In 1918, 24 women were admitted as undergraduate students at the College of William & Mary. From the very beginning, W&M women have exhibited initiative, leadership, camaraderie, resolve, resilience, endurance, and a willingness to be “the first.”

William & Mary is celebrating 100 Years of Coeducation in 2018, and the committee is putting together a number of events and initiatives to commemorate, celebrate, and explore the experiences of women at William & Mary. As a part of the commemorative efforts, the oral historian, alongside Special Collections and the 100th committee, is recording stories of alumni, faculty, and staff in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the experiences of women on campus during these past 100 years.

Narrating Herstory: Oral Histories Commemorating 100 Years of Coeducation at W&M is a dynamic exhibit featuring the complex, inspiring stories of women who experienced these inaugural years firsthand and who transformed campus for the generations to come. Throughout the year the exhibit will grow, with new panels being added for each story we collect. Ultimately, this exhibit will convey pieces of the stories of alumni, faculty, and staff; stories of the lived experience of coeducation over the past century–from the perspective of women–since the class featuring the first 24 female students stepped onto William & Mary’s campus.

If you or anyone you know would like to contribute to this project by sitting for an oral history, please contact Oral Historian Carmen Bolt.

Curator: Carmen Bolt, Oral Historian
Graphic Design: Abram Clear, SCRC Graphic Design Student Assistant
Installation: Jennie Davy, Exhibits Manager; Daniil Eliseev, Undergraduate Student Assistant; and Abram Clear