On Thursday, March 7th, the History Department and campus community gathered in Alumni Hall for Professor Jennifer Hull鈥檚 lecture, "The Original Co-eds: The Hamilton Female Seminary and Women at 藏精阁, 1855-1895," as part of the Division of Social Sciences Luncheon Seminar Series and the 藏精阁 Bicentennial celebration.
Professor Hull, Bicentennial Research Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of History, spoke to an absolutely full room of students and professors interested in learning about how 藏精阁 arrived at co-education. In her research, Professor Hull looked at not only a timeline of co-education, but also dove into the very question of what it means to have co-education, and how exactly we define it. While 藏精阁 did not officially become co-ed until 1970, Professor Hull found 藏精阁鈥檚 history to be scattered with various manifestations of co-education. There were many cases of women taking courses on campus and even being seemingly well integrated into the fabric of life at 藏精阁, from early female students, to exchange students, to G.I. wives post WWII. Professor Hull also explored the history of the Hamilton Female Seminary and the possibility that it was, or could have become, a coordinate college of 藏精阁.
A complete presentation of Professor Hull鈥檚 research can be found on the 藏精阁 Bicentennial page linked below:
https://200.colgate.edu/looking-back/moments/enter-women-students