Wellesley magazine summer 2012

SUMMER 2012 | REUNION ALBUM | NORA EPHRON ’62: A REMEMBRANCE | IN THE WAKE OF TITLE IX

Game On A SPECIAL ISSUE ON WOMEN AND SPORTS

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Varsity soccer goalkeeper Claire Cerda ’15 in action, one of many student athletes who play for the BluePhoto by John Rich

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From the Editor

Letters to the Editor

From the President

Window on Wellesley By Alice Hummer, Lisa Scanlon ’99, Jennifer Flint, Elizabeth Johnson ’01, April Austin, and Abigail Murdy ’12

Commencement 2012

Shelf Life

WCAA—Your Alumnae Association

Reunion Album

Class Notes

In Memoriam—Nora Ephron ’621941–2012

Endnote—The Unsporting LifeBy Lisa Scanlon ’99

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Departments

summer 2012

Features

24 IN THE WAKE OF TITLE IX By Melissa Ludtke ’73

When the groundbreaking legislation became law in 1972, few fully understood

how profoundly those 37 words would affect girls’ and women’s sports.

31 GAME ON: WELLESLEY STUDENT ATHLETESBy Jennifer E. Garrett ’98

Whether they’re hard-hitting volleyball players or fl eet-footed members of the Ultimate Frisbee

team, hundreds of student athletes fi nd the time and energy to give their best to the Blue.

Wellesley profi les eight of these dedicated student athletes.

42 GOING THE DISTANCE By Jean McCormick ’81

Many alumnae athletes over age 50 don’t slow down at all—in fact, some are just diving

into sports for the fi rst time. When we asked alumnae from the classes of 1984 and earlier

for their sports experiences, we heard from competitive swimmers, marathoners,

and powerlifters, among others.

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Cover photograph of Wellesley soccer player Chelsea-Ann Patry ’13 by John Rich

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wellesley | summer 2012

EditorAlice M. Hummer

Associate Editors Lisa Scanlon ’99Jennifer McFarland Flint

DesignFriskey Design, Sherborn, Mass.

Principal PhotographerRichard Howard

Student AssistantAbigail Murdy ’12

Wellesley (USPS 673-900). Published fall, winter, spring, and summer by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. Editorial and Business Offi ce: Alumnae Association, Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481-8203. Phone 781-283-2344. Fax 781-283-3638.Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Mass., and other mailing offi ces. Post-master: Send Form 3579 to Wellesleymagazine, Wellesley College, 106 Central St.,Wellesley, MA 02481-8203.

Wellesley Policy:One of the objectives of Wellesley, in the best College tradition, is to present interesting, thought-provoking material, even though it may be controversial. Publication of material does not necessarily indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Alumnae Association, or Wellesley College.

Wellesley magazine reserves the right to edit and, when necessary, revise all material that it accepts for publication. Unsolicited photographs will be publishedat the discretion of the editor.

KEEP WELLESLEY UP-TO-DATE!

The Alumnae Offi ce has a voice mailbox to be used by alumnae for updating contact and other personal information. The number is 1-800-339-5233.

You can also update your information on-line when you visit the Alumnae Associa-tion website at www.wellesley.edu/Alum/.

DIRECT LINE PHONE NUMBERS

College Switchboard 781-283-1000Alumnae Offi ce 781-283-2331Magazine Offi ce 781-283-2344 Admission Offi ce 781-283-2270Center for Work and Service 781-283-2352Resources Offi ce 781-283-2217

INTERNET ADDRESS www.wellesley.edu/Alum/

TFrom the Editor

HIS IS A FACE YOU SHOULD KNOW. If you’ve ever had your picture taken for this magazine, this woman has probably adjusted your jacket or tamed a fl y-away hair. You might have seen her darting through the reunion parade behind the guy with the cameras, wiping away a tear with the rest of us when the class of ’32 rolls by in a Model T. But most of you have never laid eyes on her.

It’s a moment not unlike the end of a symphony concert, when the composer of the con-temporary piece you just heard comes out on stage to take a bow. So folks, let me bring out of the wings Janet Friskey, the designer and art director of this magazine for the last 14 years. She is completing her tenure with this issue. This is a face you should know.

This is a face that has spent thousands of hours staring at an oversized computer screen, fi guring out how to capture the beauty of the Wellesley campus—and the people who inhabit it—on the printed page. It was Janet who brought well-known illustrators to the magazine, matching their styles with the tone of our writers’ work. It was she who nudged photographers to shoot from a slightly different angle, suddenly bringing subjects to life. And it was Janet who worked out how to take thousands of words, headlines, and captions, add images, color, and fonts, and transform them into a beautiful, cohesive magazine. Four times a year, she designed every page, putting together what was essentially a massive puzzle.

Part of what I enjoy about magazine work is that it is a team sport. No one on the team has every skill or talent that’s needed, so everyone adds something important. Janet’s artistry and creative vision live in a wonder-fully different realm than the creativity of the magazine’s wordsmiths, so she has added a critical dimension to our work. But it’s more than just that.

I’ve worked with dozens of designers in my career and know that creative collaborations like the one I’ve shared with Janet don’t come along that often. Our strengths and weaknesses complement and balance one another. We come at things from varying angles, but those differences spurred us to work until we came to some-thing we were both happy with, usually better than what we had started with. Along the way, we have laughed a lot and talked constantly about business (and life)—topics ranging from the design of the New York Times Magazine to caring for aging parents to gardening. It has been a pleasure and an education.

Janet’s dealings are marked by a generosity of spirit that has benefi ted the College community. She has worked to pool resources with other departments, patiently provided magazine photos to scores of faculty, alumnae, and parents, and never failed to bring us the story of someone she’d met on campus. “This would make a great article,” she’d say. In the period we were working together, she raised her two girls alone, and they have grown into talented illustrators and designers, making contributions to the magazine in their own right. She has a well-deserved reputation for being principled and fair, making our vendors eager to work for the magazine. They, like the rest of us, have benefi tted from her care and talents.

In recognition of her service, the Alumnae Association recently named her an honorary alumna. We send her off to her new position at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with gratitude and great affection. Well done, Janet. Godspeed.

Alice M. Hummer, Editor

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summer 2012 | wellesley

LETTERS TO

THE EDITOR

Melissa Ludtke ’73 (“Title IX Lives,” page 24) is part of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Diamond Dreams exhibit, dedicated to women in base-ball, for her role in Ludtke v. Kuhn, which granted

equal access for female sports reporters to the locker rooms of professional sports teams.

CONTRIBUTORS

Wellesley welcomes short letters (a maxi-

mum length of 300 words) relating to

articles or items that have appeared

in recent issues of the magazine. Send

your remarks to the Editor, Wellesleymagazine, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA

02481-8203, or email comments to

[email protected].

DESIGNS TO DRAW READERS

I wanted to commend you on the layout of the alumnae magazine. Its mix of attractive graphics and rich text beckons one in.

And congratulations to the ES300 class on the work detailed in “Trash Talk” (spring ’12). It’s refresh-ing to see them getting down and dirty in the actual world where solutions for sustainability are to be found.

Ellen Theg ’77Hastings on Hudson, N.Y.

THANKS TO THE MOMS

Thank you so much for the articles on “Parenting Solo” (spring ’12). Please pass my gratitude to the women who

sent in their sto-ries. It takes a great deal of cour-age to talk about some of the issues they shared. Most folk would prefer to keep it all very private. I truly appreciate their

openness and candid presentation of how life really is for them. I was for-tunate enough to have my husband co-parenting with me, for which I’m

deeply grateful, but I work with single women with children who are home-less. I have a sense of how challenging it can be, and in so very many ways.

And thank you, as well, for the article about trash (“Trash Talk”). When we were at Wellesley, we were told all the food trash went “to the pig farm.” Apparently there is no lon-ger that option? Maybe it could be reconsidered as an additional way of recycling.

Thanks again for the breadth of stories you present.

Joanne Coombs Shipley ’64Tigard, Ore.

RESOURCES FOR SINGLE MOMS

Thank you for the thoughtful and in-teresting article on “Parenting Solo.” Already parenting is a joyful and exhausting task and adventure. Doing it alone? Such courage.

The summer ’12 issue of Yes! magazine includes an article that describes an innovative and excit-ing way that single parents are joining forces (and resources) in order to be the best parents possible. I think the readers of Wellesley would be pleased to see the range of brave and creative options and strategies such as CoAbode.org that single parents are using.

Gitana Garofalo ’92Seattle

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Wellesley magazine is

available online at new.wellesley.edu/alumnae/wellesleymagazine/online.

Follow Wellesley

on Twitter: @Wellesleymag.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND

I applaud your decision to publish “The Elements of (Personal) Style” (winter ’12, “From the Editor” and “Letters to the Editor,” spring ’12).

I loved what you shared from Marisol Trowbridge ’05, who stated that “fashion is an art” and “fashion is a business . . . it has a bottom line, requires market research, competitive ideas . . . innovation, and effi ciency.” Bravo! No fi eld should be banned from discussion in the Wellesley mag-azine. Wellesley alums are diverse, and we must respect their chosen fi elds. Consider the alum who pub-lished a new romance novel (“Falling for Romance,” spring ’12)—should we ban the feature of her no doubt highly creative work because it’s just a romance novel and therefore not an “important topic?” I think not!

We should not judge anyone’s area of passion, inspiration, and se-lected career path. What can appear “frivolous” on the surface may have ripples of benefi ts for hu-manity in many areas. The example of the fashion project in India that uses microfi nance to employ thousands of rural artisans is right on! I would rec-ommend that Wellesley alums from all decades keep an open mind!

Laura Rodriguez ’77Silver Spring, Md.

An Emmy-winning former producer for ESPN, Jean McCormick ’81 (“Going the Distance,” page 42) is a hard-core sports fanatic from way back. She subscribed to Sports Illustrated at age 13 and won the

Bobby Orr Award in her 8th-grade class for being the hockey legend’s greatest fan.

A Seattle transplant from Boston, Jennifer Garrett ’98 (“For the

Love of the Game,” page 31) is a diehard fan of the Wellesley Blue, the Boston Red Sox, and the

New England Patriots. She is also a season ticket-holder for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.

TWEETS TO THE EDITOR

Twitter is the new email, at least for younger alumnae. They follow the magazine at @Wellesleymag and often post their (140-character) thoughts about recent issues.

Cheers to @Wellesleymag for fea-turing this almost unacknowledged voice among students/alumnae. #ParentingSolo

@dragonfl yeyes(Rachel Pickens ’09)

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Thanks for the story on single mothers @Wellesleymag. . . . It was deeply touching and moving.

@diamonde(Diamond Sharp ’11)

Oak Park, Ill.

Bravo @Wellesleymag for an amazing feature on #WellesleyAlums who are #SingleMoms. We love features that cover real life struggles of wendys.

Can we discuss the nasty letters@Wellesleymag received for doing a story on fashion? What is wrong with people?

@wellesleyunderg(A group of young alums who

publish Wellesley Underground, www.wellesleyunderground.com.)

@Wellesleymag generation gap re: “Style” article was evident . . . was surprised to see such criticism, judg-ment re: fashion as a career/topic.

@Wellesleymag on another note—loved the “Parenting Solo” article; very well done w/good mix of scenarios

@cleoc87(Cleo Hereford ’09)

Lynn, Mass.

Bravo to @Wellesleymag editor, Alice Hummer, for graciously responding to hostility and Lauren Friedman for sneaking in that fashion sketch.

AND the @Wellesleymag feature on Beth DeSombre’s ES300 waste audit is great! She was one of my best professors!

@MsMakkah(Makkah Ali ’10)

Arlington, Va.

srgasothfotopa

openness and candid

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spring 2012 | TRASH TALK | MAPPED OUT | HEART OPENERS | 2012 ALUMNAE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Parenting Solo

Spring 12 Covers1.indd 3 5/3/12 3:17 PM EDITOR’S NOTE: Many thanks to alumnae who wrote letters to the editor this quarter. Many more were originally slated for publication than appear here, but they were pulled as the magazine was being sent to press to make room for the memorial tribute for Nora Ephron ’62 on page 87. Watch for the letters in the fall issue.



From the President

A New Chapter in Our Story

AS I WALK THE WELL-WORN PATHS of Wellesley’s campus, I am reminded how fortunate I am to lead a college with such a combination of history and natural beauty. Indeed, the

history and beauty of Wellesley surround me, always. As I write this column, I am looking out of my Green Hall offi ce window at an iconic Wellesley image: the Galen Stone Tower. From the President’s House, I can see other places—images that are probably engraved in your memory—such as Houghton Memorial Chapel, Tower Court, and, at night, the light from our signature lampposts.

Our gorgeous landscape and his-toric buildings are an important part of the Wellesley story. As a leader in under-graduate education, Wellesley must not only continue to develop new pedagogi-cal approaches, hire the best faculty, and recruit the best students, but we must also provide facilities that are worthy of these outstanding faculty and students. New pedagogical approaches require suit-ably designed spaces that are conducive to small classroom learning and that are functional but easily adaptable as needs change. As a premier residential college, Wellesley must provide a social, intellectual, and physical environment supportive of our wonderfully diverse community.

We are about to add a new chapter to the Wellesley story, as we embark on an important project to preserve what is best about our buildings and landscape while reimagining and reinvigorat-ing our living, learning, and research spaces for the 21st century. It will be the largest undertaking the College has seen since the early part of the 20th century. We are calling it Wellesley 2025: A Plan for Campus Renewal.

The time is right for a project of this magnitude. Despite considerable investment in renovation and construction over the last

10 years, 82 percent of our buildings have not had a major reno-vation in more than 25 years, and 62 percent have not had a major renovation in more than 50 years. (Those of you who have stayed in the residence halls during reunion in recent years will not be surprised by this.) Much has changed in education and pedagogy during those years.

To address these signifi cant needs, we have been engaged over the past several years in signifi cant academic and residential plan-ning efforts. Five areas of priority have emerged from these planning efforts: modernizing our visual arts and media facilities in Pendleton West and Jewett; bringing together the humanities departments and programs into one central area in Founders and Green halls; modern-izing our facilities for programs in science and the environment; renewing our residence halls to best support the student residential experience; and enhancing our well-ness and sports programs.

For each area of priority, a working group—composed of faculty, staff, students, and

trustees—has been established to make rec-ommendations to a Wellesley 2025 steering committee. From these recommendations will be crafted a consolidated program next year that will serve, pending approval from the Board of Trustees, as a master plan for the entire Wellesley 2025 project.

The work of Wellesley 2025 will ensure that our campus will remain as beautiful as always, while becoming more functional and engaging for the entire College community. The Wellesley you know and love will always be

the Wellesley you know and love—it will only get better with age. H. Kim Bottomly

‘The work of Wellesley 2025 will

ensure that our campuswill remain as beautiful

as always, while becoming more functional and

engaging for the entireCollege community.’

—President H. Kim Bottomly

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MANY OF US still have the nightmares: the one where

you sleep straight through your fi nal exam, or the one

where you glance at the test and realize it’s written in

Esperanto. Your blood pressure pops, the sweating

begins. And then, fortunately for you, you wake up.

Current students aren’t so lucky. They live that reality

twice a year, and the associated stress is very real.

But several groups across campus are coordinating

efforts to help students manage and reduce their

exam stress.

One of the biggest hits this spring was a series

of visits from therapy dogs: Students plopped down

on the fl oor of the library and Science Center for some

serious puppy love. Claudia Trevor-Wright, assistant

director of health education and wellness and the

creative force behind the stress-relief program, said

the dogs delivered: “We saw a lot of joy and calm on

students’ faces—and both are really valuable experi-

ences to have during that week.”

Alexa Keegan ’14, who has a golden retriever at

home, was found scratching the ears of a particularly

gray-faced, bandana-wearing golden in Clapp. She

had wrapped up an exam that morning, with another

on deck the next day. Enjoying a dog snorgle in

between was “really important,” she says. “A dog is

a great outlet—it’s a way to remove yourself from an

otherwise really tense situation.”

Other stress-busters offered included guided

meditation, bread baking, massage, knitting, yoga,

and aromatherapy. All of the activities, according to

Trevor-Wright, were intended to “help students navi-

gate that stressful time in a way that’s balanced and

healthy, and to encourage them to take care of them-

selves.” Those are skills that will last a lifetime.

—JF

A NOTEBOOK OF NEWS AND

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMPUS BY

ALICE HUMMER, LISA SCANLON ’99,

JENNIFER FLINT, ELIZABETH JOHNSON ’01,

APRIL AUSTIN, AND ABIGAIL MURDY ’12

WINDOW ON

WELLESLEY

WoWFor Less Stress,Try Puppy Love

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‘We saw a lot of joy and calm on students’ faces—and both are really valuable experiences to have during that week.’ —Claudia Trevor-Wright

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EVERYONE JOINS the Schneider Board of Governors (SBOG) for a similar reason, says Emma Weinstein Levey ’12. “Every single time, it’s like, ‘Wellesley is a stressful place. I want to help make it less stress-ful,’” Weinstein Levey says. As director of on-campus affairs (DOOCA) and head of SBOG, Weinstein Levey and her fellow SBOGgies are responsible for planning and hosting campus events that get students out of the library, whether it’s huge concerts that attract over a thousand people or intimate coffee-houses for a few dozen students.

Weinstein Levey, an American studies major from Minneapolis, sees SBOG as her way to “give back to the campus.” Every event has its own set of diffi culties and rewards. Take Remix, a huge dance party in the Davis Parking Facility that marks the beginning of the school year. (Many alums will remember the party, in an earlier incarnation, as the Tower Court Mixer.) “It’s supposed to be sort of a ‘welcome to college’ for a lot of Boston area students. It’s grown every single year that I’ve been here. Last fall, we had about 2,800 people come,” Weinstein Levey says. However, with its popularity comes the necessity to educate students about how to party safely and responsibly. The residence halls have been good about helping get out that mes-sage, says Weinstein Levey.

Not all of SBOG’s events are huge. Recently, they’ve started “Night Owl” coffeehouses in smaller venues around campus, like Instead, the feminist co-op, and El Table. “My favorite one was when we had one of my friends from College Government read the police blotter in a dramatic voice, and then right after that, we had a beat boxer from Berklee who was absolutely incred-ible,” Weinstein Levey says.

There are also the events that are Wellesley traditions, like Lake Day. This, too, has evolved—students no longer take the day off; it’s held during

EMMA WEINSTEIN LEVEY ’12

Bring on the Fun

inPerson

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‘It’s a weird, fun promotional tool. I think that people have

sort of begun to see it as alandmark of all these events. Like, get a picture kissing the

SBOG Frog on Marathon Monday, and things like that,

which is really fun.’—Emma Weinstein Levey ’12

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“community time” on a Wednesday, when no classes are scheduled. (“Classes aren’t canceled anymore, so if any alumnae want to lobby their old professors to cancel their classes on Lake Day, we would be really appreciative,” Weinstein Levey says with a smile.) Food, games, and infl atable bouncy structures are set up on Severance Green, along with the ever-popular fried-dough stand.

SBOG’s mascot, the SBOG Frog, always makes an appearance at Lake Day and Marathon Monday. (Weinstein Levey is pictured here wearing the SBOG Frog outfi t.) “It’s a weird, fun promo-tional tool. I think that people have sort of begun to see it as a landmark of all these events. Like, get a picture kissing the SBOG Frog on Marathon Monday, and things like that, which is really fun,” Weinstein Levey says.

SBOG’s biggest event, though, is Spring Week, which features a series of concerts, parties, and other events. SBOG uses a “middle agency” to fi nd and negotiate terms with artists that SBOG is inter-ested in bringing to campus. Funding comes from

a portion of the student activities fee and from ticket sales to off-campus attendees.

In recent years, SBOG has netted some fairly big acts for the college crowd:

Santigold, Passion Pit, Matt & Kim, and this year, Jeremih. At Fall Frenzy in 2011, a smaller version of Spring Week, the rising British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding came to campus.

