1970-1979

 

Candid shot of African American female students on Dickinson's campus, 1973. Dickinson College increases its diversity from the first woman to graduate in 1887, to the first known African American student graduating in 1901, and to the first known African American female student graduating in 1919.

The April issue of the Women’s Newsletter features an editorial regarding the armed forces and a panel discussion sponsored by Dickinson’s R.O.T.C.

The Women’s Newsletter reports that Dickinson women have contributed in all three roles of patient, volunteer and staff, at the Family Planning Service in Carlisle.  Doneby Smith and Elizabeth Rice report on Dickinson’s involvement with the clinic and describe the unique services that practitioners at Family Planning provide, including pelvic and breast examinations, treatment of infections, if needed, information on birth control methods and the birth control of their choice.  Women who come to the clinic are entering a secure environment, where in addition to the services mentioned alread

Gail Tyson writes a brief narrative which is featured in the April issue of the Dickinson Woman’s Newsletter and asks whether Girl Scouting is relevant for girls and young women in today’s world.  Her story recounts the invaluable experience she had being a part of Girl Scouts.  She says that her involvement with the organization played a huge role in the development of young women, challenging them physically and emotionally.  Tyson says that her involvement with Scouting programs continues today, as she is a troop leader and she has daughters of her own that are scouts.  Tyson’s narrative

Thirty female Dickinson students attended a workshop at the Harrisburg Women’s Center entitled “Having Options as Women” on Saturday March 2, 1974, reports the Women’s Newsletter.  The goal of the workshop was to stimulate awareness and concern for women’s roles in the job market.  At the event, women were encouraged to strive for positions in decision or policy-making positions.  Resource women were available to speak with students on an individual basis at the workshop about developing many different skills to allow for the possibility of different career options.

“On December 1, five Dickinson women attended a symposium in Newark, New Jersey, entitled ‘The Momentum of Women in Medicine,’” reports Kathy Rosen in the Women’s Newsletter.  The symposium was given by the American Medical Women’s Association of the New Jersey Medical School and gave pre-med women a closer look into the medical profession from the points of view of female doctors.  Rosen says the experience was “truly enlightening” and that many of their questions regarding the medical profession and life as a doctor were answered.

In an insert in the Dickinson Women's Newsletter entitled CURRENT COURSES, classes that seem to have some emphasis on women's studies are listed for interested students.  Courses include, Introduction to American Studies, Women as a Symbol, Women in Scandanavian Literature, Psychology and Religion, Contemporary People of Latin America, Population, and Relations Between Men and Women.

Assistant professor of physical education, Katherine Barber, reveals her feelings about the practice of co-ed physical education classes in an interview.  Barber says that the idea is effective; “girls work harder to not bomb out in front of the guys [and] the men show up more.”  She also says that the situation is more interesting to teach in and that the program that is in use, is making athletics become appreciated.  However, Barber does mention surviving inequalities; men are provided with practice clothes and more liberty with athletic facilities while women are not.  Yet all in all, i

An article by  Pam McFarland in the Dickinson Women’s Newsletter reveals that women are wanted by the law.  The article reports a law school recruitment conference held in October at Syracuse University which was attended by 250 women.  There, women had the opportunity to meet with recruiters from nine different law schools including Stanford, New England School of Law, and Dickinson, among others, while information about testing and admissions was covered.  Panel discussions also took place at the conference; speakers included New York state Senator Carol Bellamy, Carol Libow, a partner at

Barbara Chaapel writes a reflection in the Dickinson Women’s Newsletter on what it means to her to be a “liberated” individual, and more specifically to be part of the Women’s Liberation Movement.  In her piece, she explores the stigma that is associated with being labeled a “woman’s libber” and says that for her, because she has “considered [herself] a liberated person long before the ‘movement’ brought her freedom to words, no change in dress or language will make her more or less liberated”.  “Liberation,” Chaapel argues, “is an attitude about oneself and something that every woman must