Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

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TEN YEARS OF LEHIGH WOMEN They are professionals. They have evolved from the few to the many. They have proven that a Lehigh education is just as useful for women as for men. They have acquired an identity. Over the past decade, Lehigh women have made themselves known. They have added a cer- tain xv touch to the social, aca- demic and physical environment of Lehigh ' s century and six years of male domination. Coeducation at Lehigh was an experiment that has not failed. Recently highlighted in Lehigh ' s 1981 Annual Report are just a few of Lehigh ' s successful women. Let ' s take a closer look. (The following are excerpts from the ' 81 Annual Report) They give every appearance of success. They are lawyers, accountants, chemical en- gineers, editors, and managers. And how has Lehigh helped them in their careers? According to Pamela Smith, 76, a cost accountant with Johnson John- son, Lehigh prepared me for the competitiveness of the business world. It also taught me to com- municate and interact with other professional people. They also universally say that while they were special (or a new attraction on campus), they were treated on an equal basis with men. And the grades prove it. In the fall of 1980, the Lehigh under- graduate men had an average of 2.626, while the women top- ped them with 2.891. Lehigh women achieved a 2.904 aver- age in spring 1981 , which is just a shade under a 3.00, or B. They have also made the grade with degrees. In 1972-73, the first of the undergraduate women who had come to Lehigh in 1971, received their degrees. There were ten women gradu- ates in 1973, 27 in 1974, 114 in 1975 (the first year for the first class of four-year women), 131 in 1976, 164 in 1977, 198 in 1978, 221 in 1979, 216 in 1980, and 282 in the 1980-81 academic year. For Dr. Carey B. Joynt, who headed the special committee that recommended the admis- sion of women, these accom- plishments have been no surprise. As suggested in a recent state- ment: In the report which recom- mended to the trustees that wom- en be admitted to Lehigh, the members of coed committee stated their conviction that x as a university with a reputation for ac- ademic excellence, we believe that Lehigh should play its part in the attempts of this country to pro- vide educational opportunities for women, ' and expressed their confidence that the highly intel- lectual ca I i ber of the women who would come to Lehigh would be an adequate guarantee of their educational aims. ' It is clear that our women stu- dents have fulfilled in ample me- asure these initial hopes. They are a credit to Lehigh and we should be very proud of their presence among us. Speaking personally, I may say that I never had the slightest doubt of their ability to go on to notable achievements. Janet L. Scagnelli, 75, a lawyer with Consolidated Rail Corp., is

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one of those notable achievers. Being in the first class of wom- en at Lehigh added a unique and special dimension to my un- dergraduate experience. We stood out on campus just as women in business and the law professions tend to stand out to- day, although to a less extent than previously. Lehigh proved to be a good assimilator for me. In the future, let ' s hope that Lehigh will prove to be as good as an assimilator. For the class of 1985 entering this fall, there were 4,811 applications frcm males and 1,985 from females, for a tot- al of 6,976. The activities of the week of September 20 could be thought of as symbolic for these 1985 graduates. Where will they be in ten years? A photographic essay entitled Identity ... An Evolution of Women at Lehigh, and a visit by Gloria Steinhem highlighted the tenth year of coeducation at Lehigh. And this anniversary is looked upon as a cause worth noting. In an extraordinary proclamation, Dr. Deming Lewis, university presi- dent, said: The trustees and I re- gard this as an occasion for uni- versity-wide celebration. The coming of women has made a positive and profound experi- ence in the quality of university life ... let us keep in mind, while celebrating, the need to further complete the integration of women into the University Com- munity. 27