The University of Georgia Celebrates Its Centennial of Women’s Higher Education

A century ago, the first undergraduate class of women enrolled at the University of Georgia. The first proposal to make the university of Georgia co-educational came from the Daughters of the American Revolution in conjunction with the Colonial Dames who appealed to the board of trustees in 1889. However, that proposal was ignored and the board did not even vote on the matter until 1897, when the proposal lost  by a vote of 8 to 5.

Despite years of opposition, women still found a way to study at the university before they were allowed to enroll. Summer sessions at the university did not require official admission but were still taught by college faculty. Through these courses, Mary Dorothy Lyndon earned a master’s of arts degree in 1914, making her the first woman to earn a degree at the university.

After the United States became involved in World War I, there was a lack of trained professionals in the state of Georgia. Meeting the demand, in 1918, the university began to allow women admittance to the College of Agriculture in the home economics program. Twelve women students enrolled in the program which is now the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. In the following year, the Peabody School of education, now the College of Education, allowed women to enroll. Not long after, the entire university became co-educational.