Contrary to what many people believe, women actually studied on campus at Bowdoin about one hundred years before coeducation was instituted. The Summer School of Science began at Bowdoin in 1876, and this institute included eleven women among twenty-seven students. The goal of the summer school program was to give students interested in the field an opportunity to practice. This program focused on chemistry, mineralogy and zoology, and students could take two concurrent classes.  Students were given the opportunity to dissect animals, handle chemicals, and go on trips to quarries to gain hands-on experience.  The only requirement was that students fill out an application, but space was limited. This document (Document SC, 2) provides a description of the Summer School of Science in its third year, 1878, and lists the names of the men and women enrolled.