Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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recently Mary Baldwin has been . . . mmm® For more than a century, the fu- tures of thousands of young women have been shaped inside the pale yel- low columned buildings at Mary Baldwin College, where generations of students have learned poise and good manners along with Shake- speare and Galileo. But today Mary Baldwin, like most of the 110 women ' s colleges across the nation, is undergoing a dramatic transformation. In place of the liberal arts finishing school im- age that was once synonymous with southern women ' s colleges is a new emphasis on career and professional training. Mary Baldwin ' s catalogue has pictures of computers and mi- croscopes and alumni who are doc- tors and corporate managers. Preparation for independence is the college ' s ne w motto. The new emphasis has meant re- vamping curriculums to attract a new generation of women students who are more, interested in career preparation than liberal arts or old school traditions. At no other women ' s college has the change been as dramatic as at Mary Baldwin, which became one of the first women ' s colleges to impose a professional curriculum on its lib- eral arts foundation in the mid- 1970s. The result has been financial sol- vency, record enrollments, increases in fund raising, a new mix of students that includes older women and some gifted high school students, along with the traditional undergraduates and a heavily professional curricu- lum. The Washington Post The education editor of The New York Times includes Mary Baldwin College in The Best Buys in College

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EXCELLENCE Contents Seniors 18 Underclassmen 64 Administration 98 Organizations 126 Events 144 Sports 174 Directory 188 Ads 194 mmmmmtmiw Mil

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JB?£ABltt £§ Education, a consumer guide pub- lished in October by Times Books in New York. Mary Baldwin is the only women ' s college in Virginia to be selected for inclusion in the volume by Edward B. Fiske. Of course we ' re most pleased to be among the other colleges included in this prestigious list, said Dr. Cynthia H. Tyson, MBC President. It is especially rewarding that Mary Baldwin is alone among its competing southern women ' s col- leges in being featured in this impor- tant publication. The publication singles out several of Mary Baldwin ' s strong academic disciplines, including chemistry, bi- ology, communications, and busi- ness, and also mentions outstanding alumnae. The College was also cited for its modest tuition charge, outstand- ing campus facilities, extra-curricu- lar offerings and vast financial aid opportunities. A student quoted in the publica- tion also lists the College ' s single- sex status as an asset. With no males, restrictions, in- timidations and social pressures do not exist in the classroom, she is quoted as saying. I like the fact that leadership and role models are looked upon and respected. The College is one of 221 cited by Fiske in his guide to colleges that offer high quality education at a rea- sonable cost, according to a publi- cist at Times Books. — MBC Office of Communications Mary Baldwin College was ranked the top women ' s college among regional liberal arts colleges in the South and border states in a nationwide survey of 662 college presidents asked to name the na- tion ' s highest-quality undergradute schools. Mary Baldwin ranked third overall after coeducational Millsaps College of Mississippi and Wofford College of South Carolina. Results of the survey by U.S. News and World Report were re- leased in the November 28, 1983 is- sue. M Being ranked the top women ' s college in the region is a reward for our efforts in recent years. Although this isn ' t our first national recogni- tion, The National Center for High- er Education Management Systems having chosen us in 1982 as the mod- el turn-around college, the U.S. News ranking is probably the most exciting because it ' s such a popular and well-respected magazine. Also, it reflects recognition by our peers — other college presidents, said MBC President Virginia L. Lester. In the survey, 1,308 four-year col- lege presidents were asked to name the highest-quality undergraduate schools. A total of 662, more than 50 percent, responded. They based their judgements on the quality of aca- demic courses, professors, student bodies and general atmosphere of learning provided. In the mid-1970s, Mary Baldwin set itself aside from other women ' s colleges in the South by choosing to emphasize both career preparation and the liberal arts. Scrutiny of our curriculum shows more than just lip service to careers; our graduates are actually a step ahead, be it in the world of work, graduate school, or in community volunteer agencies, President Lester said. — MBC Office of Communications