The first women were admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill in 1897, but this date was merely a point on the journey towards gender equality at Carolina and beyond. Firsts at this university spanned many decades and a variety of realms including the first women to graduate, the first female faculty, the first woman of color to attend, and the first organizations for and run by women. The diversity of experiences for women who were firsts at UNC were not uniform, nor easy, as these women took the first steps towards change. These firsts were only the beginning in paving the way for the future of women’s higher education at Carolina.
Student curators:
Sarah Moore
Skyler Singleton
Zoe Vaughan
Kelsey Sutton
Southern Oral History Program interviews related to this theme:
Karen L. Parker interviewed by Nicete Moodie
February 18, 2007
Mary Turner Lane (1918-2009) interviewed by Rachel Martin
November 12, 2007