Women at Penn
125 Years of History

In 1876, Gertrude Klein Peirce Easby and Anna Lockhart Flanigen broke tradition and enrolled at Penn. At a time when Penn's provost deemed coeducation “inadmissible,” theirs was a bold move that forever changed the University of Pennsylvania.

Within fifteen years, Penn boasted its first female baccalaureate, doctor of philosophy, lawyer, black alumna, and faculty member. By 1901, 66 of Penn's 2,197 full-time students were women.

Nearly a century later, the advances made by women at Penn culminated in the historic appointment of Judith Rodin, CW'66, as President of the University of Pennsylvania. This milestone reinforced the achievements of the women who followed Gertrude and Anna in their pursuit of a Penn education.

Today, more than 100,000 women have earned undergraduate and advanced degrees from Penn. Alumnae work in every area of business, academe, government, science, and the arts. As we add to our growing list of accomplishments at Penn and in society, we honor not only those who have come before but also pave the way for those who will follow.