SBOG makes a big effort to bring a range of different kinds of acts

to campus. “I’ve known for a long time that you can’t make everyone happy all the time,” says Weinstein Levey, but she hopes that over the course of a year, there’s something for everyone. “I think that a lot of people have strong memories of our events, which is cool, and maybe in 15 years, a classmate of mine will say, ‘I loved the Ellie Goulding concert,’ or whatever. I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I planned that. I’ll see you at reunion.’”

—LS



WINDOW ON

WELLESLEYWELLESLEYAWAY

STUDENT: Elin Nelson ’13

MAJOR: South Asian Studies

HOMETOWN: Vineyard Haven, Mass.

STUDYING IN: Varanasi, India

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO TO

VARANASI?

I wanted to see life from the point of

view of a billion people living in a totally

different way than Americans.

TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAM

YOU’RE ON.

My program focuses on independent

studies and immersing students in the

local culture. We all take Hindi classes,

and we do a tutorial with a local teacher.

Some people learn sitar, miniature paint-

ing, Urdu, etc. I am learning Sanskrit and

Bharatanatyam, a Southern Indian dance.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION

OF THE CITY?

My fi rst impression was that Varanasi was

crowded, fi lled with cows, and very loud.

I was very puzzled by how such a seem-

ingly unorganized place could somehow

function!

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HARDER

THINGS TO ADJUST TO?

It was diffi cult to adjust to attitudes toward

women. There are many unwritten rules

about what is OK and not OK for women

to do. It was also diffi cult to adjust to some

of the attitudes of Indian professors at the

local university. Many of them can be

patronizing, especially toward women.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS

ABOUT LIFE IN VARANASI?

Living with a family has made me feel

much more connected to Indian culture

and to the community of Varanasi. My

bhabhi ji (elder brother’s wife) and bhayya

(older brother) are so generous and my little

sister Riti so lovable. I also love watching the

colorful tropical birds and the river dolphins

in the Ganges and hearing my Sanskrit

teacher talk about Indian philosophy.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM

THE EXPERIENCE THUS FAR?

People in India are tolerant and patient

in conditions Americans would fi nd

appalling. Tolerance and patience have

new meanings for me now.

—AM

TAPPED IN TO INDIAN CULTURE

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR WELLESLEY CENTERS FOR WOMEN

ON JULY 1, WOMANIST SCHOLAR LAYLI MAPARYAN took the helm of the Wellesley Centers for Women. As the new Katherine Stone Kaufmann ’67 Executive Director, she will lead one of the nation’s largest and most infl uential organizations conducting scholarly research and developing action programs centered on women’s and girls’ perspectives.

“I am so pleased that Dr. Maparyan will join Wellesley in this important role,” President H. Kim Bottomly said in announcing the appointment. “Her work on women’s issues and her dynamic leadership abilities are ideal for building upon the centers’ legacy of infl uential and groundbreaking programming.”

From 2003 until this year, Maparyan was at Georgia State University as an associate professor in the Women’s Studies Institute and associated faculty of the Department of African American Studies. She also served as graduate director of the WSI. Previously, Maparyan served as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for African-American Studies at the University of Georgia, where she was founding co-director of the Womanist Studies Consortium. (At Wellesley, she will hold a faculty appointment in the Department of Africana Studies.)

Known best for her scholar-ship in the area of womanism, Maparyan has also published in the areas of adolescent devel-opment, social identities, black LGBTQ studies, and the history of psychology. Her scholarly publications include two books, The Womanist Reader and The Womanist Idea, and articles in the Journal of African American Studies; Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research; Women and Therapy; and Adolescence.

Womanism is a social change perspective that focuses on what everyday women from around the world can contribute to global dialogues about social and environmental problems. It is historically rooted in the cultural perspectives of women of color, particularly Africana women, and integrates social, ecological, and spiritual

dimensions into the change process, with the goal of creating well-being for families and communities.

Maparyan holds a B.A. in philoso-phy from Spelman College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from Penn State and Temple universities.

For more on the Wellesley Centers for Women, visit www.wcwonline.org.

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THE GOLDEN LIGHT OF LATE AFTERNOON pours through the stained-glass

windows of Houghton Chapel. It burnishes the dark wood paneling and

lingers over the tidy rows of chairs. A visitor unfamiliar with the chapel

might easily admire the traditional stained glass but miss entirely the one

window that is fundamentally different from all the others. This window

is in the same style as its neighbors, but the face of the woman depicted is

not ivory but brown: Veritas (“Truth”) is symbolized by a woman of color.

This window is the culmination of a two-decades-long effort to bring

a more multifaith and multicultural ethos to Wellesley, led by Victor

Kazanjian, dean of intercultural education and religious and spiritual life.

When the College renovated Houghton Chapel in 2008, it also set about

refurbishing the stained-glass windows that had been installed over the

decades since the chapel’s completion in 1899—many of which had been

made in the Tiffany and LaFarge studios. The majority of these windows

depicted biblical scenes and other Christian imagery and themes popular at

the time. Other windows awaited completion, with yellow-colored builders’

glass serving as placeholders.

By 2009, the ground fl oor of Houghton, which had been reconstructed

to house the Multifaith Center, buzzed with activity. Although the spacious

chapel upstairs had also come to life with new multifaith, music, and dance

programs, the chapel’s overtly Christian symbolism had a less-than-welcoming

effect on those of other religious

traditions, Kazanjian says. The

challenge, he adds, was to bring

new imagery into the space in a

way that complemented its ex-

isting beauty.

Kazanjian and an advi-

sory committee decided on

a plan to diversify the im-

agery in the chapel in ways

that were subtle and radical:

a new window, in the style

of an existing set designed

by the studio of Reynolds,

Francis, and Rohnstock, that

incorporated not only a

woman of African descent

as the embodiment of Truth

but also symbols of the many

faiths and philosophies repre-

sented on campus, including

RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL LIFE

A New Window On Truth

PHOTOS BY RICHARD HOWARD




such as this.” In fact, the window is one of very few images of a nonwhite

fi gure, along with multifaith symbols, portrayed in stained glass on any

college or university campus, Kazanjian says.

Kazanjian’s committee worked closely on the design with Serpentino

Stained Glass in Needham, Mass., which fabricated the window out of 607

pieces of hand-painted glass. The chapel has three more builder’s glass

windows to replace, and Kazanjian envisions an opportunity for direct

community involvement and collaboration in the design process.

The new Veritas window joins several others donated recently that

offer inspirational images—for example, The River of Life and the Tree

of Life windows. They give the space a feeling of greater relevance and

inclusiveness, Kazanjian says. So many groups vie to use the chapel and

Multifaith Center that scheduling has become an issue.

Kazanjian has watched the changes avidly. “Even though the chapel

grows out of the Christian tradition, we’ve claimed the space for this

moment in time,” he says.—AA

Victor Kazanjian and students from the Multifaith Council gathered below the window donated by Mari Wright ’60 (center).

9

African Spiritual Traditions, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism,

Humanism/Secularism/Agnosticism/Atheism, Jain, Judaism, Islam, Native

American and Indigenous Peoples’ Spiritual Traditions, Paganism, Sikhism,

Unitarian Universalism, and Zoroastrianism.

As Kazanjian pored over the writings of former president Mildred

McAfee Horton (in offi ce from 1936–49) as part of his research, he

saw that Wellesley’s history included signifi cant moments of promoting

not just tolerance but a truly multifaith and multicultural environment.

Horton’s vision provided an early indication of the multifaith ideals that

are now being realized on campus, he says. A quote from Horton was

chosen for inclusion in the new Veritas window: “The day we learn that

differences do not necessarily involve discriminatory evaluations, vast

problems of human relations will be solvable.”

Alumnae have been quick to support the idea of a multifaith chapel,

Kazanjian says, especially those who were students when Horton was

president. “They love the idea of Wellesley being a more global place.

They come back not out of nostalgia but to see a college that refl ects the

world’s diversity and is relevant to the world today,” he says.

He describes the April 4 installation of the new Veritas window,

which was donated by Mari Wright ’60, as an extremely moving experi-

ence: A group of students from Wellesley’s Multifaith Council gathered

around Wright beneath the window, becoming the living embodiment of

the circle of belief symbols depicted in the window. Since then, he has seen

many students come into the chapel simply to gaze at the image of Veritas.

“They are so unused to seeing people of color in historic religious settings

WINDOW ON

WELLESLEY



CLEMENT MEADMORE’S steel sculptures defy gravity. They also defy the gravely self-important mien of some minimalist sculpture by doing the twist—his pieces bend and turn back on themselves in a stretch for the sky.

Now, a Meadmore sculpture has taken up resi-dence on campus. In April, Wellesley installed Upsurge, given to the College by Lynn Dixon Johnston ’64 and her husband, Bob, on a grass-covered rise between the Davis Parking Facility and Alumnae Hall. A stand of birch trees at street level provides an airy backdrop to the solid, yet graceful, 1,500-pound steel sculpture.

Meadmore (1929–2005) studied aeronautic engineering and industrial design in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. He moved to New York in 1963, when minimalism was on the rise. His steel sculptures stand strong and clearly defi ned in the land-scape, and their smooth, unadorned surfaces link them to minimalism, which emphasizes fl at planes, impec-cable geometry, and machinelike precision. But the exuberance and dynamism of his work also refl ect the infl uence of abstract expressionism, which values spon-taneity, emotion, and evidence of the artist’s hand.

“Meadmore submitted to the strictures of mini-malism, but he found a way to express himself within the form. He humanized the geometry,” says Eric Gibson, who published a book on the artist in 1994.

Meadmore’s designs started out small. He began by arranging a handful of custom-made fi berglass seg-

ments (think of donuts cut into quarters or eighths) until he hit on a confi guration he liked, according to Gibson. Later, he

would scale up the design, and a company in Connecticut would fabricate the full-scale version.

Today, his works adorn college campuses and large urban plazas around the world. But his sculp-ture does not overwhelm, Gibson says. “He was very concerned about scale, about the absolute right rela-tionship of the sculpture to the viewer.”

—AA

ART OF WELLESLEY

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Twist for the SkyUpsurge

Clement Meadmore

Steel

20 ft. by 13 ft. by 8 ft.

1989

To learn more about Meadmore, visit www.meadmore.com.



CAMPUS POLICE aren’t terribly concerned

about the latest graffi ti to hit campus. Once

they clearly understand the question, at least.

“Yarn WHAT???” is the drop-everything initial

response one gets when calling campus

police to ask about yarn bombs. But as

soon as the on-call sergeant realizes that

the objects in question are the nonexplosive

knitted cozies that are fashioned around tree

trunks, signposts, or hand railings, his angst

quiets, and he seems happy to explain that

no, they’re not considered a form of vandal-

ism. (The grounds crew, on the other hand,

may remove an installation if they feel that a

tree or plant is threatened by it.)

The guerilla craft has been taking the

world by warm, woolen storm since 2005.

Originally conceived as a way to bring life and

whimsy to impersonal or inhospitable public

spaces, yarn bombing has been embraced

by irreverent crafters the world over, including

here. Keep calm and carry on, knitters.

—JF

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WELLESLEY

COMMUNITY

A TIGHT KNIT GROUP

“IRONICALLY, Wellesley doesn’t often leave us time to think,” says Estelle Olson CE/DS ’11, a regular at Knit for Peace, a weekly gathering of knitters, crocheters, beaders, and other crafters who gather for a little conversation, relaxation, and refl ection in the Multifaith Center.

Knit for Peace began as an informal gathering about fi ve years ago and has since grown into a full-fl edged program sponsored by the Offi ce of Spiritual and Religious Life, says Unitarian Universalist

Chaplain Pamela Barz ’83, the group’s leader. “We thought it would be a great way to connect with students outside our religious communities,” says

Barz. Plus, “Knitting has great stress-relieving proper-ties,” always a bonus for Wellesley students, who have been known to burn the candle at both ends.

For Laura Dabrowski ’12, who had a “more dif-fi cult transition into Wellesley,” it was a warm and welcoming space where she felt at home. “I just enjoy the conversation and the contemplation . . .

Knit for Peace is on hiatus over the summer, but if you are interested in participating in the fall, contact Pam Barz at [email protected].

in addition to the stress relief,” she says. Anywhere from two to 15 people come to the gathering, including a few local alums and Wellesley staff members. The students com-ment that it’s refreshing to have interaction with adults other than their professors.

The members of the group often arrive with their own projects, but they will also work on knitting “com-fort shawls” for members of the Wellesley community that are “going through a diffi cult time,” says Barz, like undergoing cancer treatment or dealing with depression. They have given out 10 shawls so far, and there are always several in progress.

While knitting (and other crafts) is the purported purpose of the group, it’s clear that it’s the personal connections and the conversations that keep everyone coming back. And it’s not always serious. Recently,

the group discussed a depilatory technique called “sugaring,” Barz says. “We may talk about the meaning of life, or we

may talk about how to get hair off your legs,” she laughs. —LS

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YARN BOMBS!


For photos of guerrilla knitting around the world, visit yarnbombing.com.

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HIGH HOOP HOPESFOR MORGAN MCKINNEY ’12, winning Hooprolling was no happy accident:

“I intended to win,” she says. “In my mind the stakes were very high.

I felt like the success of my future endeavors was going to be largely

dependent on how well I did in that race. . . . Failing was not an option.”

Like the typical Wellesley woman, she did her

homework: “I wanted to become one with my

hoop,” she says. “So I ate with it, slept with

it, and rolled it along to all my classes.” Her

little sister, Angela Ai ’15, secured a spot at

the starting line, and all the preparation paid

off with a win.

If the hoops are any indication,

McKinney will do just fi ne in her future plans,

which include balancing a career in law with

time for family and hobbies, such as art and

performance. “Ultimately,” she says, “I want

to be happy and actually have the time to

enjoy the aspects of life that are truly the

most important.” We have no doubt she’ll

make it happen.

—JF

SIGNS OF THE TIMESBEFORE THE BOSTON MARATHON in 2010,

as Hayley Lenahan ’12 and her Munger

dormmates were painting the usual signs for

the runners—“Keep Going!” and “Half-Way

There!”—she had an epiphany.

Their signs were usually very general.

But occasionally, students would run in the

marathon, or they had parents or friends

running, and they’d make a special sign for

them. Every now and then, students would

be forwarded a request from an alumna. “So

I thought, why not, in this age of technology,

fi nd a way that people could make sign

requests directly to us?” Lenahan says. So

the students set up a Facebook page where

marathoners (or their friends and families)

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OBJECT OF OUR ATTENTION

HEALTH CLUBSLONG BEFORE AMERICANS imported a yoga craze,

we had Indian clubs: The use of these bowling-pin

doppelgängers was popularized in India, then brought to

Europe by British soldiers. American immigrants introduced

the exercise routine to the US in the 19th century. Swinging the

wooden clubs helped build strength and agility, as well as improve balance, but they lost

their appeal with the growing popularity of organized team sports around 1920. The late

Hilda Crosby Standish ’24 once recalled exercise requirements in the Mary Hemenway

gymnasium: “When we were ‘unwell,’ we couldn’t be in the regular classes but had to

practice dumbbells or Indian clubs or lie on our back on the fl oor and ‘bicycle’ in the air.”

College Archives is in possession of two sets of clubs, available to anyone

experiencing a bout of “unwellness.” —JF

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could ask for personalized signs, and the

requests came rolling in.

This year, the sign-makers had a pres-

ence on both Facebook (Scream Tunnel

Signs by Wellesley’s Munger Hall) and

Twitter (@TheScreamTunnel). The demand

led to some late-night painting sessions, but

the end result was worth it. “I think doing this

project has been really amazing, because

we have gotten to make very personal con-

nections with a lot of runners from all over

the world,” Lenahan says. “Wellesley’s been

doing this for over 100 years, but just in the

past three years, we’ve really changed a tra-

dition, but we’ve still kept the tradition alive.”

—LS

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A WORLD OF DIFFERENCETHE 49 WOMEN LEADERS attending the two-week-long Women in Public Service Institute in June—the fl agship program of the new Women in Public Service Project (WPSP)—came to Wellesley from around the world. Among them were the youngest member of the Afghan Parliament, an Egyptian urban planner, and an activist and NGO founder from Tunisia.

Developed by a founding partnership of the fi ve leading women’s colleges—Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley—and the US Department of State, the WPSP aims to provide training and momentum to the next generation of women leaders who will invest in their countries and communities, serve as leaders in their governments and societies, and help change the way global solutions are developed.

Both of Wellesley’s US secretaries of state—Madeleine Korbel Albright ’59 and Hillary Rodham Clinton ’69—addressed the delegates and members of the Wellesley community at the opening of the institute. When asked by a delegate from Yemen if having three women secretaries of state “[changed] the rules of the game” in foreign policy in the US, Clinton responded, “I do think that you can’t make generalizations that simply having a woman in a high offi ce means you’ll have a different policy. But you can say that having many women involved in the governments of countries means that issues important to women will be

on the agenda. And that, to me, is a very important step.”

BOTANICAL GARDEN

A PERENNIAL GIFT

WHAT GIRL DOESN’T ENJOY an unexpected gift of fl owers from a secret admirer? And Wellesley is no different. Last fall, the College received not a bouquet, exactly, but a gift of 5,325 daylilies from an anonymous donor.

The collection, which is worth about $300,000, represents an impressive diversity of varieties, none of which are “run-of-the-mill lilies,” says Kristina Jones, the director of the botanical gardens. Someone spent a great deal of time and care creating this collection, in other words.

Unlike the orange varieties you might see on the side of the road, spread-ing like weeds, “These more derived, highly bred daylilies tend to put their resources into making fl owers, rather than spreading underground,” says Jones. “So this collection represents many years of breeding and of keeping track of what’s what.” Jones says she was immediately attracted to the collec-tion because of its diversity: specifi cally, “the diversity within a species, which is an interesting kind of diversity.”

The special delivery arrived past bloom, last fall, so the plants were put into temporary trenches until Jones and John Olmsted, the manager of landscape, can fi nd appropriate placements for them. Already it sounds as though the fl owers will be replacing areas of lawn, which is an ecologically sound choice. “They’re quite drought tolerant for the most part. They’re good, hearty plants. They should be pretty minimal in terms of their needs, pretty sustainable,” says Jones.

—JFF.C

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Photos by Richard Howard

COMMENCEMENT 2012came with all the annual trimmings and traditions: the black robes and fl owers, the vagaries of New England weather, the bittersweet tears clouding the eyes of proud parents and friends, and the graduates in a state of happy exhaustion. This year, though, there was something new: Nerdland fl ags. The red class of 2012 greeted their speaker, Melissa Harris-Perry, with a sea of blue fl ags, paying tribute to the Tulane professor who

also hosts a current-affairs show on MSNBC. Harris-Perry nicknamed her show

“Nerdland,” in the most affectionate way possible; it’s a spirit with which Wellesley can identify.

To read the full text of all the speeches, visit bit.ly/K9DLTy. For a slide show of the day’s pictures, see bit.ly/KYe7Mr.

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WELLESLEY

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY Excerpt from the commencement address

I’VE GOT THREE THINGS I want to ask you to be as you move forward, and I think these might be kind of counterintuitive, particularly coming from a political progressive who is unashamedly feminist, concerned with racial and economic and environmental justice, but here are the three things I’m going to ask of you: Be ignorant. Be silent. Be thick.

Never become so enamored of your own smarts that you stop signing up for life’s hard classes. Remember to keep forming hypotheses and gathering data. Keep your conclusions light and your curiosity ferocious. . . . Ignorance is a posture of humility, which brings me to the other piece of nontraditional advice: Be silent. . . . I am not asking you to sit on your ideas or fail to share your skills. I am asking you to remember that silence is the vital precursor to voice. Gather your voice in your silence. Listen to it in your own head before you give it away. Wake up, roll over, and make love to the day wordlessly.

My fi nal piece of advice is this: Be thick. In a world that teaches women to be thin, be thick. . . . Thin women stand on the sidelines; they’re critical; they’reremoved; they’re barely committed. Thick people pitch tents in a park with the belief that social action can change an entire international global system of economic injustice. . . . Cultivate a radical thickness that allows you to be vulnerable and imperfect as you cast yourself headlong into the crazy, scary, painful, grown-up world.

