Early Women Students

Maude Adams, 1921.  Image from the Picture File (SCA-1026). Courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Concordiensis article from 1933, the original of which is held in the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Florence Fogler, 1925, from the Picture File (SCA-1026). Courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Florence Fogler article, 1925. From the Alumni Files, (RG04-004-003). Courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Article from the Concordiensis from May 16, 1958. Original held in the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Article by Grace Jorgensen from the Concordiensis, February 21, 1947. Original held in the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

Maude Adams

Before coeducation was made official, women sporadically took courses and even earned their degrees at the College. During World War I, women started attending evening classes at Union. In 1921, Union College gave actress Maude Adams an honorary degree, which was the first degree conferred upon a woman. There is no evidence that she ever took courses at Union. 

Florence Fogler

In 1922, Florence Fogler started taking courses in the Department of Electrical Engineering, earning her Master's Degree at Union in 1925. In 1928, the Board of Trustees decided that women could enroll in the College,17 but Union would not officially become coeducational until many years later.

Sally Brown Van Schaick

Sally Brown Van Schaick was the first woman to acquire a Bachelor's Degree at Union College in 1958.  Women such as Sally earned their credits at the time by attending courses in the Evening Division.

17 Somers, 796.

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