1894
First effort for women to enter the College is rejected.
1903
Second effort for women to enter the College is rejected.
1903
1917
Under the leadership of Carrie Pollitzer, the Charleston Federation of Women’s Clubs requests the establishment of an “Extension Course of the College,” which should be open to women as well as to men.
1920
Cheerleading squad is formed.
1920
1927
The first club for women, the Co-Ed Club, is founded.
1928
First Sorority
The Zeta Gamma chapter of Chi Omega is the first national sorority on campus.
1928
1929
First Literary Club
The first literary club, The Scribblers, is founded.
1931
The Alpha Nu chapter of Delta Delta Delta comes to the College.1931
1943
Female COFC Students Work for USCG
As part of the war effort, College of Charleston President George Grice selects female students to work for the United States Coast Guard transcribing code at the Charleston Naval Yard.1962
First Female Tenure-track Faculty Member
Maggie Pennington becomes the first female tenure-track faculty member at the College of Charleston. What began as a one-year contract extended to a 35-year career, during which Pennington serves as the first and only dean of women in the College’s history, as well as a mentor and campus leader.1962
1967
The first two black women – Carrie Nesbitt Gibb ’72 and Angela Brown Gilchrist ’72 – enroll at the College and are soon joined by Linda Dingle Gadson ’72 and Audrey Dingle Cooper ’72.
(l to r) Linda Dingle Gadson ’73, Audrey Dingle Cooper ’73, Carrie Nesbitt Gibbs ’73
Nan Morrison joins the Department of English and becomes the second woman to join the College of Charleston faculty.
1971
Alumnae and preservationists Jane Lucas Thornhill ’46 and Elizabeth Jenkins Young ’39 stop the demolition of a circa-1817 house on the CofC at 6 Green Street by standing in front of the bulldozers. The house is saved and moved to 10 Green Street.
Female presidents for clubs and organizations are elected for the first time in the College’s history: Barbara Handy for the Chrestomathic Society and Trisha Sullivan for the Senior Class.
1971
1972
Owilender Grant becomes the first black faculty member at the College of Charleston, serving as assistant professor of mathematics and director of Upward Bound.
Lucille S. Whipper becomes the first black administrator at the College, serving as director of human relations and assistant to the president.
1973
Wilmot Welch Gibbs ’38 becomes the first female president of the Alumni Association.1973
1974
Joan Cronan becomes the co-ed basketball coach and assistant coach Nancy Wilson starts the volleyball program. In 1976, Wilson becomes the volleyball and basketball coach when Cronan assumes the role of director of women’s athletics. At this time, the College was far ahead of most schools its size in the number of scholarships for women athletes.
1975
Rose Hamm Rowland comes to the College as a mathematics professor and goes on to serve as director of the Governor’s School and the Honors Program from 1988 to 1999, during which time the Honors Program saw tremendous growth – Stern Student Center opens in March, and campus programming includes a celebration of International Women’s Week.
1975
1984
The Women’s and Gender Studies program is launched.
1995
Dale Rosengarten
founded the Jewish Heritage Collection in special collections at Marlene & Nathan Addlestone Library1995
1997
First Female Foundation President
Bette Griffith ’56 serves as first female president of the College of Charleston Foundation Board.2000
Patricia Williams Lessane
Patricia Williams Lessane joins the College as executive director of the College’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. In 2018, she was promoted to associate dean for strategic planning and community engagement.2000
2010
The women’s and gender studies major is established.
2011
Devon Hanahan ’87, senior instructor of Hispanic studies, is named the top professor in the country by the popular website RateMyProfessors.com.2011
2012
Yes, I’m a Feminist! – an annual celebration of women – is launched.
2015
The women’s golf team claims the CAA championship in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Feminism in Motion, an annual celebration of students’ work on gender and gender-focused projects, is launched.
Jasmine Twitty ’10 becomes one of the youngest judges in South Carolina.
2015
2016
The annual Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs Summit is launched.
2017
Master of Business Administration Program
No. 8 in the nation for MBA programs with the most women.
(l to r) Jennie Ridall, Eliza Chisolm, Kavitha Rajendra Kumar
2017