H. KIM BOTTOMLYExcerpt from the President’s Charge to the Class

IF I ASKED YOU TO PICTURE OUR CAMPUS in your minds, it would be a jumble of impressions. You might call to mind a special bench by Lake Waban, where you sat with a friend or with a book.

You might remember the weekly living-room teas in your residence hall—or the ghost stories that pervade some

of our dorms. You might think of the chapel at night, the top fl oor of the Davis, the Pendleton Atrium, the Clafl in living room with its Alice in Wonderland motif, or the stuffed animals in the Science Center. You might recall tunneling, or ice skating on Paramecium Pond.

Some of you made your fi rst- ever snowball here on Severance Green and then learned how to sled down the hill. All of you have

experienced the sternness of winter and the welcome renewal of spring.

Remember the diffi culty of navigating the campus your fi rst year? The winding paths that didn’t ever seem to lead you where you wanted to go. Now you know. They have led you here today.

15summer 2012 | wellesley



HALEY HARRIS ’12Excerpt from the Student Commencement Speech

WE ARE ALL WOMEN WHO ALREADY HAVE. You have made a difference in your short time here—as a volunteer, as a student, as a friend. It’s not going to stop anytime soon, and it’s not about having your face on a wall. In the words of [an] absurdly accomplished woman, Helen Hayes, “We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that we are extraordinary to somebody, too.” Whether you have recognized it or not, your being you, your being the kind of exemplary woman who has always embodied Wellesley, has had an effect on those around you.

. . . [W]hatever a Wellesley woman chooses to be or to do, she will fi nd her success in her own self-perception and in those closest to her. No matter whether you have plans for the future or none at all, just keep repeating this mantra: I have made a difference, a positive difference, to someone.




ATHLETICS

The Spin Doctor

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Smith in the quarterfi nals. Three students represented Wellesley on the NEWMAC All-Conference team, and another earned NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.

The SOFTBALL team ended the season with a 19–19–1 mark, fi nishing third in the NEWMAC in the regular season. Lauren Goldfarb ’13 represented Wellesley on the NEWMAC All-Conference team and was also named fi rst-team Academic All-District and fi rst-team All-Region.

The TENNIS team closed out the season by ad-vancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. They had a 17–7 overall record for the season and a No. 18 national ranking.

The TRACK AND FIELD team had a solid spring season, fi nishing sixth as a team at the 2012 NEWMAC Championships and boasting four All-NEWMAC finishes. Three studentsearned All-NEWMAC honors at the event. At the NCAA outdoor championships, Randelle Boots ’13 finished fi fth in the 1,500-meter event, earning her second All-America honors outdoors.

The CREW team enjoyed a commanding victory at the NEWMAC Championships, sweeping every event it entered and giving the team their second-straight conference title. The Blue also had a suc-cessful showing at both the New England and ECAC Championships, fi nishing third in Division III at both events. Highlighting ECAC racing was Wellesley’s novice-8 boat, which earned a gold medal. Best of all, four seniors missed commencement in order to join the team at the NCAA Division III Championships, where the team placed third overall.

The GOLF team wrapped up its 2011–12 season with an eighth-place finish at the Williams College Spring Invitational. Alexandra Fuiks ’14 and Alexandria Lee ’15 led the Blue for much of the season, helping the team to a sixth place fi nish at NYU’s Fall Invite, as well as a fi fth-place fi nish at their home Ann S. Batchelder Invitational.

LACROSSE ended its season in the NEWMAC Tournament semifi nals with a loss to defending champion, Babson. Earlier in the week, the Blue advanced to the semifi nals with a 19–14 victory over

SPORTS SCOREBOARD

A WORD TO THE WISE: If you brave one of the spinning classes taught by Sarah Rabourn ’13, this is not the place to fake it. She’ll know. And she’ll call you on it. It’s only be-cause she’s got your back, though: “There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve wasted your time,” she says. “And that’s what I tell them: Why did you come here? Because you could be spending your 45 minutes somewhere else. Most of them listen to me and if not, I’ll call them out and tell them to up their resistance. They give me ugly looks, but they love when we fi nish class and they got a good workout out of it.”

The exercise bar is set high with this student, who discovered athletics as a freshman in high school. As a player on the JV soccer team, though, she was discouraged that she didn’t get more play. So the Kentucky native turned to track and cross country, sports where “I can put in my effort and get the outcome I want,” she says. She soon realized that she needed to mix up her routine to avoid injury, which is how she discovered spinning. Rabourn was certifi ed as an instructor at the age of 18.

This past year, as a junior, she taught spin classes twice a week at Wellesley and logged 70 to 80 miles a week in her running shoes. “I wake up at 4:45 every morning and work out on my own,” she says. (“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” she nods, as your chin hits the fl oor.) “It’s just something that I will do, even if I go to bed a half-hour before that,” she jokes. I think. She hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon next year as a senior.

Without that level of physical activity, the Kentucky native says her productivity gets sluggish. (It’s diffi cult to imagine that ever happening, to be honest, when even her casual conversation keeps a snappy tempo.) During her fi rst year at Wellesley—which she chose in part because of cross-country coach John Babington and his team—Rabourn suf-fered four stress fractures and had to stop running. “When I took time off from the team, I was like, I can’t just sit around. So I got involved in res staff and became an RA my sophomore year,” she says. She was house president of

Cazenove this year and will repeat the post next year.

Between the hours-long res-staff meetings in the evenings and the morning work-outs, Rabourn’s days are packed. “Somehow I fi t school-work in there,” says the political-science and history double major. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Asked for advice on getting an exercise routine going, Rabourn doesn’t pause: “Find something you like, and you’ll stick with it.” She certainly does.

—JF

PERA employs six to nine students every year to teach classes at the sports center.

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ELECTRIC LADYLAND TURNS 70

WELLESLEY VOICES fi rst hit the radio waves

in April 1942 on WBS 730 AM. In the 70

years since, the College radio station, now

WZLY 91.5 FM, has broadcast everything

from reggae to classical. The fi rst all-women

college radio station

in the country, WZLY

is today staffed by 60

student disc jockeys.

GOOD FELLOWS

ECONOMICS MAJOR Beth Gilmartin ’12 was

awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship

for her project, “The Power of Education to

Change Lives: An Exploratory Odyssey.”

Gilmartin will travel to South Africa, India,

Bangladesh, Cambodia, and the United

Kingdom to study learning

communities that aim to

help students overcome

obstacles due to learning

and physical disabilities,

gender discrimination, or social caste.

In addition, four graduating seniors

and two alumnae have been named

Fulbright Scholars, and 10 alumnae

have won National Science Foundation

fellowships.

18

BY THE NUMBERS:THE RUHLMAN CONFERENCE

(AN EVENT CELEBRATING STUDENT ACADEMIC WORK)

310NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO PRESENTED

AT THE 2012 RUHLMAN CONFERENCE

128 NUMBER OF FACULTY INVOLVED AS ADVISORS

5,000 NUMBER OF PIECES OF SUSHI

CONSUMED AT RUHLMAN

110GALLONS OF COFFEE SERVED

REPORTS FROM AROUND CAMPUS

CollegeRoad

STAR PROF

AKILA WEERAPANA, associate professor

of economics, is featured in The Best

300 Professors, a college guidebook

published by the Princeton Review. The

winner of Wellesley’s

2002 Pinanski Prize

for Excellence in

Teaching, Weerapana

teaches classes in

macroeconomics and

international economics at all levels of

the curriculum.OVERHEARD

‘Hardest parts of my thesis so far:

writing the acknowledgments page and fi nding the copy center.’

—Tweet in April from a senior about to fi nish her thesis

BONS MOTS FOR THE SENIORS

TWO YEARS AGO, Associate Professor Ann Velenchik was diagnosed with

leukemia and hospitalized three weeks before commencement—missing

her gig as faculty speaker for Senior Lunch. Now healthy and back teach-

ing, she was pleased to receive an invitation from the class of ’12. A short

excerpt from her hilarious and poignant speech:

Good enough is good enough. You hear me? I know you think that

out there in the world are millions of fabulous women doing everything

perfectly. Not so much. Not so much. This morning, I told my son that

really, you could wear your lacrosse game shorts while they were still

wet, because they got into the washer, but not out of the washer. And

so we drove from Brookline to the Roxbury Latin School with my son

holding gym shorts out the window, because I told him the wind would

dry them. I told my students in Writing 125 this spring that there were

really only two kinds of papers in the world. You know what they are?

Done and not done. So you will serve yourself well if you learn to

identify those things into which you want to put the effort to excel, and

those things that are not important enough to you to do so. Because

anyone who tells you that she does everything to the best of her ability

all day every day is a big, fat liar.

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ECONOMICS

HONORING MARSHALL GOLDMAN

THROUGH A GENEROUS GIFT from Professor Emeritus Marshall Goldman and his

family, the College established the Marshall I. Goldman Endowed Professorship

Fund this year. Income from the fund supports a faculty member in the econom-

ics department, who will retain the professorship throughout her or his tenure at

Wellesley. At commencement, President Bottomly announced the appointment of

Kristin Butcher ’86 as the fi rst Goldman Professor.

“I have vivid memories from my student days of Professor Goldman’s towering

intellect and vibrant presence,” Butcher says. “As a faculty member at the College,

I’ve come to have an even better understanding of his many lasting contributions

to Wellesley, through his scholarship, teaching, and generosity. I know that the

economics department and many generations of students—past, present, and

future—are grateful for his dedication to Wellesley, and I could not be more thrilled

to hold the chair named in his honor.”

Goldman, who joined the Wellesley faculty in 1958, is the Kathryn Wasserman

Davis Professor of Economics, Emeritus. An internationally recognized authority on

Russian economics, politics, and environmental policy, he is known for his study and

analysis of the careers of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. He is the author of more

than a dozen books on the former Soviet Union, including The U.S.S.R. in Crisis: The

Failure of an Economic System, and Gorbachev’s Challenge: Economic Reform in the

Age of High Technology (1987), in which he envisioned the monumental problems that

would confront perestroika and that threw the country into economic and political turmoil.

A frequent visitor to the republics of the former Soviet Union, Goldman has met

with Gorbachev, Vladimir Putin, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and business

leaders, diplomats, and government offi cials in both countries. He has served as

a consultant to the US Department of State, has been tapped by numerous media

outlets as an expert, and has written for publications ranging from Foreign Affairs

to the New York Times.

PINANSKI PRIZES AWARDED

THE PINANSKI PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING, awarded annually at

commencement, went this year to Alexander Diesl (mathematics), Koichi

Hagimoto (Spanish), and Maggie Keane (psychology).

WALKING THE POVERTY LINE

IN MARCH, 63 STUDENTS spent a week living on $1.50 a day for food pur-

chases, an amount designated as extreme poverty by the Global Poverty

Project. “Live Below the Line,” an awareness and fund-raising campaign,

was brought to the campus by Zoe Moyer ’15 and

Elizabeth Haynes ’15. Arrangements were made with

campus dining halls to make 50-cent meals or portions

available to participants; one lunch, for example,

consisted of just four ounces of chicken, broccoli, and

rice casserole. “Although some foods fi ll you, it’s

obvious that in the long run they would not provide

enough stable nourishment to live healthily,” Haynes says. Moyer spent

Thursday counting down the hours until the end of the project on Friday,

which, she says, was when she realized how truly fortunate she is.

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19

FACULTY AND STAFF RETIREMENTS

Michèle RespautProfessor of French35 years

Ann Dryden WitteProfessor of Economics28 years

Eloise See McGawAssistant Vice President for Human Resources & Equal Opportunity14 years

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MARS IS A WORLD where things went horribly wrong. At least, many people would describe it that way, says Assistant Professor of Astronomy Wesley Andrés Watters. Things started out promising enough: There were large amounts of liquid water on its surface, and it had a global magnetic fi eld that protected its nascent atmosphere. But it lost its heat very quickly, and its volcanoes didn’t produce enough of an atmosphere. Mars was so small that it couldn’t hold on to its atmosphere, and as its magnetic fi eld disappeared, solar wind stripped it away. “Slowly over time, it lost its water to space and it got frozen into the ground, and it became the frozen desert that it is today,” says Watters. “Mars is marvelous and menacing all at once, and I fi nd it captivating partly for that reason.”

Watters, whose research includes the way im-pact craters are formed and the role of water on Mars, has been on the Mars Exploration Rover sci-entifi c team since a few months after the two robots bounced onto the surface of Mars in January 2004. “I’m very interested in some of the most violent events that happen in the solar system: impacts,” Watters says. This is when rocks or comets fall out of the sky moving at very high speeds—more than 10,000 miles per hour—and manage to pass all the way through the atmosphere and hit the surface of the planet. Watters has used stereo image pairs taken from above the surface of a planet to make 3D models of impact craters, but the Mars rovers allow him to explore craters from the ground.

“Being on the ground, you can learn about how all of those layers of sedimentary rock were distorted and warped by the impact event, which gives you invaluable information about the fl ow of debris that was associated with the impact or the excavation of the crater, and how the crater formed, and especially how this process was infl u-enced by defects in the rock,” Watters says. “And so the data has been a spectacular test of models that we have been developing of how this happens in these kinds of rocks.”

Watters also studies past water activity on

Mars. “Certainly there is tons of evidence that water was plentiful in the ancient past on Mars,” Watters says. “But we’re also fi nding some evi-dence that it had some role in shaping these ma-terials in the more recent past.” Mars is a “topsy turvy” world, explains Watters. The tilt of its axis can vary signifi cantly, which changes its climate dramatically and affects the condition of water on its surface. “So part of my research concerns discovering clues about these changes, and putting together a story of how this could have happened in the last 100 million years or so, which, geologi-cally speaking, is no time at all on Mars.”

Back on Earth, Watters is the newest member of the Department of Astronomy; he joined the fac-ulty in August 2011. So far, he has taught ASTR 100: Life in the Universe, which investigates the origin of life in the solar system and the prospects

ASTRONOMY

In Other Worlds

FocusonFaculty

for fi nding life elsewhere in the cosmos, and ASTR 223: Planetary Climates, which explores the evo-lution of the climate systems on the Earth, Mars, Venus, and Saturn’s moon Titan. These courses address some big—and sometimes diffi cult—ques-tions. “I think at some level, many people are in denial about the fact that we live in a universe that is extremely violent, extremely old, and extremely vast. And a lot of my students go through this pro-cess of learning about all those things, and thinking, oh my gosh, this is absolutely amazing, but again, on the other hand, a little unsettling,” Watters says. “It’s exciting to be able to teach people about a fi eld that can provoke those kinds of revelations that are life changing, potentially. People can put themselves and their whole civilization and culture into a much broader context.”

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‘Mars is marvelous and menacing all at once, and I fi nd it captivating partly for that reason.’

—Wes Watters



VINTAGE BOOKS

SHELVED IN A RENOVATED BARN in Hopkinton, Mass., is David Haines’

other life. Professor of chemistry by day, Haines spends his time away from

the College working with his wife, Nancy, collecting and selling antiquarian

and used books. They are proprietors of Vintage Books, the world’s largest

dealer of rare and out-of-print Quaker books. (They also sell general

literature.) Haines also has a personal collection of Quakeriana—20,000

books, pamphlets, and manuscripts.

How did you start your personal collection?

My family is Quaker, and all four of my grandparents trace Quaker ancestors

back to at least the 1700s. The fi rst Quaker meeting for worship in the

Americas is said to have been held in Salem, Mass., in the living room of my

great-great-??-grandmother. So, when I saw the collection of 19th-century

Quaker books [in a bookstore] when I was in graduate school, I had to

have them. The most important items in my collection are a collection of

broadsides on religious persecution in New England, which were printed

in England in 1660 in response to the hanging of Mary Dyer and other

Quakers on the Boston Common. As far as I can tell, several of these are

the only copies in the United States.

How did a chemist and a retired engineer get into the book business?

Nancy had never been in a used bookstore before. After we got married, we

took a honeymoon driving up Route 1 into Maine, stopping at every used and

rare bookstore along the way. It took us a week to get to Bar Harbor. . . . We

had talked about someday retiring to run a used bookstore, and two years

after we got married, she was ready for “retirement.”

What’s the size of your current inventory?

We have about 28,000 titles in our store, in all subjects, and the dates range

from near current, back to the mid 1500s. The earliest piece that we have ever

sold was printed by a printer who trained with Gutenberg.

Any advice for alumnae who collect used or rare books?

Collectors should always buy the best condition item that they can reason-

ably afford, since these are the items that are still most stable. There are

many things that are near one of a kind, and, in those cases, you collect

what you can fi nd. I always try to dis-

courage casual collectors from worry-

ing about whether their collection is

going to appreciate in value. That is unpredictable. The pleasure, value, and

even joy come from your interactions with whatever you choose to collect.

—AH

see in American culture.” Grandjean

has begun re-examining the origins of

well-known Colonial confl icts like the

Pequot War, which she argues grew

out of environmental stress and hunger,

rather than out of a struggle over land

and power. Her recent article on the war

won her the Alice Hamilton Prize from

the American Society for Environmental

History.

At Wellesley, Grandjean teaches

a seminar exploring this theme of

violence in early America, as well as a

new seminar on food in American his-

tory and courses on Colonial history,

Native American history, and America

during the age of the Revolution. She’ll

continue her research this summer

with the support of a fellowship from

the Massachusetts Historical Society

and anticipates expanding her work

on violence.

“I’m interested in terror,” she

says, and “how communication can

be a vehicle for terror. I am thinking that

I’ll go down the path of understanding

how that worked potentially on a more

imperial level . . . how letters and other

modes of communication are vectors of

terror in the English empire.”

—EJ

FOR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Kate

Grandjean, history is “a series of

puzzles and mysteries that really

require detective work to understand.”

Ideally, this detective work begins

when history presents itself organically

from documents and other evidence

from the past.

Such was the case for Grandjean,

an early American historian, who

began noticing a pattern in colonial

English letters—they were often sent

by Native American couriers, even

in cases when the letters contained

sensitive information about English

relations with the Native people. In

the 17th century, New England con-

sisted of small English settlements

separated by huge tracts of Native

American territory. The use of

Native American couriers, according

to Grandjean, “is a surrendering of

power in a sense, and

it really acknowledges

the Native authority

over the landscape in

this time period.”

Sending a letter

from Hartford to Boston,

for example, could

pose a real challenge

for English colonists,

and Grandjean began

wondering how the

English went about

establishing channels

of communication—a

necessary ingredient

for settlements to thrive.

It’s a topic she’s explor-

ing in her current book,

entitled Reckoning: The

Communications Frontier in Early

New England.

Out of this work has grown a

broader interest in why relations

between the English and Native

Americans so often turned violent, and

whether something in the Colonial

period “planted the seeds for the tremen-

dous pattern of violence that we now

HISTORY

COLONIAL POST

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OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

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REVIEWS OF BOOKS BY WELLESLEY AUTHORS

ShelfLife

myself at peace, able—and eager—to fl ex my mind, imagine new possibilities, to work things out without the startling interruptions of human voice or modern life.”

Swim tempts me to get back into the pool.Paula Butturini ’73

Butturini, a former competitive swimmer and foreign correspondent, is the author of the memoir Keeping the Feast.

LYNN SHERR ’63

Swim: Why We Love the WaterPublic Affairs, New York

224 pages, $25.99

BROADCAST JOURNALIST AND WRITER Lynn Sherr’s Swim begins in the warm cross-currents of the Hellespont shortly before her 70th birthday as she tries to cross the historic channel separating Europe and Asia; it ends in the pool where her 4-year-old grandson, vowing to swim like her, as-tounds his teacher by jumping in and executing a “brief but perfectly acceptable freestyle.”

Swim makes tracks across myth, history, sci-ence, sport, meditation, fashion, and language. It is an unabashed love letter to the act and art of swimming, in water of every kind (salt, fresh, or chlorinated) and size (from oceans to pools).

“Swimming,” Sherr writes, “is my salvation. Ask me in the middle of winter, or at the end of a grueling day, or after a long stretch at the com-puter, where I’d most like to be, and the answer is always the same: in the water, gliding weight-less, slicing a silent trail through whatever patch of blue I can fi nd.”

