Endowing Transformation
W&J’s new VP for Development leans into the power of higher-education philanthropy Carolyn Campbell-Golden, Ph.D., knew that Washington & Jefferson College was the right fit for her and her family before ever setting foot on campus. After hearing about the open position of vice president for development and alumni engagement from a colleague, she started…
Advocating For Equality
Life lessons from a member of W&J’s first co-ed class Fifty years ago, an outspoken, college-age Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab ’74 left her home outside of Washington, D. C., to join a seemingly radical experiment at Washington & Jefferson College. The experiment, with its share of supporters and skeptics, not to mention a bevy of committees, board…
Leading Women
Opening doors in student government, then and now The 50th anniversary of Washington & Jefferson College’s transformation to co-education has not been lost on Cathryn Halie Hess ’21. As the current president of W&J’s Student Government Association (SGA), Hess acknowledges the roles of other women before her who opened doors for female student leaders. “W&J…
W&J Female Firsts
1970 First woman to register for fall classes – Janet Bawell First female instructors hired – Deliea Bohm (Spanish), Roseanne Karlo (Phys. Ed.), Elaine Levitt (French), Martha Thompson (Sociology) First female administrator – Ruth Riesenman, Associate Dean of Student Personnel First woman to receive a scholarship from the Washington County Chapter of the W&J Alumni…
Mother-Daughter Legacy
How the Worthingtons leveraged a prominent Pre-Health Program, the liberal arts, and a strong alumni network of friends to build their medical careers Not that she’s counting, but Janice Durham Worthington ’85 says she’s only days away from retiring after serving as an optometrist for Kaiser Permanente for more than three decades on the Hawaiian…
“Get Over It Guys, We’re Here”
How the W&J co-ed experience prepared Susan Kepler ’74 for a career in the Army…and a second career back at W&J Susan Kepler ’74 didn’t let a big “Go home, co-eds!” sign, which hung from a building across from her new dorm, scare her away. In 1970, Kepler was among the first female students on…
Great Expectations
Red & Black’s 1970 Predictions on Going Co-ed Not knowing what to expect in the fall of 1970, the all-male student editors of Red & Black took it upon themselves to speculate on the types of women who would launch co-education at W&J. Here’s what the editors wrote in the February 20, 1970, edition of…
Pioneer Legacy
Trustee Louise Ross’s lifelong affinity with W&J Louise Kirkpatrick Ross ’74 grew up in Vandergrift, Pa., raised primarily by her grandmother, mother and aunts. “They were a force to be reckoned with,” she says fondly of the women in her family – their determination showing even when it came to her choosing a college. “I…
The New Jaymen
Remembering 1970, the year W&J opened its campus to women – and the legacy it created This time of year, white snow blankets the campus lawn, creating a bright and contrasting backdrop for the kaleidoscopic stainless steel and glass polygon hoops of the sculpture that changes kinetically, with the touch of the wind or creative…
Meeting a Mentor: Brandon Marcucci ’21 finds opportunities through professor connection
WASHINGTON, PA (Nov. 18, 2020)—When Brandon Marcucci ’21 came to Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) as a freshman, he didn’t know how much he would accomplish. Now thanks to the consistent support of his advisor Jason Kilgore, Ph.D., and the wealth of opportunities presented at the College, Brandon can confidently take his next steps as…
