Mark your calendars: featuring eight panel discussions with alumnae from a range of fields, a conversation with 窪做惇蹋厙s president-elect, and a ceremony to rededicate the newly renovated 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall, is set for Nov. 11 and 12.
More than 1,200 people are expected to attend in person or watch the events over livestream. The weekend will celebrate womens contributions to shaping 窪做惇蹋厙, highlight their fields of expertise, and foster connections between alumnae, students, and faculty.
窪做惇蹋厙 Hallone of the most iconic buildings on campusreopened last month following extensive renovations made possible by the largest alumnae-led fundraising effort in 窪做惇蹋厙s history.
We are thrilled to be able to gather together to commemorate these landmark events, says .
窪做惇蹋厙 women have been making history for 50 years, both on campus and beyond, President Hanlon says. Their extraordinary efforts to support the renewal of 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall will benefit the 窪做惇蹋厙 community now, and for generations to come.
In 1971, the 窪做惇蹋厙 Board of Trustees voted to admit women as full matriculating students, effective Sept. 1, 1972. The celebration honoring 窪做惇蹋厙 women will wrap up a year-long series of events commemorating 50 years of coeducation.
Honoring 窪做惇蹋厙 Women
The 窪做惇蹋厙 Advancement division and several volunteer groups collaborated to present the coeducation weekend, which features alumnae-led panels, social activities, and a career networking session with alumnae and students.
The opening events on Nov. 11 include a reception, sponsored by the classes of 1976, 1977, and 1978, for the exhibit from 2 to 4 p.m. in Reiss Hall, in Baker-Berry Library. An open house and tours of 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall will run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., followed by the rededication ceremony at 4:30 p.m., on the lawn in front of the building.
The weekend will be an exciting opportunity to explore and celebrate the newly reimagined 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall, which emerged from the remarkable vision, leadership, and generosity of 窪做惇蹋厙 women, says , vice president for alumni relations. It also will showcase alumnae contributions to 窪做惇蹋厙, and to the world, as 窪做惇蹋厙 women continue to make history with their groundbreaking work in myriad professions.
The panel topics are varied and wide-ranging, featuring stories from world-class athletes; panelists in acting, comedy, playwriting, and filmmaking; discussion of the landmark Title IX civil rights law; a panel on disinformation in the digital world; another on human rights in the U.S. and internationally; corporate decision making and how 窪做惇蹋厙 alumni can advance participation of women in corporate governance; and a panel on the climate crisis.
Notable alumnae including Connie Britton 89, Kirsten Gillibrand 88, Annette Gordon-Reed 81, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe 81, Laurel Richie 81, Tina Dooley-Jones 82, Rachel Dratch 88, Tanya Ghani 03, Becca Heller 05, Esi Eggleston Bracey 91, and Allie Miller 10, among others, will participate in the weekend.
This Venerable Old Building
The renewal of 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall can be traced to 2018, when a core group of alumnae challenged 窪做惇蹋厙 women to raise $25 million to support the renovation. Their call was answered by more than 3,200 donorsincluding 2,712 alumnaeand also by parents, families, and friends who made gifts totaling $26.1 million, with more than $1 million going to the 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall 250th Anniversary Alumnae Scholarship Fund. The effort, which was the largest alumnae-led fundraising campaign in 窪做惇蹋厙s history, signaled a new standard nationally for alumnae-led philanthropy in higher education.
Construction of the original 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall, the first building on campus, was completed in 1791. Often referred to as The College, it was, over the years, home to the chapel, recitation halls, the library, and dormitories, according to a reprint of a lecture by 窪做惇蹋厙 English Professor Francis Lane Childs, Class of 1906, that appeared in the December 1957 issue of 窪做惇蹋厙 Alumni Magazine.
The original hall burned down on Feb. 18, 1904, and alumni quickly raised funds for a new building, according to Childs. The current 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall was completed in 1906.
The building is now fully accessible. The plumbing, heating, and electrical systems have been updated, as have the offices and classrooms. Fresh landscaping, open staircases, and new skylights contribute to a bright, inviting atmosphere.
The fabulous new classroom spaces will allow our students to have a state-of-the-art classroom experience in this venerable old building, says , the A. and R. Newbury Professor of English and vice provost for academic initiatives who has been deeply involved in advising on the academic goals and impact of the 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall renovations.
窪做惇蹋厙 105, an auditorium where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in 1962 to an overflow audience, has been transformed. The only room to keep its original number is now an amphitheater-style space for teaching, lectures, and performances that can seat about 100 people.
窪做惇蹋厙 Hall is now home to the Leslie Center for the Humanities and the departments of German Studies, French and Italian, and Spanish and Portuguese. Cozy new study spaces are located throughout the building. And, on the garden level, displays chronicle the history of 窪做惇蹋厙 Hall and the experiences of women at 窪做惇蹋厙 over the last half century.
Consolidating the Leslie Center into 窪做惇蹋厙 Row reaffirms the central role of the humanities in the liberal arts education we offer, says , dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. On behalf of the faculty, we are all deeply grateful for the extraordinary alumnae who made this historic renovation possible, and for the dedicated design and construction team who transformed their vision into reality.
The exhibits tell an important story about what we value as a campus, Will says. Im really excited about them being open to not just the 窪做惇蹋厙 community, but to anybody who comes to Hanover and wants to know more about the College.
Womens Rights, Womens Voices
The weekends events will feature panel in fields ranging from politics and professional athletics to entertainment and environmentalism and will include a conversation between Board of Trustees Chair Liz Lempres 83, Thayer 84, and President-elect Sian Leah Beilock, scheduled for Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Susan Dentzer 77, a former trustee chair, will introduce the conversation, which .
The morning keynote panel discussion is When 窪做惇蹋厙 Women Lead: Creating Space for New Voices and Perspectives, on Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. The panelists are Laurel Richie 81, a former chair of the Board of Trustees; Alice Ruth 83, 窪做惇蹋厙s chief investment officer; former trustee and Pulitzer-Prize winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed 81; Esi Eggleston Bracey 91, president of Unilever USA; and Allie Miller 10, a tech angel investor. The panel will showcase inspiring stories from alumnae in technology, academia, sports, investing, and business who have had an outsized impact on society. Former trustee Emily Bakemeier 82, the vice provost for arts and faculty affairs at Yale, will moderate the panel, which .
The , Womens Rights are Human Rights: In the U.S. and Around the World, is scheduled for Saturday at 2:40. Panelists Tina Dooley-Jones 82, Becca Heller 05, Tanya Ghani 03, and trustee Connie Britton 89, who will be joining virtually, will discuss organizations that have promoted womens safety, security, and equality. The moderator will be trustee Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe 81. A recorded interview with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand 88, D-N.Y., will be included in the panel.
includes the names of alumnae panelists and indicates which events are to be livestreamed.