Swimming is also, she writes, “an obses-sion, benign but obstinate” that leads her and her readers through a lively grab bag of all things aquatic: from English Channel swimmers like New Yorker Gertrude Ederle, the fi rst woman to make the crossing, to Hollywood star swim-mers like Johnny Weissmuller and Esther Wil-liams; from famous historical fi gures who swam, like Julius Caesar, Ben Franklin, and Theodore Roosevelt, to athletes famous chiefl y for their sport, like seven-medal winner Mark Spitz,

or distance swimmer Diana Nyad, who swam around Manhattan in 1975 and in her 60s tried to cross from Florida to Cuba. Sherr also writes about swimming strokes, suits, and caps; about pools—Liberace’s was built in the shape of a grand piano—drownings, health benefi ts; about buoyancy, history, and myth.

The Hellespont, at the center of historical power plays through the ages, is her fulcrum; she dotes on the Hellespont’s ancient legend of Hero and Leander, that watery version of doomed young lovers. Hero, a virgin priestess of Aphrodite on the European side of the strait, and Leander, who lived across the water, were hopelessly in love. He swam the channel nightly to lie in her arms until a fi erce storm drowned him; Hero drowned too, throwing herself into the waters in her grief.

Charmed by classical Greece, the poet Lord Byron (who’d already swum the Thames, the Grand Canal, and Lake Geneva) decided in 1810 to see if Leander’s mythic crossings were humanly possible. On his second try, he succeeded, and the Hellespont soon became an established challenge for serious swimmers, a challenge that Sherr too decides to undertake.

Neither the fact that she hasn’t swum more than a half mile at a single go in decades, nor that she is in her late 60s, seemed to deter her. She trains, travels, “dusts off my college Greek to read up on the history.” She dons her cap and dives in with the rest of the crowd, wondering if she can make it across.

But swimming is also an “inward journey, a time of quiet contemplation, when, encased in an element at once hostile and familiar, I fi nd

Dive in

22

S imming is also

Coming of Age At WellesleyELIZABETH PERCER

(LIZA WACHMAN PERCER ’96)

An Uncommon EducationHarper, New York, NY

352 pages, $24.99

REVIEWING AN UNCOMMON EDUCATION for this magazine is a bit like asking a Red Sox fan to objectively call a World Series in Boston. In these pages, author Elizabeth Percer ’96 has the home-fi eld advantage. Fortunately, her debut novel has a quiet power that will appeal to many readers—and not only those who long for a time when the Hoop was in Schneider.

This is a novel that moves at a leisurely pace; the plot does not zip, but rather wafts, drifting through a young woman’s life. Naomi Feinstein, the main character, is raised to attend Wellesley. Her father, a photograph restorer and Jewish immigrant, instills a reverence for the College in his only child, leading her to refl ect—

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often sidle up to me

and whisper that

they have a fool-

proof way to murder

someone without

being detected. At

one of these things,

a blue-haired grand-

mother told me how

you could kill someone by using

a quilting needle that has been

dipped in water from the roots of

lily of the valley, which is poison-

ous. I loved that, so I used that in

my second book.

Does Wellesley make any

cameo appearances in your

novels?

Yes! When I wrote The Body in

the Ivy, I fi ctionalize Wellesley as

Pelham College. It’s an homage

to Agatha Christie’s And Then

There Were None, and so I have

all these alums who haven’t seen

one other since graduation on this

Bibl

iofi l

es

Caroline Alethia ’87 (a pseudonym; the author

requests to not have her name published)—Plant

Teacher, Viator, Charleston, S.C.

Lisa Alther (Elisabeth Reed Alther ’66)—Blood

Feud: The Hatfi elds & The McCoys: The Epic Story

of Murder & Vengence, Lyons Press, Guildford,

Conn.

Leslie Andrews ’82 with Adrienne Wax—Even

Par: How Golf Helps Women Gain the Upper Hand

in Business, 85 Broads, Greenwich, Conn.

Catherine Blakemore (Catherine Corry

Blakemore ’55)—Mixed Heritage: Your Source

for Books for Children and Teens About Persons

and Families of Mixed Racial, Ethnic, and/or

Religious Heritage, Adams-Pomeroy Press,

Albany, Wis.

Susan Cory ’75—Conundrum: An Architectural

Mystery, Cory Publishing, Cambridge, Mass.

Paula Fredriksen ’73—Sin: The Early History of an

Idea, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.

FreshInk

(Continued on page 89)

by u ising

avoid becoming a corpse herself.

Here, Agatha Award-winning

author Katherine Hall Page ’69

(below, left) talks about her 20th

novel in the Faith Fairchild series

and about what gets her creative

juices fl owing, both on the page

and in the kitchen.

Your heroine, Faith Fairchild, is a

caterer, and your novels are pep-

pered with recipes of your own

invention. Did you ever consider

a career in the culinary arts?

No. In fact, I came from a nonfood

background. My mother was

Norwegian-American, and we had

the food she’d grown up with: a lot

of fi sh, boiled potatoes, vegetables

that had been cooked to death.

When I got to Wellesley, I was in

culinary heaven.

What’s your favorite way to get

away with murder?

At parties or events, people will

Cooking Up MurderKATHERINE HALL PAGE ’69

The Body in the BoudoirHarperCollins, New York255 pages, $23.99

In The Body in the Boudoir, New

York City caterer and sometime-

sleuth Faith Fairchild fi nds herself

falling in love with the one man

she swore she’d never marry, a

clergyman. But before she can

walk down the aisle, this blushing

bride has to solve a murder—and

when she fi nally matriculates—that, “Before I had arrived on campus, I would see the name Wellesley and know, for a brief instant, that it was a place inextricably connected to my sense of who I could become.” As a child, Naomi is reserved, unable to fi t in at school and unsure of

how to wield her impres-sive memory. Her mother is chronically depressed and emotionally unavail-able, like a person “who had no script, whose life story was permanently sealed.” Naomi with-draws even more when her only friend moves away. She buries her sad-

ness under ambition, but when she starts col-lege, she expects her melancholy will disappear. Of course, it doesn’t—at least not at fi rst.

Percer is at her best once Naomi arrives at Wellesley, and the reader witnesses the charac-ter’s gradual transformation, both socially and intellectually. Naomi goes to college with the intention of becoming a surgeon, and her fi rst-year grades are superb. Her spirits, however, are low. (“Not only had my loneliness followed me

to Wellesley, it was threatening to grow there.”) After accidentally witnessing an intimate and dangerous event on Lake Waban during her sophomore year—and saving a student’s life—Naomi is accepted into the fold of the Shakespeare Society. She fi nds this group to be wild and fun. The outside “tightly-wound” college community disappears behind the doors of the Shakespeare House.

There are many moments in this novel that will trigger a pang of recognition in alumnae. In the instant when Naomi feels the “fi rst tug of friendship” with another student, it is “as if something sleeping and hungry inside of [her] had been gently kicked awake.” There are also mo-ments that may cause a good-natured eye roll, like Naomi’s observation that Wellesley women do not greet one another on the walkway, or have “the ability to have an easygoing engage-ment with the world.” Percer’s writing is lovely, although at times I wondered where the story was going. However, payoff comes at the satisfying ending, after Naomi realizes that she cannot save everyone she loves. She is content and at peace with her path. I hope we can all be so lucky.

Eliza Borné ’09 Borné is a writer and editor in Nashville, Tenn.

island, each thinking

that she was there for

some other reason.

It’s been an amazingly

popular book and one

that’s very dear to me.

I am an unabashedly

adoring alum.

What’s next for you—and for

Faith?

I’m just turning in the proofs for

my 21st book, which will come

out next spring. It’s called The

Body in the Piazza. It takes place

in Italy and literally picks up

where The Body in the Boudoir

left off.

After that I’m at a cross-

roads. What I’d like to do in the

immediate future is write some

stand-alone suspense, but there

will always be Faith.

Sarah Ligon ’03

Ligon is a writer and editor living

in Edmonton, Canada.

d bi i



In the Wake

Summer 12 features.indd 24 6/29/12 5:28 PM


The groundbreaking 1972 legislation brought a cultural shift in the United States, blasting gender discrimination in education. But at the time of its passage, even some of its staunchest proponents didn’t fully appreciate the impact Title IX would have on girls’ and women’s sports.

BY MELISSA LUDTKE ’73

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefi ts of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educationprogram or activity receiving Federal fi nancial assistance.”

TITLE IX IS COMPOSED OF 37 WORDS; not one of them is “sports” or “athletics.” Nor is mention made of women, though granting girls and women their rights too long denied—of equal access to educational programs and activities—was the reason why Congresswoman Edith Green, D-Ore., wrote this amendment, then strategically positioned it in a major education bill and pushed it ahead until President Richard M. Nixon’s signature made it law on June 23, 1972. Fortifi ed by the emergent lobbying power of women activists, Title IX was fi nally implemented in 1975 with

of Title IX

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the force of federal oversight. By the 1978–79 school year, any school that received federal funds was required to provide gender equality.

In the four decades since Title IX became law, those 37 words transformed our nation. “It was the law that changed the culture,” declares Bernice “Bunny” Sandler, a board mem-ber of Wellesley College’s Center for Research on Women (now known as the Wellesley Centers for Women) at its 1974 incep-tion. Recognized as Title IX’s “godmother” due to her pre-cedent setting 1970 class-action complaint that pushed against gender discrimination in higher education, Sandler credits Title IX with giving “women a mechanism to foster change.”

In increasing admissions of women to colleges and universi-ties, to medical, law, and business schools, in hiring more women faculty, in certifying and remedying societal patterns of “sexual discrimination,” Title IX has shown itself to be the little engine that could. Today it is still used as a key lever in removing bar-riers to access and opportunity for girls and women (and boys and men, too, when applicable). Though its academic successes are profound and signifi cant, arguably Title IX’s most identifi able impact—and unsurprisingly the one that drilled deepest into the core of America’s male preserve—is experienced today in rol-licking stadiums and along grassy sidelines of Saturday morning soccer matches. It is there that women and girls compete in the games that before Title IX knew only males as competitors.

“No one paid much attention to sports,” says Holly Knox ’68, whose Wellesley Washington internship in the summer of 1967 led to her fi rst job as a congressional liaison with the US Offi ce of Education. At her job, she was called upon to draft the Nixon administration’s congressional testimony on Title IX. She recalls that the White House directed her agency to oppose Green’s bill, describing it as “unnecessary at this time.” Knox wrote testi-mony to support this position, but she knew that Title IX was essential. After its passage, when Knox witnessed the ferocious pushback from college and university football coaches (who tried, and failed, to get Congress to “disapprove” Title IX), she left government and founded the nonprofi t Project on Equal Education Rights, created with the purpose of organizing and lobbying to guarantee Title IX’s full implementation.

Even then, and certainly as the bill was moving through Congress, neither Knox nor Title IX’s staunchest proponents appreciated all of its implications, most of all the transformational impact it would have on women’s and girls’ lives as a result of their participation and competition in sports. When Sandler, who worked for Congresswoman Green and shepherded Title IX every step of its way, addressed members of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators a few years ago, she admitted that even though “fi ve or six of us realized that Title IX would cover athletics as well . . . we never considered its effect. I thought that maybe on fi eld days, there would be more activities for girls.”

The bill’s authors were not alone. In a seven-page statement commenting on the proposed guidelines for enforcement of Title IX that Wellesley College President Barbara Newell submitted to the

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare on Oct. 8, 1974, she says nothing about sports. Lynn Martin Gaylord CE/DS ’74, who had researched Title IX issues for Newell after graduating,had asked the president in an August 1974 memo under the subhead Athletics, “Does Wellesley want to concern itself directly here?” Evidently Newell decided not to do so in what was a strongly worded rebuke of the guidelines, on the grounds that they did not go far enough. Newell noted that they “read as if both sexes had suffered past discrimination in equal measure. This is not so. It has not been men who have been excluded from participation in, denied the benefi ts of, or subjected to discrimination in society. It has been women.”

Basic BlueBACK AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE’S FEMALE PRESERVE, Title IX, with an assist from the favoring winds of the nascent women’s movement, propelled a signifi cant number of my ’73 classmates into law and business and medical schools. A few years earlier, a handful of rowers, I among them, wrote a tiny chapter in Wellesley’s athletic history by becoming its fi rst designated intercollegiate team.

We were a ragtag bunch who loved to row, so when the College’s fi rst racing shell arrived at the boathouse in the fall of 1971, four rowers and a coxswain eagerly jumped in. By spring, we were driving ourselves to a few races. We rowed wearing unmatched tops and shorts. Only by happenstance did any of us wear blue. When Lake Waban froze, we had no organized fi tness routine of off-water training.

Today, Wellesley students compete, often admirably, on 14 varsity athletic teams. Competitive rowers wear body-hugging blue, white, and black unisuits and white caps as they row in crew shells with Wellesley’s name on the side. Yet the road Wellesley College traveled in moving from my time to now has been neither straight nor smooth. Nor did the years preceding Title IX augur all that well that Wellesley’s transition to fi elding competitive sports teams would be seamless. Being a women’s college meant that Title IX exerted less external pressure to change its ways, while internally Wellesley discovered—as other institutions did—that shifting cultural attitudes about women and sports can take longer and be tougher to do than it was to pass the law mandating such change.

When Jessie Godfrey ’50 (B.A.), ’51 (M.S. in physical education) was a sophomore, she rowed enthusiastically on her dorm’s intramural crew team. That is until Ruth Elliott, then Wellesley’s director of physical education, summoned her to her offi ce. “Lots of people were afraid of her,” Godfrey recalls. “Everything she had was Wellesley blue—her car, her clothes, even her toilet paper.” In Godfrey’s time, schools would bring a sports team to Wellesley for “play days.” Students from the two schools didn’t oppose each other on the court or fi eld; instead they formed teams with each other. “After our games we went into the dance studio and had tea together,” Godfrey



explains. “The idea was that girls are nice to each other.” On that fateful day when she sat in Elliott’s offi ce, the athletic

director’s message was as clear as it was shattering. “She chastised me, telling me I would never be successful in the fi eld of physical education because I was too competitive,” Godfrey remembers.

“How did you react?” I ask. “I was terrifi ed. I never got too aggressive until I got older,”

she replies.Two decades later, Godfrey was among the women coaches

who in 1971 founded the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), credited with facilitating young women’s participation in sports in the years after Title IX. It was a time when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) displayed no interest in women’s sports. (Hint: Women’s sports didn’t make money.) Godfrey served as president of AIAW’s regional Eastern Association and later of New York state’s chapter. By 1982, sensing that some women’s sports might make money one day, the NCAA began to host women’s tournaments. Soon AIAW ceased to exist.

“What women have done since Title IX is colossal,” Godfrey said in a phone conversation this spring. “We went from nothing to everything through a very painful time.”

Barriers to CompetitionIN THE FALL OF 1968, Barbara Morry Fraumeni ’72 arrived at Wellesley as a national champion in crew. She’d called the College that spring to ask if she could bring her racing shell to campus. The answer was no. “I was reassured that I could row out of the MIT boathouse,” she says. But because freshmen could not have cars, getting to MIT with any regularity wasn’t feasible. Coming from Seattle, this is not something she realized until she got to Wellesley.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. “When I met with the MIT athletic director, he set some rules that inevitably ended my career as a competitive rower,” Fraumeni says. “Even though at the previous June’s nationals I had won the trifecta as a lightweight sculler (single, double, and quad titles), he would not allow me to row under a bridge, would permit me only to row in the mid-afternoon, and would not let me change the rigging on the shell from one for a 6-foot male to one for a 5-foot, 4-inch, lightweight female.”

She had wanted to be the fi rst female sculler to race in the prestigious Head of the Charles but backed out when she couldn’t

‘Even though at the previous June’s nationals I had won the trifecta as a lightweight sculler (single, double, and quad titles), [the MIT athletic director] would not allow me to row under a bridge, would permit me only to row in the mid-afternoon, and would not let me change the rigging on the shell from one for a 6-foot male to one for a 5-foot, 4-inch, lightweight female.’ —Barbara Morry Fraumeni ’72

(Continued on page 29)

A national champion rower, Barbara Morry Fraumeni ’72 was not initially permitted to bring her racing shell to College.

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28

The Era of Title IX: Living Its Opportunities

ON JUNE 2, 1973, SHIRLEY CHISHOLM,

the fi rst African-American woman to serve in Congress, exhorted us, as Wellesley graduates, to fi nd our places in the struggles of our time. In her commence-ment address, she reminded us: “Antifeminism and antiblackness are two of the most strident is-sues whose bulwarks have been tumbling within the last few years because of the overt activities of both blacks and women.” As the fi rst woman and the fi rst African-American to have sought the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination a year earlier, she let us know that “the myths which suggest that women are too fragile, too emotional to be ad-vanced in our society have been exploded.”

As an art-history major at Wellesley, graduating without any sense of where I was heading, I had a hard time envisioning how I could live out Chisholm’s vision. Then, one evening that sum-mer, I found myself at a dinner with Frank Gifford, who was an ABC Sports commentator. We talked about the Munich Summer Olympics, which he’d covered, and about sports in general, and when we’d fi nished, he gave me what seemed at the time a com-pliment: “For a girl, you know a lot about sports.”

His words convinced me that a sports career was in my fu-ture. I knew of no role models for this adventure, nor did I have rea-son to believe such a career was even feasible for a woman. But

that September, I joined millions of other TV viewers in watching Billie Jean King rout Bobby Riggs in the ballyhooed “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, and I knew then I had to try. Frank Gifford arranged for a visit to ABC Sports for me later that fall. There, I met Ellie Riger, the fi rst woman to work as a network sports pro-ducer, who with Billie Jean King was doing a “Women in

Sports” special, a testament to Title IX’s passage.

When I got home, I told my family I was moving to New York City to fi nd a job in sports media. Fortunately, my parents didn’t question my sanity. Three years later, I was working as a full-time reporter/researcher at Sports Illustrated and was assigned to

‘Senseless stereotypes, dismissing members on thebasis of sex and color to participate fully in the American system, are broken one by one.’

—Shirley Chisholm

cover the 1977 World Series. It was there that the Com-missioner of Major League Baseball Bowie Kuhn pro-hibited me from reporting in the teams’ clubhouses even though I was a fully creden-tialed reporter, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ players had voted to have me in the locker room to do my job.

In December 1977, a federal lawsuit—Ludtke v. Kuhn—was fi led by Time Inc., the owner of Sports Illustrated. In April 1978, after a vast amount of press coverage, my case (based on the 14th Amendment) was argued before Judge Constance Baker Motley, whom President Lyndon Johnson had appointed in 1966 as the fi rst African-American woman to serve on the federal bench. By the 1978 World Series, with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers again competing, Motley had issued her ruling granting women

sportswriters equal access. Baseball appealed, and when the ruling was upheld, equal access was secured.

At last, I’d found a way to honor Chisholm’s graduation exhortation. “Senseless stereo-types, dismissing members on the basis of sex and color to participate fully in the American system, are broken one by one,” she’d told us fi ve years earlier. Now, I’d had a chance to be one of those “one by ones” she’d urged us to be.

This spring, nearly 35 years after my lawsuit was fi led, my press passes from the 1977 and 1978 World Series became part of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Diamond Dreams exhibit, dedicated to women in baseball.

—M.L.

To read Motley’s ruling on Ludtke v. Kuhn, visit bit.ly/fyZZT4. IM

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A newspaper clipping from the scrapbook Ludtke kept during her court case




practice going under the course’s many bridges. “Finally in the spring the Wellesley boatman convinced Wellesley to let me bring my boat on campus,” Fraumeni continues. “In the early fall of 1969, I had the honor of going to Europe with apparently the fi rst US women’s national rowing team.” The team she rowed with received no fi nancial support and watched helplessly as a men’s team “stole one of our shells with impunity,” forcing her team to “borrow a stored shell from a museum.” Among other indigni-ties they faced was no bathroom facilities for their early-morning practice.

“After that, I retired from competition,” Fraumeni says. “Women were not supposed to row in those days.”

