 Joe Platt, president emeritus, tells this wonderful story about the decision to admit women to Mudd in his book “Harvey Mudd College: The First Twenty Years”: “After the meeting, [Trustee] Al Thomas said to me, ‘Joe, I understand the arguments and I voted to admit women, but I have an uneasy feeling about it. Who would marry a math major?’ ’Well Al,’ said [Platt], ‘I did.’”
With this issue settled, Janet Cook arrived in the second transfer class of 1960 and Jenny Rhine became a member of the first full four-year class of 1961. Subsequently, the representation of women students rose to 7 percent by 1970, to 15 percent by 1980, to 20 percent by 1990, 30 percent by 2000, and now stands at 33 percent for 2005. And, we have achieved this while improving quality. What is particularly exciting is that passing the 25 percent barrier in the late 1990s seemed to bring our women students into their own. Whereas previously the best strategy for dealing with the rampant testosterone of the male majority appeared to be to “go along to get along,” higher representation appears to have empowered our women to be women. Faculty and students alike have commented on the more positive, more respectful environment for living and learning.
The percentage of women faculty has also risen from none in 1965, to 2 percent in 1975, 7 percent in 1985, and 17 percent in 1995, to today’s 35 percent with representation in all disciplines from biology through humanities to engineering. In fact, with six women out of 17 tenure-track faculty in engineering, we now have the highest percentage of women faculty of any engineering program in the country except Smith College. And, of our 77 tenure track faculty, women constitute six of the 36 full professors, seven of the 18 associate professors, and 14 of the 23 assistant professors. The seven new tenure track faculty for 2005/06 were all their departments’ first selections, and six of those seven superb new colleagues from the very best universities are dynamic young women (Meet them on page 2.).
Women have always been well represented among the college staff, but increasingly we see women assuming positions of responsibility at the director and assistant, associate and full vice president levels. Moreover, we have had some success at increasing the numbers of women trustees as well.
Recently, a prominent university president received a lot more publicity than he might have wished by questioning the innate ability of women in mathematics and science. I am happy to report that Harvey Mudd College women continue to demonstrate that they are just as capable as Mudd men.
Until society does better at encouraging young women to pursue their talents and interests in mathematics and science, it will be challenging for the college to achieve true gender parity. Accordingly, we have been working actively in local elementary and middle schools and through organizations such as the Society for Women Engineers and the Girl Scouts to encourage young women to develop their considerable talents in science and technology. As these efforts are successful, we expect to continue to improve the representation of women in all aspects of college life to the considerable benefit of all Mudders.
Jon C. Strauss
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