Muhlenberg College became coeducational in 1957. That was late by some standards, early by others, particularly when compared to neighboring Lehigh and Lafayette. This virtual exhibit honors that first class of women, some of whom we hope will interact with this exhibit. 

Though the presence of women on campus was repeatedly seen as an “innovation” by successive generations of administrators and students, their story has been inextricably woven into Muhlenberg’s history since the beginning, a story of resilience and determination.

In 2020, one hundred years since women gained the right to vote, one hundred years since Muhlenberg granted its first diploma to a woman, we explored the presence of additional women on campus—and their absences. From 1850, when Muhlenberg College’s predecessor, the Allentown Seminary, first opened its Female Department for the education of girls and young women, through the later decades of the 19th century, when female voices are virtually silent at the College, into the early years of the 20th century, when the Women’s Auxiliary  proved that women were indispensable to the survival of the institution, we have attempted to profile some individuals and organizations that helped women learn and thrive at Muhlenberg College through the years.

This virtual exhibit originally launched as a physical one in Trexler Library in early 2020, to commemorate that important centenary for women at Muhlenberg; however, it was only a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the library to visitors. Over the course of 2020, the Muhlenberg Memories Project team reconceived the exhibit online, adding access to resources that were unable to be shared in the original.