During the decade after Fraumeni and I left Wellesley, intercollegiate sports teams became commonplace. In Wellesley’s 1976 catalog, 11 varsity-level teams were listed (basketball, crew, fencing, fi eld hockey, lacrosse, sailing, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball, and water polo). This was the fi rst time any mention of competitive athletics was made in this way. Still, when Anne Zaneski ’82 arrived on campus in 1978 as a United States Tennis Association competitor and played on Wellesley’s varsity team, she felt a few of those growing pains that Jessie Godfrey knew well during this “very painful time.”

“I recall speaking with a trustee over afternoon tea in our dorm. I was still in my tennis clothes and asked why we couldn’t get a better sports facility or at least a bubble over the courts in winter like Harvard and Boston College had at the time,” Zaneski recalls. “I was told we were there to study, not exercise. But I knew I studied better after working out and learned valuable team-building skills that I use to this day in business. I told her this, along with the fact that to attract excellent students to play on our sports teams, Wellesley would have to upgrade their facilities.”

At least Zaneski was permitted to play for Wellesley’s team; neither Nadine Netter Levy ’66 nor her nationally ranked doubles partner, Marianne Lettstrom-Lindquist Raynaud ’66, were allowed to play on Wellesley’s team. “We were deemed to be too good,” Levy says. When as a senior she played in the na-tional intercollegiate tournament (the precursor to the NCAAs) in North Carolina, Levy was the only competitor not supported by her college. She lost in the fi nals. “I was told that the trophy would be sent directly to the College,” she says. “I’ve never seen it, and no one at Wellesley seems to know anything about it.”

During her junior year in 1980–81, Zaneski attended the University of California, Berkeley, where, she says, “the tennis facilities and competitive drive, the training facilities and acceptance of women players, were on parity to the men there

and on a much higher level than Wellesley.” In 1985, three years after Zaneski graduated, the Nannerl O. Keohane Sports Center—with indoor tennis facilities—opened.

‘Go Wellesley’“TITLE IX HAS MADE MY WORLD ARCHAIC in the lives of my daughters and son,” says Lisa Gennetian ’90. Her own “spotty athletic history”—revolving around a cheerleading career that began at age 9 and continued through high school —did not foretell that at 43 years of age she’d be coaching recreational and travel teams in girls’ and boys’ basketball, girls’ soccer, and boys’ lacrosse in Larchmont, N.Y.

“My kids ask, ‘Mama, what sports did you play?’ And I chuckle,” she says. “They think I’m a dinosaur. My children live in a world in which girls’ travel soccer teams scrimmage against the boys, and the girls win.”

Last March, Suzanne Dunham Fong ’74 went to New York City to cheer on her son, who attends Bowdoin College, as he ran in the 2012 Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. She ended up sharing her cheers with another runner. Here’s how she tells the story:

“Looking down on the track, I spot a lanky young woman in Wellesley blue and white with a ‘W’ on the front of her doublet. Can it be? My alma mater represented in an intercollegiate champion-ship? This is the fi rst time I’ve seen this happen. ‘Go Wellesley!!!’ I scream. ‘1974 Wellesley salutes you.’ She is alone with her coach, and they both glance up at this white-haired woman jumping up and down and waving in a most unladylike manner.”

The Wellesley runner was Camille Basurto ’13, who was

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Melissa Ludtke ’73, a former reporter for Sports Illustrated, is executiveeditor of the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. After she was barred from a team locker room during the 1977 World Series, her landmark lawsuit, Ludtke v. Kuhn, secured equal access for female reporters. For more, see the opposite page.

Once a varsity sport at Wellesley, water polo is now a club sport.



competing in the 5,000-meter event. A week later, Fong was in Grinnell, Iowa, at the NCAA Divison III Indoor Track Championships, where her son was on Bowdoin’s medley relay team. When she looked down, she saw the now more familiar blue “W” doublet, this time worn by Wellesley’s Randelle Boots ’13, who was running in preliminaries of the women’s mile. “Again, I bellowed every time she passed, elbowing my son into joining me with his foghorn bass,” Fong recalls. Boots ran in the fi nal and fi nished as an All-American.

“Seeing these two young women fi lled a hole I did not know was there,” Fong says. “They ran with guts, grace, and skill. In the ’70s, we said that women could do anything, but there were few opportunities for them as athletes. Now, women from my alma mater compete at the highest levels of their sport, and they are proving us right.”

This spring, Irene Walborsky ’83, in her role as supportive mom, attended a basketball tournament in which the girls’ high-school team from Bedford, Mass., competed. “The unexpected thing wasn’t that there was a girls’ team. That was the fi rst-order impact of Title IX,” she says. “The surprise was that in the quarter of the gym dedicated to Bedford High students, 80 percent of our fans were males, many of whom were decked out in school colors, including painted faces and stomachs that spelled Buccaneers, our mascot. The boys were extremely vocal and supportive of the team; four of them led the crowd in cheers.”

Walborsky sums up her feeling that day with these words: “Title IX enabled a girls’ basketball team, but in 2012 a culture exists that fully embraces them.”

More on Title IXWe offer a few resources—with connections to Wellesley—for learning more about Title IX’s history and its impact.

Playing With the Boys: Why Separate Is Not Equal in SportsBy Eileen McDonagh and Laura Pappano, Oxford University Press, 2007

Co-author Laura Pappano is a writer-in-residence at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). In this book, she offers evidence of why sex differences “are not suffi cient to warrant exclu-sion [of women] in most sports . . . and that sex segregation in sports does not simply refl ect sex differ-ences but actively constructs and reinforces stereotypes about sex differences.” At WCW, Pappano is

working on the Women’s Sports Leadership Project; this involves conducting research on the value of sports experience to workplace hiring. Read about sports-equity issues on her blog, FairGameNews.com. To listen to a presentation by Pappano and McDonagh at WCW, visit bit.ly/KwkjRk.

Title IX: 40 Years and CountingA Wellesley College Forum at Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall, February 2012

Pappano was among the fi ve speakers at an evening forum in which speakers and Wellesley students explored the effects Title IX has had on women’s participation in sports. A video of the event can be viewed at www.wellesleyblue.com/titleix/webcast.

Other speakers included Kristine Lilly, three-time Olympian in soccer (two gold medals, one silver); Amy Baltzell, an Olympic rower and sports psychologist; Carol Stiff, ESPN vice president and former college fi eld hockey and women’s basketball coach; and this article’s author, Melissa Ludtke ’73.

More Than Title IX: How Equity in Education Has Shaped the NationBy Katherine Hanson, Vivian Guilfoy, and Sarita Pillai, Rowman & Littlefi eld Publishers, 2011

This book tells the historical and personal stories of gender equity in education (including sports) through fi rst-person accounts. It records the frontline experiences of those who were responsible for Title IX’s passage, including

Bernice “Bunny” Sandler, who was among the original board members of Wellesley College’s Center for Research on Women.

Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women’s SportsBy Susan Wolfe Ware ’72, University of North Carolina Press, 2011

Part biography, part history, this book connects the stories of Billie Jean King and Title IX. Ware “argues that King’s challenge to sexism, the supportive climate of second-wave feminism, and the legislative clout of Title IX sparked a women’s sports revolution in the 1970s that fundamentally reshaped American society.” Her book was reviewed in the summer ’11 issue of Wellesley magazine.

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GAME ON WELLESLEY STUDENT ATHLETES

BY JENNIFER E. GARRETT ’98

PHOTOS BY JOHN RICH




In fact, many athletes say the busy schedule helps them man-age their time better—and keeps them from procrastinating. “When you’re in season, it’s mostly work and softball,” Lauren Goldfarb ’13 says. “Playing softball is almost like having a full-time job.”

Despite these time demands, student athletes at Wellesley perform at the same high rate as the rest of their peers, according to Bridget Belgiovine, director of athletics and chair of the Depart-ment of Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletics (PERA). “We collect data on academic performance in athletes against the general population, and the athlete population is indistinguishable in majors, experiences outside of the classroom—the totality of the educational experience,” Belgiovine says. In fact, the swimming and diving team earned team Academic All-America honors for the past two years; they also earned their 15th straight Seven Sisters title this year.

Winning is a goal that the athletes who don the Blue take

seriously. “We’re not afraid to say we want to win,” Belgiovine says. “From the student-athlete perspective, it’s about being the best, and that’s consistent with their wanting to be the best in the classroom.” Wellesley’s varsity and club teams often compete at the highest levels: The crew team placed third in the nation at the Division III NCAA Championships this spring. The Ultimate Frisbee team has gone to Division III Nationals for the past two years. Both swimming and diving and track and fi eld sent individuals to compete at the NCAA Division III national championships.

“The students that are coming here, having played varsity athletics [for much of their careers], are very competitive,” Belgiovine says. “The athletes have a sense of identity and pride around being varsity athletes.” That represents a kind of cultural shift since the advent of Title IX 40 years ago, Belgiovine adds. “Students coming to Wellesley today have never known life without some athletics participation from the time they were born.”

FOR WELLESLEY STUDENT ATHLETES, there are sleepless nights. There are stretches when they play six games in three days. There’s practice and weight training and game days and travel. There’s skipping parties to work on problem sets. Pecking away at a laptop while the trainer works on stiff muscles or sore knees. Using a book light to read on buses. Getting up at 6 A.M. to squeeze homework in before classes start.

And somehow, they make it work because to do otherwise would mean quitting a sport that they love. “It can be really challenging at times,” says varsity basketball player Ashleigh Sargent ’13. “But no matter what, I want to play basketball, and I want to do well at school, so I have to fi gure out how to make that work.”

Summer 12 features.indd 32 7/2/12 11:41 AM


Being able to provide the kind of athletics experience that today’s students expect is a challenge that the College must undertake, Belgiovine believes. “A place like Wellesley can and should have the best varsity athletics experience that we can provide,” she says. The College should also “provide the club and recreational activities to those other students who chose perhaps not to continue at that highest level. We’ve got to fi nd the way to do both.”

And the PERA department aims to do just that, despite limitations on indoor space and equipment. The Sports Center

has a multipurpose fi eld house, rather than a true gymnasium, so the basketball court comes down half of every year. The squash courts are not regulation, so the team has to compete at the Dana Hall School nearby. There’s no general fi tness center for students, and locker-room facilities are dated. “We do have some challenges,” Belgiovine says. “I’m really proud of the way our coaches have not let the physical challenge of facilities impact their recruitment and the performance of the athletes.”

Many of Wellesley’s student athletes are testaments to the successful recruiting efforts of the College’s coaching staff, in fact. “Softball is actually one of the main reasons that I’m at Wellesley,” Goldfarb says. And while not all student athletes are recruited for varsity athletics, they all share a passion and commitment to their sport and their team.

The following eight students give us a brief look at what it’s like to be an athlete and to wear the Blue for Wellesley.

Jennifer E. Garrett ’98 is a former associate editor of Wellesley magazine and a former sports editor for the Wellesley News. A diehard fan of the Blue, the Boston Red Sox, and the New England Patriots, as well as a season ticket-holder for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, she currently works as a writer and editor in the Seattle area.

‘Students coming to Wellesley today have never known life without some athletics participation from the time they were born.’

—BRIDGET BELGIOVINE, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

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BLAKE DESORMEAUX ’13

SPORT: Ultimate Frisbee

POSITION: Cutter

HOMETOWN: Huntington, N.Y.

MAJOR: Cognitive and linguistic science

PLAYING SINCE: 2009

GETTING STARTED: “I didn’t start playing until I got here, and I haven’t stopped since,” Desormeaux says.

PREVIOUS SPORTS: Dance, shot put, basketball, volleyball, bowling, tennis, horseback riding

WHY ULTIMATE: “The team was really welcoming, and they treated me as if I were part of the team even before I tried out,” Desormeaux says. “Ultimate was perfect for me. It had the perfect amount of hand-eye coordination and throwing and things that I like—lots of running, lots of strategy. Also I really wanted a team as well, a group of people that had a common goal.”

ULTIMATE ABROAD: Desormeaux spent this past fall semester in Johannes-burg, South Africa, taking classes and working on an internship at an LGBTQ nongovernmental organization. “Actu-ally, Ultimate Frisbee was one of the criteria I had when I was looking for study-abroad programs. I only looked at places or schools that were close to or had Ultimate Frisbee teams, and I emailed them before I applied to any programs and asked them if I would be able to join them,” Desormeaux says.

SPIRIT OF THE GAME: “The Ultimate com-munity is something that I have never come across before,” Desormeaux says. “We have this thing called ‘spirit of the game,’ and it’s the guiding principle of the community, of the sport. It’s the idea that every player respects the game and respects every single player on the fi eld. We don’t have referees.”




LAUREN GOLDFARB ’13

SPORT: Softball

POSITION: Pitcher, middle infi elder

HOMETOWN: Albuquerque, N.M.

MAJOR: Geoscience

PLAYING SINCE: Age 7

GETTING STARTED: “It’s basically in my blood,” Goldfarb says. “My mom and my aunt played, and my grandpa actu-ally coached both of them when they were younger. And my dad was a baseball player growing up. My grandpa has been my pitching coach since I was 8.”

PREVIOUS SPORTS: Volleyball and soccer

WHY SOFTBALL: “It’s a really dynamic sport. You’ll play a game and something will happen that you’ll never see again in the rest of your career. It’s just the way that the game is played, the level of strategy and intricacy involved. There’s something different every time, and it never gets old.”

AN AMERICAN RINGER: Goldfarb studied abroad at the University of Sydney and was one of two Americans playing for the university’s softball team. She pitched for the team in the University Games, a national competition for college teams, and they took home the gold medal. “We had all ranges of talent on the team,” Goldfarb says. “We were defi nitely underdogs in the tournament, so it was nice to come out with the win.”

CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Even after graduation, Goldfarb expects softball to play some part in her life. “I wouldn’t be sur-prised to fi nd myself still in it 10 years down the road,” she says. “I’ve played the game so long, and I just love it so much, that I can’t see myself staying away from it for long.”

‘When you’re in season, it’s mostly work and softball. Playing softball is almost like having a full-time job.’

—LAUREN GOLDFARB ’13




ASHLEIGH SARGENT ’13 AND MEGHAN SARGENT ’15

SPORT: Basketball

POSITION: Forward

HOMETOWN: Bedford, N.H.

MAJORS: Psychology; undecided

PLAYING SINCE: Ages 10 and 8

GETTING STARTED: “My sister really wanted to play, so I got convinced by her that we should play,” Ashleigh (left) says.

PREVIOUS SPORTS: Dance

WHY BASKETBALL: “I love basketball because it’s physical and mental. There’s a defi nite strategy behind it, trying to outsmart and outplay your opponent. I love running down the court and setting a really hard box out or setting a really good screen,” Ashleigh says. Meghan also loves the sport, although she says it’s hard to pinpoint why. “[Basketball has] always been something that I’ve loved to do. When I was having a really bad day, if I could just go shoot around in my yard for half an hour, it would make me feel so much better. I still feel that even now.”

SIBLING RIVALRY: The sisters played together for several years in high school, so playing together for the Blue isn’t a new experience. “At the end of the day, she’s my sister, but she’s also my teammate,” Ashleigh says. “During practice, I don’t treat her any different than any other teammate. We might hit each other a little harder,” she laughs. “We play the same position, so when you’re fi ghting for minutes, you’re competing with your sister. We push each other.”

HELP A SISTER OUT: “Having my sister go before me defi nitely helped me in the transition from high-school basketball to college basketball because I was more prepared physically,” Meghan says.




EMILY ERDMAN ’13

SPORT: Rugby

POSITION: Wing, outside center, or “wherever they need me most”

HOMETOWN: Madison, Wis.

MAJOR: Computer science and neuroscience

PLAYING SINCE: 2009

GETTING STARTED: “I hadn’t played any rugby before I got to Wellesley,” Erdman says. “I’d never played a sport that was quite so physical, so I thought, ‘Why not? It looks interesting.’”

PREVIOUS SPORTS: Gymnastics, diving, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer

WHY RUGBY: Erdman wanted to play a team sport but didn’t want the time commitment of varsity sports; rugby was “a nice mix of the two,” she says. “The physicality of it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the game.”

DOUBLE THREAT: Erdman is also a member of the water-polo team, another club sport at the College. “I hurt my knee so I’ve been giving it a break and playing water polo,” she says. “We’ve been improving a lot and that’s been really fun, but I still like rugby a lot more than I like water polo. Swimming is really hard.”

NATIONAL EXPOSURE: Her fi rst year playing rugby, Erdman tried out for and made the Northeast’s U-23 team (the equivalent of an all-star team) in the spring. The Northeast team ended up winning the national U-23 tournament that year; the following year, she made the team again, and they came in third. “It’s really different to play at that level, but it’s so much fun,” Erdman says. “Everyone’s very committed, and everyone tries very hard. It’s a faster-paced game.”




SIMONE FUKUDA ’14

SPORT: Soccer

POSITION: Right midfi elder

HOMETOWN: Chavannes De Bogis, Switzerland

MAJOR: Spanish


GETTING STARTED: “I got interested when I was around 6 or 7,” Fukuda says. “I’d always see [my next-door neighbor] kicking this soccer ball around. I thought it looked cool.”

WHY SOCCER: “I love that it’s a team sport, and I love that it’s a contact sport,” Fukuda says. “I like how fl uid it is—it’s a continuous game and anything can happen. It’s always had a magic for me, and I never get tired of it.”

WALK THIS WAY: Fukuda was a walk-on for the varsity soccer team as a fi rst-year. “I knew I wanted to play in college,” she says. “I thought about trying out for varsity, but I didn’t think I’d be good enough. One of the girls on the team was in my fi rst-year mentor group, and she kept pushing me to try out.” Fukuda has been playing for the Blue ever since.

TRANS-ATLANTIC ADJUSTMENTS: Fukuda played soccer in the US until her family moved to Switzerland when she was 13. She joined a local club team, one of the fi rst girls’ teams in the region, and they often played against boys. “In Switzerland, I encountered sexism that I never experienced here,” she says. “There was one game where we were beating this boys’ team, and the ref literally wouldn’t let the game end. It was obvious he wanted the boys to score again.”

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DIANA GRANGER ’14

SPORT: Tennis

POSITION: No. 4 singles, No. 2 doubles

HOMETOWN: Glencoe, Ill.

MAJOR: Computer science and Spanish


GETTING STARTED: “When I was younger, my parents got me into a lot of sports, just playing on community teams,” Granger says. “I played basketball, baseball, soc-cer, and tennis, and somehow that one just stuck.”

WHY TENNIS: “At the time, Venus and Serena Williams were just starting to become well-known in tennis, and for me, they were big role models,” Granger says. “For a while, you could not convince me otherwise—I knew I was going to be a pro-fessional tennis player when I grew up.”

DOUBLE RECRUIT: “I was recruited for basketball as well at Wellesley,” Granger says. “That was my second favorite sport in high school; I played all four years.” In fact, her high-school team won the regional championship, a fi rst for the school. “I really did think about playing basketball and tennis here, and it would have been a great experience to be on another team, but I didn’t think I would have the time.”

JUST PLAY: “I didn’t play tennis every day when I was growing up because we didn’t have the resources,” Granger says. “It’s a very expensive sport, and it’s great to play pretty much as much as I want [now]—sometimes more than I need to. I also love the team aspect [of playing at Wellesley]. Even though it’s an individual sport, you do have your teammates supporting you on the court.”

39summer 2012 | wellesley



ISABEL CUSTODIO ’13

SPORT: Volleyball

POSITION: Right-side hitter and setter

HOMETOWN: Columbus, Ohio

MAJOR: International relations and political science


GETTING STARTED: “My dad was a volleyball player, and he got my sister interested in playing. He became her coach, so I would go with him and her to practices,” Custodio says. “I became interested just watching them and seeing them have a lot of fun together, so I started playing myself.”

PREVIOUS SPORTS: A little soccer and basket-ball in grade school

WHY VOLLEYBALL: “I think it’s the truest team sport that there is,” Custodio says. “You really have to work together. If one person doesn’t do her job, then the whole team suffers.”

