Hark upon the Gayle: A Depiction of the Experiences of the First Women Students at William & Mary

As William & Mary celebrates the 100th anniversary of admitting women students as the first public college in Virginia to institute a co-educational system, this paper explores the life and times of the women who have shaped the College’s legacy for future women students. In researching the first women at William & Mary, we have found historical documentation, such as personal papers (letters and surveys) from both women students of the class of 1918 and a prior researcher; the Flat Hat, a student-run newspaper at the College; meeting minutes from the College Board of Visitors; William & Mary President Lyon Tyler’s papers; and, administrative artifacts from the Office of the Dean of Women. The pages that follow chronicle the challenges and advancements women students and the Deans of Women encountered while contributing to gender equality at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in America