The Coeducation Decision

The late 1960s brought a tumultuous time to college campuses across the United States. In 1967, the "July Committee" had recommended that Union become coeducational. Questionnaires and polls were distributed to all members of the Union College community to gauge the question as to whether the College should adopt coeducation, and students were generally in favor of it. 

Straw poll Concordiensis article image

Student poll regarding coeducation from the Concordiensis, 1968. Original held in the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Libray. 

Student Questionnaire regarding coeducation image

Questionnaire for students on coeducation, 1968.

Ad Hoc Committee Appointed (1968)

In 1968, President Harold Martin appointed an ad hoc committee to examine the idea of bringing coeducation to the College, which was chaired by Carl Niemeyer. After the committee recommended coeducation, the College's faculty voted overwhelmingly to allow women to join the student body on an official basis.²⁵  Union College's peer institutions were moving towards coeducation, and the College made the decision to do so as well.

President Harold Martin photograph

Carl Niemeyer photograph

"What Lies Ahead..."

In the fall of 1970, 126 women were admitted with the College's freshman class out of 450 total students.²⁶  At the time, the decision was not entirely popular or well-received by all. One argument against coeducation was an assumption that it would be detrimental to the sciences.²⁷  It was not long before this assumption was disproven, and today we understand that such assumptions were products of the time. 

"What Lies Ahead" speech by President Harold Martin as printed in the Concordiensis, 1968. Original held in the Department of Special Collections, Schaffer Library. 

²⁵ Ibid., 795.

²⁶ Ibid., 15.

²⁷ Ibid., 797.