WHY ATHLETICS: “It’s all of it together: It’s the team, the friendships, the competition, the sport, the physical aspect, the people who work at the sports center. It’s getting to do something fun with your weekend. It’s the coaches. It’s representing Wellesley—it’s a bunch of different things, and all of it comes together in the end and makes me want to keep going.”

HIGHLIGHT REEL: “My freshman year, we won the NEWMAC tournament, and it was the most satisfying feeling,” Custodio says. “The things I’d been working on all season seemed to actually be better at the end, and it was satisfying to see [my] work pay off. We just played one of the best games that I remember us playing. And we got to hold the trophy in the end, and that was the best feeling.”

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WELLESLEY ATHLETICS BY THE NUMBERS, 2011–12

8 club sports sponsored by PERA

14 varsity sports

40 physical-education classes

33 students involved in dorm crew

243 varsity student athletes

266 students pursuing club sports credit

1,358 students who earned credit in PE classes

VARSITY SPORTS

Basketball Crew Cross Country Fencing Field Hockey Golf Lacrosse SoccerSoftballSquashSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyball

‘We’re not afraid to say we want to win. From the student-athlete perspective, it’s about being the best, and that’s consistent with their wanting to be the best in the classroom.’

—BRIDGET BELGIOVINE,

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS



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BY JEAN MCCORMICK ’81

THE SAME RECURRING ANXIETY DREAM has haunted Susan Wolfe Ware ’72 since her Wellesley days. She is about to graduate when “someone fi gures out that I haven’t fulfi lled my PE requirement!” While she did fulfi ll the requirement on time, sports had not yet touched her life or the lives of many of her classmates on their graduation day 40 years ago. Yet several weeks after the ’72 commencement, legislation was enacted that would forever change attitudes toward women and sports, even at single-sex schools like Wellesley. While Ware “cannot even remember sports as part of the Wellesley experience” and was unaware of the pending law at the time of her graduation, Title IX as

Going the Distance

Alumnae athletes over age 50 run marathons, race outrigger canoes, and nail double toe loops. They may do it

because they savor competition or seek a healthy lifestyle, but mostly, it’s all about the joy of sport.


ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN CRONIN



well as the various fi tness “crazes” over the next decades would transform her life and those of Wellesley women who came before and after her. In Ware’s case, she would write a biography about Billie Jean King and her Title IX advocacy and become a lifelong enthusiast for tennis and running. In the cases of other alumnae, it would be discovering the value of sports over a lifetime.

For this special issue of Wellesley magazine, we asked alumnae ages 50 and older to share stories of their current sports activities. Fifty is a natural physical cutoff as most women have entered menopause or are perimenopausal. It also is a natural cutoff for Wellesley alumnae as most in that cohort graduated before an increased interest in sports programs at the College and the opening of the Keohane Sports Center in 1985 (a 50-year-old alumna would have graduated in 1983 or 1984).

We received quite a number of rich and rewarding responses. From Liza Culick ’82, who celebrated her 50th birthday with a cycling trip through the Alps, to Harriett Gross Bates ’42, who plays golf 80 years after her fi rst lesson, Wellesley women of a certain age are well represented in a diverse mix of sports. Some have been involved in their sports since childhood, others came to them at a later date. Most recall the pre-Keohane facilities as “adequate” or “marginal” or “dated.” Most did not participate in sports at Wellesley, though nearly all mentioned the “PE requirements” that fi gure in Ware’s dream as introducing them to one or more sports—for example, fencing, squash, and sailing.

The Lifelong Elite Athletes

ellesley has long been associated with elite women in so many areas. Sports are no exception. In 1955, Elizabeth Turner Jordan ’59 faced a tough decision. As one of the top three backstroke swimmers in

the country, she had a strong chance of making the US swim team, which would compete at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. If she matriculated at Wellesley, which at the time had no competitive swim program, she would be sacrifi cing that dream.

While Jordan had been swimming on the local, state, and national levels since the age of 10, she was also a strong student and excited “about new academic and social horizons that Wellesley offered.” So she chose Wellesley. Other than the occasional inter-dorm meet, her swimming at Wellesley was limited to “swim club.” The club put on synchronized swimming shows with choreographed routines to Gilbert and Sullivan and other composers. It was fun but a far cry from the Olympics.

Jordan “retired” from swimming permanently after college. Or so she thought. While she was raising four children in San Diego, she heard about the emerging US Masters Swimming program. Twenty years out of Wellesley, she found herself in a Ph.D. program at UC, San Diego, and swimming competitively again. Over the years, she has competed around the United States and the world in masters events. She has set between 30 and 40 individual world records. In 2005, she was inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

For Jordan, swimming is a way of life. She cites the “sheer delights of feeling water fl owing over one’s body” and the “meditative

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nature of stroking through water.” Finally, she was able to see her two daughters (Amy Jordan Webb ’83 and Myla Jordan Houlihan ’85) choose Wellesley for college and also swim competitively.

Angela Smith ’75 has also been participating on the elite level in her sport of fi gure skating since child-hood. Prior to Wellesley, she trained with the famed skating coaches Carlo and Christa Fassi in Colorado and competed nationally. She skated through college and won the South Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships silver medal for senior ladies the year of her graduation. She coached fi gure skating through her fi rst two years of medical school, the proceeds of which she used toward tuition.

After she retired from competitive skating, she served as the team physician for US Figure Skating World and World Junior teams and as the president of the American College of Sports Medicine. As she notes, “Doing a sport at a high level adds credibility to someone caring for athletes.”

Smith began competing again as an adult to test a new, hinged boot that she had co-developed with scientists at the University of Delaware. She resumed her winning ways in the interpretive skating events at the adult nationals and the Parade of Champions (top 10 performers) on the masters level.

After she “performed teenaged-height double toe loops” on her 55th birthday, Smith stopped doing double jumps. Yet she believes that she is a better skater today. She adds, “The sensations of gliding and turning and jumping and spinning, the music fi lling the building, the fl ow of blades across the ice, the artistic interpreta-tion, cannot quite be paralleled in other types of activities. . . . It’s been different at every age and stage.”

Newer to the Sport

arbara Wesp Murry ’61 also skates at the national level. But unlike Smith, she did not start skating until the age of 62 when the University of Chicago built a rink outside her offi ce window. She began skating at

lunchtime, then started lessons and soon hired a coach. She found that she enjoyed all aspects of the sport: the competition, putting together a program, even making her own costumes. Eleven years later, she has participated in six US Figure Skating adult champion-ships and won four national gold medals. She notes, “Because I started skating so late, I haven’t worn out my body to the extent that a lot of my fellow competitors have!”

Still, skating has taken its toll. At 73 and after several surger-ies, Murry is now pondering her future in singles competition. If she can’t return to a satisfactory level, she plans on continuing as

Twenty years out of Wellesley, Elizabeth Turner Jordan ’59 found herself in a Ph.D. program and swimming competitively again. She has set between 30 and 40 individual world records. In 2005, she was inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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an ice dancer, “which is equally challenging in a different way and can be pursued into my 80s!”

Megan Ancker ’75, a world-class masters athlete in water polo, also came to her sport at a mature age. Ancker had been involved in a range of sports—ocean swimming, ballet, rock climb-ing, snow and water skiing—since her Malibu, Calif., childhood. She’d even been on the sailing team at Wellesley her senior year. But she didn’t start participating in water polo until the age of 52.

Ancker had become intrigued by the sport as two of her children played it. After she had watched a “million” or so games, a friend invited her to join a masters team. Ancker has since competed in four California Senior Games, fi ve Masters National champion-ships, and one World Masters Championship.

After years of watching her children play team sports, Ancker has enjoyed them cheering her. In addition, she embraces the team concept of the sport. “Water polo is all about teamwork—who to throw the ball to, where and when they want it, and recognizing as a team how to break the opposition’s defense,” she says.

The Instructors

ellesley women are professors, teachers, coaches, and mentors in any number of fi elds. However, Judith Tarutz Wolff ’74 may be Wellesley’s fi rst instructor in powerlifting.

“I barely met the phys ed requirement for graduation,” Wolff notes. (Again, those PE requirements crop up!) Her indifference to sports continued for decades as she became the “classic sedentary professional” as a technical editor in high tech.

However, Wolff had an “aha” moment in her 40s, when she realized that she needed to do some activity for health reasons. So she enrolled in Jump Start to Fitness, a community education course. Eventually, she earned her personal training certifi cation, which led to her teaching that same class, developing other classes, and doing personal training. She now designs and implements strength-training programs for her clients, mostly women over 40, with “dumbbells, resistance bands, stability balls, and other easily obtained or schlepped equipment.”

She also began competing in various strength sports to “put the records in the books.” The previous records were low due to a dearth of female athletes. She now holds several world, national, and state records in the bench press (ages 55–59) and ranks No. 7 in the world in her weight class for women of all ages in the RAW Federation. (RAW means without use of assisting clothing or equip-ment.) These records have given future athletes more aggressive targets.

Wolff cites two of her favorite aspects of strength sports. First, she fi nds that for women, “increasing strength is empowering: It enables us to be more independent, and [it’s] psychologically uplifting.” Second, in heavy lifting you often “train to failure,” or attempt a lift that you cannot complete. As she observes, “Your goal is to fail, and so failure is a good thing. What an attitude adjustment that is!”

Jill Kremer Schroder ’64 also took a course in her 40s to be a fi tness trainer. Unlike Wolff, Schroder had always been interested

in physical fi tness. She played tennis through her youth in Tulsa, Okla., city tournaments. As an adult, she played in tennis leagues, hiked, biked, and skied. At 46, she became a fi tness instructor.

Schroder has been teaching ever since. Now 70, she has instructed classes in spinning, aerobics, muscle toning, and yoga at the YWCA as a volunteer. She cycles to work in Vancouver’s West End. In addition, she and her husband competed in a sprint triathlon in March and won the gold medal. (They were the only participants in their age category.) She adds, “I always thought it was great for people to be part of a team—crew, lacrosse, or whatever—it just wasn’t for me. But I have always been committed to exercise as a vital and rewarding component of life and always did things on my own.”

The Scenic Route to Sports

everal alumnae shared stories of how sports allowed them to view the sights of the world through a different lens.

At the age of 47, Keene Harrill Rees ’61 moved to Hawaii in search of a “midlife change and adventure.”

The state of Hawaii delivered the change, and her new sport of outrigger canoe paddling brought the adventure. The transplanted New Yorker joined Lanikai Canoe Club and started in a six-person novice crew. As she notes, “Fortunately for me, the masters age division has progressed along with me. The oldest age was 45+ when I started and is now (25 years later) 65+.”

At the age of 72, Rees maintains a schedule with a four-month season in the summer, with races that range from a half-mile to the 41 miles between the islands of Molokai and Oahu. She has partici-pated in two world sprints (the Olympics of paddling), including one in Fiji.

She adds, “Paddling is a wonderful sport—good exercise, a chance to experi-ence the ocean in a variety of conditions, wonderful camaraderie, and gorgeous island views.”

Liza Culick ’82 also takes in beauti-ful views with cycling. She started the sport 15 years ago in her 30s. She varies her rides and tours each year, fi nding one “that will challenge me and take me to new places—geographically and within myself. I have discovered that this is a practice that offers unlimited learning, joy, and sense of accomplishment and has become an essential part of my life.”

She celebrated her 50th birthday by training for and riding the “Route des Grandes Alpes, a 420-mile-long course which involves 53,000 feet of climbing over 15 mountain peaks in the French Alps” that took her from Geneva to the Mediterranean. She and her “fellow cyclists also found deep meaning and joy in the challenge (and suffering) of ascending and descending peaks.”

Helene LaRossa Harris ’76, a recent convert to cycling, also embraces the sport’s scenic nature. She took up serious cycling

Megan Ancker ’75, a world-class masters athlete in water polo, became intrigued by the sport as two of her children played it. Since she joined a masters team, she has competed in four California Senior Games, fi ve Masters Nationals championships, and one World Masters Championship.

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(50 miles each weekend) in part because she thought that there would be no learning curve. She adds, “I knew how to ride. But then I discovered this hidden world. I got books of hidden bike paths all over Long Island—gorgeous bike paths within rock-throwing distance of major highways and parkways that were secluded, safe, wooded, pristine, and best of all, reserved for bike riders!”

Kei Uramatsu Zehr ’65 took up running 14 years ago at the age of 54. She had success early on and achieved several USA Track and Field rankings. Recently, she has embraced the more recreational side of her sport. She notes that she and her friends will “enter races because of beautiful locations (California wine country).” In addition, she has taken to trail runs in the moun-tains, which “provide peace and calm to our otherwise hectic lives, providing respite to our hearts and minds.”

The Competitive Edge?

ompetition is near and dear to the heart of many Wellesley women. And as would be expected in any set of interviews with a series of Wellesley women, some respondents embraced the competitive nature of

their athletics pursuits. Yet others viewed sport as an antidote to

C

Kitsy Curtis Rigler ’61 ran her fi rst marathon at the age of 39. She has since run a total of 10, including a 2009 podium fi nish in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. In 2010, she ran the Boston Marathon.

competition in other areas of their lives.

For much of her life, Barbara Shutt Beckwith ’59 avoided the competitive aspects of sports in part as a reac-tion to a very driven parent. Her father was captain of his college football, track, and wrestling teams and used to state, “I like to be No. 1. I need to win.”

Beckwith did the exact opposite. She won the good sportsman-ship award in high school but not the more competitive trophies; she fenced at Wellesley but skipped the tournaments; and she stayed in the middle of the pack in 10k races as an adult.

Then in her 50s, she found squash. As she notes, “The grace of the game drew me in: the way squash players circle each other and leap like gazelles toward the small black ball. Soon, I was doing the same. It felt like meditating at high speed. I became a student of the game, taking lessons and trying every drill.”

Her father’s daughter in the end, she constantly challenged herself. At the age of 60, she began coaching players. At the age of 70, she signed up for the national women’s squash tournament. She was the oldest of the 224 players and won two of her four matches. She notes, “I discovered that I thrive on a tournament’s biggest challenge: to quickly size up a player I’ve never met before, fi gure what strategies to use, and return her best shots with sly ones of my own. Competition is an opportunity to hone my mental agility and inspire younger players to do the same.”

Nancy Simon Purdon ’58 accepts with grace the changing nature of her game over time. She has been playing tennis for the better part of 65 years. In her youth, she played competitively for the Junior Wightman Cup, a female counterpart to the Davis Cup organization. Now 75, her team of 20 or so members plays two seasons each year with USTA (United States Tennis Association) and two seasons with ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association). As she notes, “It’s a lot of tennis.”

Over time, her team has “gone from an A-level rating to a low C-level of play, so we hardly lay claim to an impressive degree of skill or numerous trophies,” she says, “but we do fi nd the physical and psychological payback more than suffi cient.”

Returning to Alma Mater

ost respondents’ stories took place hundreds or thousands of miles away from Wellesley. How-ever, the sport of Kitsy Curtis Rigler ’61 took her back to Wellesley. After years of team tennis,

Rigler switched to road races in her 30s. One day, she was driving in Washington, D.C., when she saw the fi nal quarter of the Marine Corps Marathon runners. As she recalls, “I was



The Benefi ts of Sports

“LOOK AROUND THE COURTS, and what you see is a collection of fi t women, of mixed ages, with tight tummies and quick movements, bouncing around that court, having a grand time staying fi t and enjoying every minute doing it!” says 75-year-old tennis player Nancy Simon Purdon ’58.

So how do you design a fi tness regime to reap such physical, psychological, and social benefi ts if you’re over 50? Most experts recommend a program with three key components for women in this demographic:

• Aerobic activity (e.g., walking, tennis, jogging, swimming), which works the large muscle groups, for a minimum of three to four days each week, 20 to 30 minutes each day. Physical benefi ts of aerobic activity include better cardiovascular health (i.e., the heart’s ability to send blood/oxygen more effi ciently to the muscles), pulmonary function, and increased stamina.

• Stretching exercises (e.g., yoga or Pilates) several times each week. These exercises keep bodies limber and fl exible. Perhaps most important for older athletes, they can alleviate chronic joint pain. In addition, balance and coordination can improve, which can lead to fewer falls.

• Strength training: The Centers for Disease Control recommend that older adults strength train all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, arms) two or more days each week. (There should be a day of rest after a strength-training workout.) Postmenopausal women lose 1 to 2 percent of their bone mass annually. Thus, some experts say that if you can only do one physical activity, make it strength training. This workout increases bone density, improves metabolism (up to a 15 percent increase in metabolic rate), stems the loss of bone mass, and improves resting blood pressure.

A robust fi tness program, which incorporates these three com-ponents, can also help mitigate depression, sleeping challenges, and weight gain. In some cases, exercise can be as benefi cial as medica-tion for both depression and sleep issues. The 15 percent increase in an individual’s metabolic rate through weight training represents just one of the ways that the scale can be controlled.

Our Wellesley respondents raised many other rewards for physical activity after the age of 50. Three particular benefi ts were cited numerous times:

• Stress management: “Psychologically, regular physical activity can help individuals manage stress levels, whether by providing a high-intensity outlet for stress (i.e. through vigorous activity such as run-ning or team sports) or an environment for relaxation (such as with some forms of yoga, or spending time outdoors in scenic places),” notes Beth Sigman Somerset ’02, who holds an M.S. in exercise and sports studies. A more colorful view comes from Angela Smith ’75, a fi gure skater, who says, “It’s impossible to think very much about outside problems when you’re trying to do a diffi cult maneuver on skinny blades!”

• A sense of accomplishment and achievement: Not surprisingly in a group of Wellesley alumnae, the relationship between competition and accomplishment rated high. Liza Culick ’82, a cyclist, observes, “For me the competitive piece is about setting personal goals and achieving them—pushing myself in ways that will really challenge me. I enjoy this a lot, so it becomes part of the recreational aspect.”

Elizabeth Turner Jordan ’59, a lifelong elite swimmer, adds “that my natural competitive spark ignites when I am swimming along in a pool workout next to someone who is perhaps slowing down. Can I pass him? Can I fi nish ahead of her? How can I swim faster while expending less energy? . . . All this is healthy for both mind and body.”

• Social nature of sports: “You meet the most interesting people. I guess every group has its bad apples, but not many in this group!” comments elite crew athlete Sally Brumley Keller ’73, who races every year at the Head of the Charles regatta. Her attitude resonated throughout our interviews, from the camaraderie of teams in tennis and water sports to the group dynamic of “running or cycling clubs” for more solitary activities. The intergenerational, geographic, and even political diversity of friendships were cited again and again as benefi ts. Nancy Simon Purdon ’58 also adds in this election year, “Many tennis buddies are politically of the Republican persuasion.

Being a Democrat, I don’t seem to gravitate easily to such a gathering otherwise, and I like having to deal with the differences

of opinion socially.” —J.M.

astonished at what I saw: These runners did not look and move like Joan Benoit. They looked like me!”

She ran her fi rst marathon at the age of 39. She has since run a total of 10, including a 2009 podium fi nish in the Marine Corps event. In 2010, she ran the Boston Marathon. She adds, “The Wellesley ‘scream tunnel’ is every bit as inspiring as I had heard, and it was particularly so for me because [husband] Doug and our daughter, Brooke [Rigler Adams ’89], were there with their encouragement.”

Just Do It

ll of the women who responded in one way or another encouraged fellow alumnae of all ages to “just do it.” Beth Sigman Somerset ’02, who has an M.S. in exercise and sports studies from Smith College,

suggests for those who want to “just do it” now, “Do something you enjoy, start slowly, and let your body guide you. Keep an open mind. Go at your own pace. Set realistic goals. . . . And stick with whatever activity or sport(s) keep you going back for more on a regular basis: If you love it, it will be fun and motiva-tion will come easily!”

Jean McCormick ’81 was the fi rst female producer for ESPN, the winner of seven sports Emmy Awards, and the author of Talk Sports

Like a Pro: 99 Secrets to Becoming a Sports Goddess. She is now managing director at Corporate Executive Board, which offers research and advisory services to executives, in Washington, D.C.

