Coeducation

Introduction

In the spring of 1971, transfer student Susan Jacobsen became the first woman to be graduated from Bowdoin College.  The following fall, Bowdoin matriculated its first coeducational class, which included sixty-five first-year women. 

This guide contains information about official College records in the Archives that deal with the subject of coeducation. Selecting the relevant collection guide or container list will provide general information about the office that created these records and detailed content listings, respectively.

For more on the history of coeducation at Bowdoin, visit Forty Years: The History of Women at Bowdoin, which was created as a class project by the students in Professor Jennifer Scanlon’s Fall 2011 class “Forty Years: The History of Women at Bowdoin” (GWS 280).

Note: Privacy laws and rules of confidentiality govern access to some of this material. Check the description to find out if there are any restrictions on the records you wish to consult. The office that created the records may give permission to view closed records; contact Special Collections & Archives for more information about restricted files.

About the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) collects, preserves, and makes available unique rare books, manuscripts, historical College records, and increasingly, digital collections. Students, scholars, and all with an interest are invited to explore and learn from these world-class collections through their own research as well as our varied exhibits, instructional sessions, and public programs.