Wednesday, March 8, 2017

International Women's Day: The First Women at Lewis


Editor's Note: In honor of International Women's Day, we bring you this story of our first women students at Lewis University. A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of the Lewis University Magazine. Do you have a campus memory to share? Email us at alumni@lewisu.edu and share your story.

After World War II, Lewis College of Science and Technology began to admit women as students and high school classes were discontinued. The college granted its first baccalaureate degrees in 1952.

Some of the earliest female attendees included Jane Stiker '56 (English), Arlene Olson, and Pat Klug. Living in the barracks still situated on campus from World War II during the 1950s, the women adhered to different rules than today’s generation of college students. Wearing dresses instead of pants to class was required, and a curfew on both weeknights and weekends was enforced.