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NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM

THE WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF

THE WELLESLEY COLLEGE

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

YOUR ALUMNAE

ASSOCIATION

Karen Williamson ’69 Assumes WCAA PresidencyLAST FEBRUARY, KAREN WILLIAMSON, then president-elect of the WCAA, paused at the entrance of a very crowded Alumnae Hall ballroom. The Alumnae Achievement Awards had just concluded up-stairs, and hordes of students had fl owed down the marble stairs to meet the recipients.

Williamson spied a group of African-American students clustered around a table and, within sec-onds, she was introducing herself, talking and laughing with them. Instant engagement. And, whether the students knew it or not, instant mentor. Williamson—one of the founders of Wellesley’s black student group, Ethos, in 1968—has always taken a special interest in the welfare of the students of color who have followed in her footsteps to Wellesley.

Leaving the students, Williamson circulated through the crowd, doling out hugs to visiting alum-nae, greeting senior administrators, talking to many more students with her characteristic warmth. Williamson does this naturally—clearly enjoying the contacts and all things Wellesley—but she was also preparing to take the reins of the Alumnae Association, which has a mission to connect alumnae to each other and to the College.

Some months later, on the eve of becoming WCAA president, Williamson looks back on her stu-dent years and says, “If you had told me then that I might be coming back in this kind of a leadership role, I never would have believed it. . . . All these years later . . . I’m coming back as the establishment.”

Despite long involvement with the WCAA as an Alumnae Association board member, class president, club president, and founding member of the shared-interest group, Wellesley Alumnae of African Descent (WAAD), Williamson has reason to express a degree of wonderment.

When she and fi ve other African-American students arrived at the College in 1965, they found that Wellesley had an unspoken policy of housing them in rooms separate from white students. Thus began a battle to confront institutionalized racism, led by the recently formed Ethos. As its president, Williamson worked closely with other students on the effort—which included writing editorials, circulating petitions, and eventually threatening a hunger strike if demands for additional students, faculty, and staff of color and a revision of College policies concerning diversity went unheeded. In the end, after a tense standoff with the press watching, President Ruth Adams issued sweeping reforms, and Ethos went to work to recruit African-American students from around the country.

Williamson says she never expected to be thrust into such a leadership role. “Coming to Wellesleyin 1965, I knew I was coming to a bigger world, and I just wanted to fi t into it,” she says. “I didn’t go there thinking that we would be changing things, didn’t know that we would become

WCAA

PRESIDENTIAL PROFILE: Karen Williamson ’69Washington, D.C.

• Principal of KEW Consulting, a market-ing and business-development consulting practice with a focus on health care

• M.B.A. in marketing, University of Chicago, 1971; founding member of the National Black M.B.A. Association

• Former WCAA board member, 2005–09; chair, founding committee, Wellesley Alumnae of African Descent (WAAD), 2009–10; class president, 1994–99; class special-gift committee member, 2003–04; president, Washington Wellesley Club, 2000–02

• Member of the Potomac Chapter of the Links, Inc.; vice chair, board of YWCA, National Capital Area; member of Leadership Greater Washington

‘We need to make sure that we are preparing for [the] future, making the investments that we need to make, mindful of changes in how people communicate, how people function, who the alumnae body will be, demographically.’

—Karen Williamson ’69

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activists. . . . I just think of those four years of having to step out of a comfort zone and tackle a problem. . . . The four years at Wellesley were transformative.”

A decade out of college, now with an M.B.A. and a young daughter, Williamson reconnected with Wellesley, initially as an admissions interviewer. One driving force, she says, was wanting to ensure that other young women had the opportunity to attend—particularly “minorities and other women who may not automatically know about Wellesley.” But she has stayed connected because of the power of the Wellesley network. “I can look back on so many points in my career where a Wellesley woman introduced me to someone or played a helpful role. Obviously, I want to do the same thing for other women now,” she says. “Being connected to women who have this shared bond, who 99 percent of the time are people you like—it is something that I want to contribute to in any way that I can.”

As she looks ahead to her presidency, Williamson sees a number of priorities:

• Envisioning a strong future for the Alumnae Association: “I’m struck by hearing the president of the College talk about 2025 and what Wellesley will need to look like and do. The WCAA really has the same responsibility. We need to make sure that we are preparing for that future, making the investments that we need to make, mindful of changes in how people communicate, how people function, who the alumnae body will be, demo-graphically,” she says.

• Keeping clubs, classes, and shared-interest groups strong, and engaging as diverse a group of alumnae as possible.

• Staying on top of changes in technology as a tool for making connections.

• Ensuring that existing programs continue to be as meaningful and cost-effective as possible and adding new programs to provide lifelong learning opportunities.

“I’m clearly excited about the opportunity to serve, and somewhat humbled. It’s a big job,” she says, adding that she has set up her consulting prac-tice to allow her to devote ample time to Wellesley work. “I am committed to doing a good job and ask alums around the world to join in the effort to get involved to make this organization as good as it can be for all of us.”

—Alice Hummer

Dear Wellesley College Alumnae:

I am deeply moved to be writing to you as president of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. My four years as a Wellesley student, “way back then,” were extremely important and formative years in my life but pale in comparison to the decades I’ve enjoyed as a Wellesley alum. I’ve greatly benefi ted from personal and professional relationships with my classmates, members of the Washington Wellesley Club, and members of the shared-interest group, Wellesley Alumnae of African Descent. As president of the WCAA over the next three years, I hope to meet and be in contact with even more of Wellesley’s 36,000 alumnae.

We share a common bond, yet we are an extremely diverse group in age, interests, politics, ethnicity, heritage, sexual orientation, profes-sion, and the regions of the world where we live. Our priority must be to continue to nurture strong clubs, active classes, and viable shared- interest groups. We also must increase the use of technology, social media, and online services to improve communications among ourselves and to increase our access to College resources. In addition, I want to engage my fellow WCAA board members in more conversations about what we need to do now to better serve alumnae of the future.

Our Alumnae Association and magazine are sound. We are fortunate to have dedicated professional staffs who work hard to provide us with outstanding programs and an award-winning publication. I look forward to working with them as we continuously enhance our core activities and seek new opportunities to connect alums to the College, each other, and current and prospective students.

I encourage you to become more involved in our Alumnae Association. I welcome your ideas and hope to hear from you.

With warmest regards,

Karen E. Williamson ’69, president

FROM THE WCAA PRESIDENT

This magazine is published quarterly by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association, an autonomous corporate body, independent of the College. The Association is dedicated to connecting alumnae to the College and to each other.

WCAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

PresidentKaren Williamson ’69

Treasurer/SecretaryMartha Goldberg Aronson ’89

Katherine Collins ’90Yolette Garcia ’77Aniella Gonzalez ’93Elisabeth Griffi th ’69Georgia Murphy Johnson ’75Virginia Horne Kent ’76Suzanne Lebold ’85Elizabeth Preis ’91, chair of the Wellesley FundYang Qiu ’08Patience Singleton Roach ’92, chair of Alumnae Admissions RepresentativesJamie Scarborough ’87Shelley Sweet ’67Mei-Mei Tuan ’88

Ex offi ciis: Susan Challenger ’76Alice M. Hummer

Alumnae Trustees: Nami Park ’85Ruth Chang ’81Sandra Polk Guthman ’65Shelly Anand ’08Kristine Holland de Juniac ’72

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION SENIOR STAFF:

Executive DirectorSusan Challenger ’76

Director of Alumnae EventsHeather MacLean

Director of Alumnae GroupsSusan Lohin

Alumnae Offi ce Financial AdministratorGreg Jong

Wellesley magazine is available online at new.wellesley.edu/alumnae/wellesleymagazine/online.



YOLETTE GARCIA ’77

Dallas

Director, 2012–14

CAREER AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:

• Assistant dean for external affairs and outreach at Southern Methodist University’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development since 2008

• Veteran public-broadcasting journalist and manager for KERA tele-vision and radio, the North Texas public-broadcasting station, 1983–2008

• Co-recipient of 1994 Emmy Award for the documentary, After Goodbye: An AIDS Story, and the 2002 Buck Marryat Award for career excellence in journalism from the Press Club of Dallas

• Master’s degree in art history from S.M.U., 1983• Class of ’77 president, 1977–82; alumnae admissions representative,

1994–98; panelist representing the media professions for the College’s 125th anniversary and ALANA conferences, 2000 and 2005

• Board member for KERA and Catholic Charities Dallas; devoted mentor of young journalists

INTERESTING FACT: She plays the bongo drums—on a set of drums she had with her at Wellesley.

WHY SHE VOLUNTEERS FOR WELLESLEY:

“For me, Wellesley has been life affi rming. Not only did the College give me a solid intellectual foundation, but also gave me the deepest friend-ships I could ever have. All of this inspires me to give back to Wellesley with action and loyalty. I look forward to serving on the alumnae board and helping make our Association move forward in strong ways.”

ELISABETH GRIFFITH ’69

Chevy Chase, Md.

Director, 2012–15


• Headmistress, the Madeira School, an independent girls boarding and day school, grades 9–12, McLean, Va., 1988–2010

• Consultant, Florentine Films, Ken Burns’ PBS Biography Series, Not For Ourselves Alone: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, 1997–99; adjunct lecturer in history, American University, 1982–87

• Author, In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, voted one of the “15 best books of 1984” and “best books of the century” by The New York Times Book Review

• Ph.D., history, American University, 1981; M.A., history, Johns Hopkins, 1973

• Former board member, Washington Wellesley Club

NEW WCAA BOARD MEMBERSTh e following alumnae were elected to the WCAA Board of Directors at the Association’s annual meeting on June 3.

• Board member, Women’s Campaign Fund (bipartisan PAC that funds pro-choice women for political offi ce), Project Match (fund-ing education for African-American children at Washington, D.C., independent schools), EVA (Endo Vascular Associates, only woman on this corporate board)

INTERESTING FACT: She is writing a book on the history of the Equal Rights Amendment, 1923–83.


“Everything I am today, everything I have accomplished in a life de-voted to expanding opportunities in politics and education for women and girls, is rooted in Wellesley. I credit it as the source of my serious scholarship, leadership role models, friendships, feminism, and com-mitment to diverse communities.”

VIRGINIA HORNE KENT ’76

Cincinnati

Director, 2012–14


• Currently an independent management consultant and a member of the board of directors of Build-A-Bear Workshop since 2010. Board member of Timberline Co, 1999–2012

• President and CEO of Refl ect.com, an online customized beauty products business, 1999–2002

• Twenty years in the toy industry: president, US Toy Group, Hasbro, and president, global brands and product development, Hasbro. Also held management positions at Tonka and Kenner

• M.B.A., University of Michigan, 1978 • Member of Wellesley’s Business Leadership Council since 1997

(co-chair, 2009–11, vice chair, 2008–09); president, Cincinnati Wellesley Club, 2004–07, 1984–85); class special-gift committee, 1999–2001; class planned-giving chair, 1998; class rep, 1989–96

• Board member of Tennis for Charity (runs the Master Series Tour-nament in Cincinnati, one of the top eight tournaments in the world and the warm-up for the US Open)

INTERESTING FACT: While at Wellesley, she played No. 1 on the tennis team for most of her four years, and she still plays competitively at the highest interclub level in Cincinnati.

THOUGHTS ABOUT JOINING THE BOARD:

“I feel that Wellesley made a huge difference as to the person I am today, and I enjoy helping out in any way I can. I am extremely excited about joining such an esteemed group of women!”



YOUR ALUMNAE

ASSOCIATION

ELIZABETH PREIS ’91

New York

Director and chair of the Wellesley Fund, 2012–14


• Vice president of customer strategy, North America, for Estée Lauder Companies, 2010–present

• Vice president of direct marketing at J.Crew, 2006–09• Vice president of relationship marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue, 1999–2005• Senior consultant at Deloitte, 1997–99• M.B.A., INSEAD, 1995• Annual-giving representative at Wellesley, 2010–11; class special-gifts

chair, 2009–11

INTERESTING FACT:

“I entered Wellesley College thinking I would become a music major, having studied classical piano since I was 9. However, as is the case with most students, my interests broadened while at Wellesley, and I achieved my B.A. in both economics and French. I still enjoy listening to classical music, though, and even play when I can.”


“Wellesley taught us how to be leaders, in whatever path and course we choose. I believe strongly that as leaders we have an obligation to set an example by giving back to communities we believe in, leaving them richer than the way we found them. Wellesley gave me a richness in education, last-ing friendships, and a worldwide community of alumnae that I proudly call my own. In return, I give Wellesley my time and efforts, in addition to giving to the Wellesley Fund each year. It is my way of keeping the Wellesley com-munity strong and its spirit alive for many generations of women to follow.”

JAMIE SCARBOROUGH ’87

Newton, Mass.

Director, 2012–14


• Currently at home, raising four children, but in “active ‘relaunch’

career mode”

• Marketing consultant, 1999–2003; vice president, management

supervisor, Arnold Worldwide, 1998–99; director, Fidelity Invest-

ments, 1994–98

• M.B.A., Duke University, 1993

• President, Wellesley College Alumnae of Boston, 2009–11; vice

president, admissions, WCAB, 2007–09

• Active community volunteer in Newton, Mass., and Falmouth,

Mass., leading various committees, and active in her children’s

schools

INTERESTING FACT:

She has just learned how to play squash and says she is “loving it—great for stress relief, cheaper than therapy!” She’s also training for her third Falmouth Sprint Triathlon. “I’m in the masters group and proud of it!”


“No matter what life path you’ve chosen, serving Wellesley as an alumna makes one realize that one’s skills and talents are valued and needed. Plus it’s just great fun working with smart, talented women of all ages. Wellesley does educate women for a lifetime!”

GIVEN ANNUALLY AT REUNION by the WCAA, the Syrena

Stackpole Award honors an alumna’s dedicated service and

exceptional commitment to Wellesley. Th e 2012 recipient is

Toni Murphey Harkness ’57.

As a student, she served as president of Navy House Council,

president of her sophomore class, and a Vil junior. Following her

marriage to Ken Harkness, a Navy pilot, there were many moves

around the world. She once wrote, “Each time I moved, my fi rst

call was to the Alumnae Offi ce asking whom I could connect

with here.” Over the past 30 years, Harkness held various

positions (president, admissions representative, Seven Sisters

representative, decade chairman) in clubs across the US from

California to New Jersey. She has also served her class as vice

president, Annual Giving phonathon caller, special-gifts chair,

nominating chair, and reunion chair. In 2005, she hosted a 70th

birthday party for classmates. As a member of the Alumnae

Association board, Harkness chaired Alumnae Leadership

Council weekend from 1998 to 2001.

2012 SYRENA STACKPOLE AWARD

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FACULTY-STAFF SERVICE AWARDTHE 2012 FACULTY-STAFF SERVICE AWARD

was presented by the WCAA to Michèle

Respaut, professor of French. WCAA Execu-

tive Director Susan Challenger ’76 called

Respaut “a loyal and dedicated partner for

the Alumnae Association for many years. . . .

Michèle’s reputation as compelling, engaging,

and caring has made her a prized and popular

speaker.” In the last 25 years, Respaut has vis-

ited clubs from Maine to California—and beyond, most notably Paris

alumnae. One club wrote, “Professor Respaut’s talk brought back

wonderful memories about Wellesley and its truly great professors,

who helped create in us a lifelong curiosity and need to constantly

challenge ourselves. She is a grand ambassador for Wellesley.”

Respaut also served as director of the 1994 Summer

Symposium for alumnae, which was titled, “The Healing Arts:

Medicine from a Multidisciplinary Perspective”—a successful

and popular program.

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YOUR ALUMNAE

ASSOCIATION

52

REUNION ALBUM 20121932 1937 1942 1947 1952 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD HOWARD



To see a slideshow of reunion photos, visit youtube.com/wellesleymag.



To learn more about the activities of the WCAA, visit web.wellesley.edu/web/Alumnae.

YOUR ALUMNAE

ASSOCIATION

REUNION 2012

CUSTODIAL CARE“EMILY! Emmmm-i-llllyyyy!” It was the middle of the alumnae parade, and someone was yelling my name. A woman’s voice in a sea of women, and I couldn’t see her face. Instead, I was blindly embraced in a maternal hug 20 years in the making. A hug not from my mother, but from Maureen.

You might remember her. She’s one of the College custodians. She’s a Boston-area native, I think. Let me put it this way: To someone raised in the Pacifi c Northwest, she has the unmistakable accent of New England, which means she really could be from anywhere between Philly and Maine.

During our years in Pomeroy, Maureen looked after us as if we were her own. “My girls,” she called us. And on Sunday morning of reunion, we were her girls once more. We remained rooted in place, arms and faces and voices all overlapping, all embracing, as the parade found its way around us.

It was clear in our conversation that she remembered every detail: our studies, our loves, our lives. She got to meet daughters and was rein-troduced to fi ancés who had since become husbands. Then she turned to me and carefully asked, “And did you marry the boy you were dating in college?” “No, Maureen.” Her voice burst out as if she had been holding her breath for decades. “Oh, thank God! Thank God! I have been praying all these 20 years.” Then she crossed herself. Twice.

We asked about her other girls, the women who had come after us. Oh, they were fi ne, they were good. Then she paused. “But there was one. There was one girl I broke. I broke her.” (I must admit, this admission made me a little nervous. What exactly did she mean?) Maureen told us of how she had said good morning (“Hi, doll!” “Hi, sweetheart!”) every day to this young woman. Every day. And every day the girl was silent. Finally, Maureen stopped her in the hall. “Don’t you like me? Every day I’ve said good morning to you, and you’ve never said anything back.”

“I like you. I’m just shy,” she said.Those were the only words Maureen needed. She took the girl in

and brought the girl out. She introduced her to new friends and watched her transform. Laughing, talking, being with others. And of course, saying good morning.

On the day of this young woman’s graduation, her mother searched for Maureen. “You changed my daughter’s life,” she said.

We often hear that it takes a village to raise a child. And we are often told to believe in the power of one. In the village of Wellesley, Maureen is that one. While she has no children of her own, we are all her daughters. Custodial care is motherly love.

—Emily McMason ’92

ALUMNAE CALENDARTHE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION announces the following events for 2012–13.

Unless otherwise noted, events take place at the College. For more

information, call the Alumnae Offi ce at 781-283-2331.

2012 SEPTEMBER

2 Class of ’68 mini-reunion in Southport Island, Maine: drop in at the home

of Marion Thomas Flores ’68 on Southport Island between 1 and 5 P.M. Families

are welcome. Questions: [email protected].

4 Stepsinging

8–9 Day to Make a Difference, Wellesley’s worldwide community-service event

OCTOBER

16–19 Class of ’59 75th birthday celebration and mini-reunion in Chicago.

For more information, contact Muriel Rosenblum Fleischmann at

fl [email protected] or 860-236-1560.

18–19 WCAA board of directors meeting

20–21 Alumnae Leadership Council

21–24 Class of ’55 mini-reunion in Charleston, S.C. For more information,

contact Elinor Greer Constable at [email protected] or 202-244-5905.

2013FEBRUARY

28 Alumnae Achievement Awards

28–March 1 WCAA board of directors meeting

54

Custodian Maureen Mota (center) with Stacy Sutton Hutcheson ’92, Jill Harrison Vassar ’92, and Emily McMason ’92.



In Memoriam

ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE WAS TALLER than she turned out to be. So it was a shock to read in the many obituaries that were written about Nora Ephron ’62 that she was small. In 2006, when Ephron received

Wellesley’s Alumnae Achievement Award, Sandra Peddie ’76 interviewed her for this magazine and described her this way: “Petite—almost tiny—she nonetheless projects a powerful presence through the force of her opinions.”

And what opinions they were. If the force of personality can make even the most elfi n woman seem physically larger, those of us who’ve only met Ephron through her work can be forgiven for thinking she was more Julia Child’s stature than Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s. Turns out she was tiny—but only on the outside.

Ephron came to Wellesley in 1958, a time when everything was on the precipice of change. It would be a few years before the fi rst shots of the sexual revolution would be fi red. The civil rights movement was just starting to percolate into the national consciousness. “Gay” would mean something else entirely in 20 years. Panty hose hadn’t yet been introduced.

