athletic program, Sally LaPointe, wrote this letter regarding the condition of women’s sports in May of 1977, about six years after the College first admitted women (Document JH, 58). It seemed to be LaPointe’s responsibility to update the president on the status of women’s athletics annually, or bi-annually. She alludes to the impact of equal rights and Title IX—implemented in 1972, just after coeducation started at Bowdoin—on women’s athletics (see http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/interath.html for more information). That is, Title IX resulted in more women participating in sports before college, which, in turn, meant more women wanted to be athletes at the College.

LaPointe comments on fall, winter, and spring teams, and praises the athletes for their efforts. However, she notes the necessity for more female coaches and assistant coaches because of the large number of participants, which had increased drastically since the President’s Commission of 1972. LaPointe concludes by applauding the women for their contribution to the College, for their hard work, and for their spirit during their respective seasons.

President Howell responds to LaPointe (document available in Special Collections at Bowdoin) thanking her for the report, but offers no evidence or promises of immediate action to be taken to fulfill her requests.

JH58 Page 1 - Letter from Sally LaPointe to President Howell — JH58 Page 1 – Letter from Sally LaPointe to President Howell

JH58 Page 2 - Letter from Sally LaPointe to President Howell — JH58 Page 2 – Letter from Sally LaPointe to President Howell

Memorandum to President Howell

In considering the transition to coeducation, colleges and universities around the United States began to reflect on the many changes that would occur or be required in admitting the “opposite sex”. Prospective changes included those to living facilities and dormitories, dining halls, infirmary and athletic buildings, and notably, college curricula. Bowdoin addressed the anticipation of women entering the student body by creating an Ad Hoc Committee on Coeducation. The role of the subcommittee was to examine the various changes within the aforementioned areas that would result due to women’s admission.

Like many of its collegiate and university counterparts, Bowdoin anticipated specific curricular modifications that the entrance of women would necessitate. On August 26, 1970, the Ad Hoc Committee wrote this memorandum (Document SW, 32) to President Howell to discuss the introduction of 300 undergraduate women in two stages, and in particular, to address the changes for both faculty and staff, and academic buildings they felt the entrance of women would require.

Akin to the views of other higher educational institutions at the time, the Ad Hoc Committee asserts that an increase in faculty members was not initially necessary. Rather they contend that a greater monitoring of the curriculum provisions by the Curriculum and Education Policy (C.E.P.) committee is needed since they believe the admission of women would lead not only to a general “inflation in course offerings” but also to the reduction of various academic departments such that “others (presumably those who course offerings are most relevant to women undergraduates) [would be] permitted to expand.” The Ad Hoc Committee also suggests the expansion of the current art instruction facilities is “advisable” regardless of the introduction of women but “imperative” given their anticipated admission.

SW32 - Page 1 - Memorandum to President Howell

SW32 - Page 2 - Memorandum to President Howell

SW32 - Page 3 - Memorandum to President Howell

SW32 - Page 4 - Memorandum to President Howell

SW32 - Page 5 - Memorandum to President Howell

Pierce and Progress; Orient Article on the Pierce Report

This editorial, Pierce and Progress, from the October 3, 1969 issue of the student newspaper The Orient responds to the release of a Bowdoin student life report known as the Pierce Report. The writers of the Pierce Report recommended changes to the campus that included both coeducation and the continued presence of fraternities. While the authors of Pierce and Progress were completely dismissive of the Pierce Report’s evaluation of fraternities, they were supportive of coeducation but questioned what they considered prejudice in the report.

Pierce and Progress argues that the committee who wrote the Pierce Report did not represent all sides of the coeducation discussion fairly. They wonder if the committee was purposefully “ignorant about women” in order to prove Bowdoin’s need for coeducation (Document SB, 11). The Pierce Report, they argue, uses common female generalizations to present ways in which women would improve the campus. Interestingly, Pierce and Progress notes that “women often drop their fields after marriage,” which is a negative generalization the committee did not consider.

Pierce and Progress stresses the importance of continued discussion between Bowdoin students and staff about coeducation. At the time of the editorial, there was, they argue, “still a strong demand for all men schools.” Many of the male students who applied to Bowdoin while it was an all male school expected it to remain single-sex. After the admission of women, those were the men that were openly unwelcoming to their new classmates. Although the authors of this editorial seem to favor coeducation, the degree of criticism they launch against the Pierce report gives pause.

SB 11

In Father’s Footsteps – Sue Jacobson and President Howell

Susan Jacobson, Bowdoin’s first college graduate, is pictured sitting next to President Dr. Roger Howell peering at her father’s signature in Bowdoin’s famous matriculation book (Document 18, GB). Jacobson, who recently passed away on October 4, 2011 graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English, then pursued a masters in library science at Simmons. She then worked at Yale and Youngstown State University as an acquisition librarian.

Native of Portland, Jacobson attended Bowdoin through the Twelve College Exchange Program and eventually transferred to Bowdoin from Connecticut College. Along with her interest in the small but highly touted English department at Bowdoin, Jacobson also wanted to attend the same college her father enjoyed during his undergraduate years. The administration of Bowdoin allowed alumni’s daughters a chance to attend Bowdoin helped the college transition to coeducation. Alumni would be in favor of coeducation because it was giving their daughters an opportunity to their alma mater.

Jacobson’s signature proudly holds its place as one of the first female names in this matriculation book. The tradition of signing the matriculation book at Bowdoin still holds firm where students meet briefly with the President of Bowdoin before signing the famous book themselves. Students have a brief one on one conversation with the President and are then invited to sign the book to become a part of Bowdoin’s history. The signing now takes place during orientation for freshman every fall.

GB18 - In Father's Footsteps - Sue Jacobson and President Howell