The class of ’96 chose Ephron as its commencement speaker. She skipped giving them platitudes and instead gave them a history lesson. She told the graduates that the women of her class were groomed to be something that was considered a greater asset by much of the outside world than their hard-won degrees. They were trained, she said, to be ladies. “We were to take the fabulous education we had received here and use it to preside at [the] dinner table or at a committee meeting, and when two people disagreed, we would be intelligent enough to step in and point out the remarkable similarities between their two opposing positions. We were to spend our lives making nice.”

Fortunately for us, Ephron didn’t follow the plan. She didn’t trade her B.A. for a Mrs. immediately (although eventually she would marry three times, to writers Dan Greenburg, Carl Bernstein, and fi nally, and very happily, to Nick Pileggi). She was a reporter at the New York Post for several years, then a writer for magazines like Esquire and New York. Her essays were rich with trenchant social observation, much of it mordantly funny. I’ve often thought of her as how Jane Austen would be, if Austen had come along two centuries later, with no fi lter. Ephron wasn’t so interested in nice, and she let you know it. She didn’t think aging was nice, even though, from all appearances, she seemed to be doing it well. She didn’t think it was nice the ways in which women, still after all this time, are sometimes dismissed, belittled, and marginalized,

Nora Ephron ’621941–2012 sometimes subtly, sometimes not. Understand this, she told the

class of ’96: A lot has changed—and a lot has not. “Don’t under-estimate how much antagonism there is toward women and how many people wish we could turn the clock back,” she warned.

Ephron went through a period of personal turbulence when her second marriage to Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein dissolved publicly in the wake of his infamous philandering. Like many a wronged wife, she cried. Then she wiped her eyes, moved back to New York, and went back to work. (“My religion is Get Over It,” she wrote in her fi nal book of essays, I Remember Nothing.) Eventually she wrote a wryly funny novel about the whole experience. Heartburn became a best seller and then a success-ful movie proving, as Ephron’s mother, Phoebe, once told her daughters, “Everything is copy.”

Ephron did like a good story. And she didn’t like how the men around writers’ tables in Hollywood often portrayed women. So she did some-thing about it. That might be the most important part of her legacy. In the movies she wrote or directed, from Silkwood to When Harry Met Sally. . . to Julie & Julia, Ephron showed women as she knew them to be: complicated. Multidimensional. Capable of deep, sustaining friendships—and, occasionally, betrayal. Her female characters were more than just their shoe size or their bra size or their hair color. They were people who reminded you of someone you knew. (Sometimes yourself.)

She loved her family. She loved her work. She loved her friends. And she reminded us that one of the most important things we can learn in life is how to tell the difference between what you love and what you can do without. You let go of the stuff you can do without. You Get Over It. And you hold the people and things you love close to you for as long as you can. And when they go, you remember.

And if you go before them, they remember you. How could they not?

Karen Grigsby Bates ’73

Bates is a Los Angeles-based correspondent for NPR News.

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California. After obtaining her undergraduate de-gree at Wellesley, she went on to earn a master’s at Columbia and her Ph.D. at New York University. In her later years, she became a world traveler, with stops in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. While deeply saddened by her loss, we are comforted in knowing that she led a full life and is now at peace.

Carol HallowitzJohn Hallowitz

Millicent Cotter Hogan ’47 died on March 1.Wellesley was a touchstone for Millicent;

from New Hampshire to Florida and Kentucky to California, she kept track of her family (four chil-dren and seven grandchildren) and her Wellesley friends. She suffered from a broken leg in 2010 and never regained complete mobility. She died peace-fully in an assisted-living facility.

Her greatest talent was for friendship. For the past 30 years, she and Jim made me a part of their family—Sunday dinners every week, family

holidays, and concerts. Wellesley meetings, boat parade parties, and weddings. We had lots of good times. She will be greatly missed.

Nancy Farr Fulmer ’47

Audrey Chamberlain Foote ’48 died on April 3.She was a beautiful woman, a pure spirit. A

serene, loving mother of four, and a vegetarian from age 10. She adored teaching and, though just mar-ried, got a Harvard M.A. in 1949, fi nally adding a Ph.D. at Columbia in her late 50s. In print (Atlantic Monthly, Washington Post) and action (PETA vol-unteer), she demonstrated her lover’s quarrel with the Creator about a world where Lion had to eat Lamb to live, and women, thanks to biology and men, were denied careers outside the home. She died at home after 10 years of Alzheimer’s and two of cancer, elegant despite pain that painkillers never quite killed.

Timothy Foote

Helen Arnstein Weinberg ’49 died on April 20.She taught literature, composition, and art

criticism for 50 years at the Cleveland Institute of Art and was involved in the art scenes in Cleveland, New York, and East Hampton, N.Y., where she summered since 1970. She was a patron of the arts with a fi ne eye, and her homes were fi lled with beau-tiful objects. Her sense of style and her independent spirit were guiding forces in her life. She never shied away from speaking up for what she believed or fi ghting for the well-being of those she loved.

Janet WeinbergHugh WeinbergJohn Weinberg

Jane Burrell Lacy ’49 died at home on Nov. 13, 2011, surrounded by family, as she had been in life.

She had a long, happy marriage to Ben; chil-dren; grandchildren; and many friends. Jane dearly loved Wellesley and her classmates. At her 55th reunion, she scooped up my 7-month-old and ran to the table of ’49ers with her youngest grandchild. I found them much later smiling broadly.

Jane was the consummate Wellesley woman: smart, funny, and fully engaged. She was a great friend and mentor to me and the best possible mother-in-law. We miss her every day.

Karen Doeblin ’84

Nancy Aitken Corbett ’50 died on Nov. 15, 2011.It was my great fortune to be assigned as Nancy’s

freshman roommate. We studied hard, laughed a lot, and pretty much grew up together for four years at Wellesley and thereafter. She was smart—she composed crossword puzzles—could make devil-ish comments, and was a fan of musical comedies. She will be remembered for her warm friendship and wonderful sense of humor by all who knew her.

Patricia John Cochran ’50

ALUMNAE

MEMORIALS

1935 Esther Sagalyn Bick March 16, 2012

1936 Marguerite Goodrich Pierce March 19, 2012

1937 Janet Falkenau March-Penney 2010 Sadie Hall Howe June 11, 2010

1938 Esther Howard Palmer Jan. 13, 2012 Marjorie Schechter Bronfman Feb. 24, 2012 Janet Woodsum Larcom Dec. 30, 2011

1940 Elizabeth Hapgood Sept. 24, 2010 Jane Shugg Elkins April 27, 2012

1941 Helen Gorrell Fewsmith Nov. 8, 2011 Margaret Schloss Nov. 8, 2011

1942 Florence Anderson Simmons March 22, 2012 Bernice Brand Carton Dec. 31, 2011 Eleanor Finkelstein Darman Sept. 24, 2010 Blanche Goldberger Canter March 19, 2012 Betty Hehl Beach April 17, 2012 Ethel Hoffman Feb. 22, 2012 Marybelle Neal Richards April 29, 2012

1943 June Nesbitt Gibbs April 8, 2012

1944 Doris Levy Hallowitz March 29, 2012 Marilyn Mayburg Barron March 11, 2012

1945 Harriet Dicke Hartline Dec. 21, 2011

1947 Joanne Krusen Hart March 3, 2012 Josephine Taylor Walker April 10, 2011

1948 Nancy Baker Hemmerich March 6, 2012 Audrey Chamberlain Foote April 3, 2012 Charlotte Sommers Wyman April 16, 2012

1949 Helen Arnstein Weinberg April 20, 2012 Virginia Grover Raymond March 23, 2011

1950 Nancy Canfi eld Domenie April 7, 2012 Helen Miller Rosenthal April 19, 2012 Georgiana Reynolds Feb. 27, 2012

1951 Anne Bowman Poore March 10, 2012 Barbara Spang Bliss March 4, 2012

1952 Lois White Ziffer Nov. 19, 2011

1953 Ann Ocheltree Marsland Jan. 25, 2012

1954 Ann Farnham Dubin April 17, 2012 Suzanne Torchiana Humpstone March 4, 2012

1958 Sarah Alleman Dreher April 2, 2012

1961 Susan Gilmore Steiner April 9, 2012

1965 Lou Wilson Loving June 30, 2011

1967 Anne Mustain March 16, 2006

1975 Alice Stewart April 15, 2012

1982 Giovanna Virata April 26, 2011

1990 Susan Kubik Dec. 29, 2011

CE/DS Kate Harvey March 31, 2012

M.A. Carol Haff Hall March 10, 2012

M.S. Evelyn Boldrick Howard May 23, 2012

Blanche Goldberger Canter ’42 died on March 19.Mom had a marvelously full and rewarding

life, leaving a legacy of four children, eight grand-children, four great-grandchildren, and an array of dear friends—all devoted to her in every way. She was admired for her elegance and keen inter-est in everyone and everything. Until her sudden passing, she lived at New Bridge, near Wellesley, enjoying bridge, book club, exercise, and academic courses—always active and ever learning. With my sister, Liz Canter Levy ’72, she looked forward to attending her 70th reunion. She will be lovingly remembered by us all.

Jane Canter Loeffl er ’68

Doris Levy Hallowitz ’44 died on March 29.Our mother was a highly intelligent, well

educated, adventurous woman who loved music, gardening, and social-justice issues. She raised two children in Stamford, Conn., and subse-quently lived in Michigan, New Mexico, and



HOW TO SUBMIT A MEMORIAL Wellesley welcomes memorials to alumnae written

by friends or family members. Please contact the

appropriate class secretary and/or the magazine

staff ([email protected] or 781-283-2344)

before writing or submitting a memorial.

Memorials in Wellesley magazine are limited

to 100 words. Wellesley does not accept eulogies

or previously published obituaries for adaptation.

All submissions may be edited.

Helen Miller Rosenthal ’50 died on April 19. She graduated from law school in 1953 and

taught Unitarian Sunday School for 38 years. She was kind, cheerful, smart, funny, generous, self-effacing, intellectually engaged—and loving and beloved, particularly by Alan (her husband of 60 years), her four children (including Susan Miller-Havens ’78), and her fi ve grandchildren. She was justifi ably proud of them all. Her circle of devoted friends was large; I gratefully include myself in that group. Our college friendship has deepened over the years. Memories of her life comfort all who knew and loved her.

Harriet Sturtevant Shapiro ’50

Ann Farnham Dubin ’54 died on April 17. Ann earned her Ph.D. from Cambridge

University in 1959, then taught and did research in virology at Harvard and Robert Wood Johnson medical schools. She authored 15 papers. Outgoing and concerned about the less fortunate, she volun-teered at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic and tutored English for many years. Had I met her when she was at Wellesley and I at Harvard, I’d have biked to Wellesley every weekend. She imbued our three daughters with social conscious-ness and fi lled our home with the love of music.

Donald Dubin

Susan Gilmore Steiner ’61 died on April 9.Ebullient, adventurous, and dramatic, Susan

had strong opinions, strong relationships, and a deep streak of spontaneous fun and generosity. She was a risk taker, brilliant at thinking outside the box as an educator, and a fund-raiser at several universities. Her unstinting commitment to local arts, artists, and small-scale theater productions was extraordinary.

She loved her sons, Shakespeare, the Sacred Music Festival at Fez, and the beautiful house and garden that she created from a decrepit old colo-nial in Patzcuaro, Mexico, in the last few years, turning Casa Ariel into the home of her heart.

Carol Hart Field ’61

Lou Ellen Wilson Loving ’65 died of cancer on June 30, 2011.

Lou’s energy, endless smile, sparkly blue eyes, and quick wit always said to others let’s have fun, and so she did with her many friends from Austin to Boston. She never had an idle moment, from water skiing with her two children and gardening, to volunteering for the oldest girls’ home in Austin and operating a commercial real-estate company.

Her spirit for intellectual conversations contin-ued throughout her lifetime. It was the mini-reunion where she enjoyed the insightful balance these get-togethers provided to the liberal-minded Wellesley girl from red, red Texas. I am so proud of her!

Heather AttridgeEllen Sachs Rodin ’65

SHELF LIFE(Continued from page 23)

Judith Kirkham Walker ’66 died on Dec. 16, 2011.Judith was full of life and joy, a friend always

ready to laugh and share whatever was happen-ing in our worlds, a mom and grandmother who took great pleasure in her family, a wife who de-lighted in husband Chris’ endeavors. We met in Miss Taylor’s Latin class during our fi rst year at Wellesley. Judith completed graduate studies at Harvard and was married in the Wellesley Chapel before moving to Canada. A lover of literature and young people, she thrived in her teaching career, as well as in sharing the wonders of nature and travel with her family.

Ann Thomas Wilkins ’66

Alice Stewart ’75 died on April 15. Attorney by profession, philosopher by spirit,

our sister Alice was known as a defender of the poor in her 25 years of private practice in Atlanta, where she stayed after Emory Law School and studies at Dartmouth and University of Edinburgh.

Alice delighted in small joys and deep friend-ships. She cherished fragments—pebbles, post-cards, ribbons, leaves—fi nding beauty around her just as she found humor and hope in a troubled world. Relentlessly curious, she found joy in books, lectures, fi lms, poetry, and pun-full word play. In her last days, she began a study of Greek.

Mary StewartJane Stewart

Rachel Stewart

Catherine Ann Latham ’77 died on Jan. 26. She was a gifted and devoted psychologist,

a talented collage artist, and a loving friend. She credited Wellesley with giving her the courage to get a Ph.D., which she used each day to transform lives in her Ithaca, N.Y., private practice. She had a vibrant sense of humor, delighted in quirkiness, and thought playtime is undervalued in adult schedules. We carry on her legacy every time we choose compassion, forgiveness, and kindness for ourselves and others—and by occasionally switch-ing out our laptops and ballpoint pens for paper, glue, and maybe even a few crayons.

Betsy Bogard

A GIFT THATCAN BE OPENED

AGAIN AND AGAIN~ Honor a Graduate~ Celebrate a Birthday or Anniversary~ Recognize a Special Occasion~ Remember a Classmate

For each $100 gift to Honor with Books, the Library will place a bookplate bearing

the name of the person you are honoring, as well as your name, in a newly published book.

To request information regarding Friends of Wellesley College Library

Call 781-283-2872 or visitwww.wellesley.edu/Library/Friends

Honorwith

Books

Susan Freeman (Susan Swartzman Freeman ’79)—

Step Up Now: 21 Powerful Principles for People

Who Infl uence Others, Love Your Life Publishing,

St. Peters, Mo.

Vicki Goldberg (Vicki Liebson Goldberg ’58)—

The White House: The President’s Home in

Photographs and History, Little, Brown and

Company, New York City

Christianne Klein ’00—Christianne’s Herbal

Kitchen: Fresh Herb Recipes for Body and Soul,

Truth Fairy TV Media Group, Fair Oaks, Calif.

Joanna Macy (Joanna Rogers Macy ’50) and

Chris Johnstone—Active Hope: How to Face the

Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy, New World

Library, Novato, Calif.

Tony Martin, faculty emeritus—Caribbean

History: From Pre-Colonial Origins to the Present,

Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.

Jennifer Wilcox ’98—Carbon Capture, Springer,

New York



THE WELLESLEY FUND

90

Offi ce for Resources



HHHHaaaaavvvveeeee yyyyyoooouuuuu mmmmmaaadde your gift this year?GGGGGiiiivvvveeee tttooooddddaaaaayyy at www.wellesley.edu/give

91



IKE MANY SUBURBAN MASSACHUSETTS KIDS, my fi rst real sports experience was with soccer. I remember my fi rst practice vividly. There was the pack of 5 year olds clustered around the ball, moving up and down the fi eld erratically. And there I was, always on the opposite side of the

fi eld from the action, wandering lonely as a cloud. At one point, as my parents were urging me from the sidelines to get in the game, I sat down and started picking dandelions.

It was an inauspicious start to my athletic career, and things didn’t improve much from there. Unlike the rest of my outdoorsy, jocky family, I was born with a natural gracelessness, a real talent at missing the ball by several feet. But no matter how many times I’ve run in the opposite direction, athletics has sprinted after me.

There was mandatory gym class, of course, and later, the physical-education requirement at Wellesley. But even now, long after graduation, I regularly fi nd myself awkwardly shaking my hips in a Zumba class or struggling to lift 8-pound weights alongside my more athletic friends at the gym. As my colleagues and I have been working on this special issue devoted to sports, I’ve thought about all of the lessons that I have learned from my years (sitting down) on the fi eld and panting in the gym. They are probably different from the experiences of the incredible student and alumnae athletes who are featured in this issue. But they are hard earned, and, I like to tell myself, worth all the sweat and bruises.

It is impossible to die from humiliation. This is a lesson I’ve learned over and over, but it really hit home during a P.E. softball game my sophomore year in high school. One day, our kindly, mustachioed gym teacher decided that rather than the traditional “three strikes, you’re out” rule, each student would keep on swinging until he or she got a hit. I blew past the three strikes . . . then six . . . then 10. I began to wish that the ball would just hit me in the head and put me out of my misery. (I’m sure many of my classmates were hoping for the same.) Sometime in the double digits, my teacher decided to intervene. But rather than just letting me walk to fi rst, he stood behind me and held the bat with me, like you

would with a 4 year old, and we hit the ball a few yards. I can’t think of a more pathetic way to get on base. But I didn’t spontaneously combust from shame. And I’ve learned that today’s embarrassment is tomorrow’s favorite anecdote.

Having a friend along helps. Soon after we graduated from Wellesley, my roommate Emily Rankin Welch ’99 and I decided to get serious about getting in shape. (Four years of late-night Schneider fries and Stone-Davis milkshakes had left their mark.) We joined the YMCA in Central Square, Cambridge, and one day, we decided to break from our usual cardio- machine routine and take a “stretch and strengthen” class. Except it quickly became clear that we were in the wrong room—we had unwittingly joined “advanced jazz.” Emily has a natural sense of rhythm and was soon box stepping with the best of them. Me? Let’s just say that I was dancing outside the box. Our instructor, a tiny, muscular, intense man, seemed to take my lack of skill as a personal affront. “Move, move, move!” he shouted at me. “There’s a geriatric exercise class that meets on Thursdays if you can’t handle this!” I might have broken down and cried (in spite of the “humiliation can’t kill you” rule), if it hadn’t been for Emily, who kept me laughing and moving, as she has done throughout our friendship.

You don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it. In spite of my mis-erable failure at jazz, a couple years ago I decided to take a Zumba class offered at Wellesley for faculty and staff. And guess what? I still stank. But this time, I had fun. I loved the music, the instructor and the other students were encouraging, and it barely felt like exercise. This is prob-ably a common character fl aw among Wellesley alums, but often, if I’m not good at something, I just don’t do it. I hate failing and fl ailing. But, in the name of trying to live a healthy life, I’ve forced myself to try things that don’t play to my natural strengths. And my life is richer, more fun, and more active because of it.

This last lesson in particular is something I want to pass on to my daughter, Anna, who is 2. But, my equally clumsy husband and I still hold out hope that she will become naturally coordinated. That’s why, recently, when I was picking Anna up at a babysitter’s, my hope rose when the sitter inquired, “Were either you or David athletic?” No, I replied, why? “Oh, that’s what I thought!” she laughed. “Anna sure does have two left feet!” Oh, well. Even if she does follow in our stumbling footsteps, I rest easy knowing that she still has a lot to learn from the world of sports. And in a couple years, I’ll defi nitely be signing her up for soccer.

Lisa Scanlon ’99 is an associate editor at Wellesley magazine. She can often be found at the “total body conditioning” class at the Boston Sports Club in Wellesley, where she at least partially conditions her body.

By Lisa Scanlon ’99

LThe Unsporting Life

END

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COMMENCEMENT2 0 1 2

To see a slide show of commencement photos, visit youtube.com/wellesleymag.

For more on the day’s ceremony, see page 14.

PHOTOS BY RICHARD HOWARD


KEEP IN TOUCH | KEEP INFORMED

WWW.WELLESLEY.EDU/ALUM

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Documents

Wellesley magazine summer 2012