Women of Auburn Timeline
The Auburn Female College (later the Auburn Masonic Female College) is built as a separate school for women
The original home of Langdon Hall, the largest auditorium in East Alabama in 1853.
Dr. William LeRoy Broun persuades the Board of Trustees to consider allowing women to matriculate
Not full co-education, but only that “in a limited way” the “privilege be given to qualified young women to enjoy the advantages of instruction at Auburn.
Women at Auburn 1892 – 1900
Click the title to read the story
Dr. Broun reports that Auburn’s success was widely published in the state
Broun noted that the girls had proved “their ability successfully to cope with the best of their male competitors, and in some instances to obtain the mastery over them.” All women who applied were accepted and “their rank was with the best students… their influence eminently inspiring and influential.”
For the first time ever, women graduate from Auburn with “degrees and all honors.”
Click the title to read “Women at Auburn 1900 – 1940.”
Willie Little ’94 marries George S. Clark ’92, the first marriage between Auburn grads
Click the title to read “Willie Little and 5 Generations at Auburn.”
Class enrollment included 11% women
In 1907 10 out of 87 students were women.
Basketball is the first sport for women at Auburn
Click the title to read “A Brief History on Women’s Basketball.”
The first Auburn Women’s Tennis team is created
From the 1915 Glomerata: In Tennis, as well as basketball, our Co-eds have been greatly interested this year. The Club comprises most of the girls in college. From left to right in the picture are: Misses Edwards, Steele, Mrs. Smith, Misses Stodghill, Crenshaw, Duncan, Terrell, Wright.
Auburn Women’s Basketball defeats Georgia in the first intercollegiate matchup
Click the title to read about team captain “Cutie” Brown Lee ’26.
The Women’s Student Government Association is organized
Formed for 67 women in a class of 1,295, the WSGA was created to improve women’s conditions on campus.
Gladys McCain – First Woman to Graduate in Home Economics
Click the title to read her story
Smith Hall is converted into the first dormitory for women, affectionately called “the Zoo”
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Martha Haupt is voted “Miss Personality Plus,” believed to be the forerunner of Miss Auburn
Rather than win a scholarship, the recipient received the leading role in the school play.
Four new Women’s dorms, known as “the Quad,” are built as part of several Public Works Administration projects obtained by President Duncan
Click the title to read “Home Away From Home.”
The First 3 AU women return to campus for the dedication of the new Women’s Quadrangle Dorms
Dedication-day ceremonies included a luncheon for Kate Teague Hagler, Willie Gertrude Little Clark and Katherine Conway Broun Fulgham. The dorms featured private baths between rooms, but the mirrors had not been delivered and there were still only 1 pay phone per floor.
Auburn women during WWII
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Shirley Smith becomes the first female editor of the Plainsman, Jean Woodham ‘46 becomes the first coed to edit the Glomerata
Click the title to read about Jean Woodham.
For the first time ever, there are more women (904) enrolled at A.P.I. than men (864)
There were 3,152 men participating in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) and Naval radio and Aviation Training, though, keeping the ratio of men to women high.
Katherine Cooper Cater arrives at A.P.I. as the new Dean of Women
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Auburn Memory: Harvilee Harbarger ’53
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Several Auburn Football players are caught during a panty raid in a women’s dorm and are expelled
Halfback Lloyd Nix is moved to quarterback. The ensuing punishment bonds the team and coaches together, directly leading to the 1957 National Championship.
Auburn Memory: Defying the Klan: JANIE FORSYTH MCKINNEY ’70
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Auburn desegregates for the first time in its 100+ year history
Click the title to listen to interviews with Harold Franklin, the first African American student.
Josetta Brittain Matthews becomes the first African-American woman to graduate from Auburn
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Auburn Memory: Teresa “Terry” Rodriguez ’69
Click the title to read her story
Auburn Memory: Nelda Lee ’69
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At the end of “Strike Day,” students outside the presidents’ house rouse President Philpott from his sleep to demand immediate action on women’s rules, including fewer dorm restrictions
Click the heading to read more about women’s rights on Auburn’s campus.
Auburn Memory: Sophia Bracy Harris ’72
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First Women’s Swim Team Forms
Click the title to read the story of Lisa Ross ’76, one of the inaugural co-captains.
Leah Rawls Atkins ’58 earns a Ph.D. in History from Auburn
Atkins is the first man or woman at Auburn to do so.
Marianne Merritt ’79 is the first woman to earn a basketball scholarship to Auburn
Merritt was voted twice to the Coaches’ Top-20 team in the South and represented Auburn in the 2003 class of Women’s SEC Basketball Greats.
No more curfew for Auburn women
The Board of Trustees abolishes all curfews at women’s dorms, authorizes a plan for coed visitations in response to possible Title IX violations.
Dr. Joanna Davenport is hired as the first full-time Women’s Athletic Director
Auburn Women compete in eight sports for the first time: basketball, golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
Auburn Memory: Auburn Women in Engineering
Click the title to read about women in engineering.
Auburn Memory: Tigerettes
click link to read about the first Auburn Tigerettes.
Auburn Memory: Viki Woerner ’82 Friend of Aubie
Click the title to read her story
Susan Karamanian ’79 is the first female Rhodes Scholar chosen from Auburn
Karamanian, named the outstanding student in economics, also played on the golf team. After earning a degree at Oxford in philosophy, politics and an economics and a law degree from the University of Texas, she did pro-bono work for death row inmates and is associate dean at George Washington Law School.
Reita Clanton, 3 sport athlete at Auburn, becomes an olympian in team handball
Click the title to read her story
Dr. Pat H. Barnes becomes the first female Vice President for Student Affairs
This is the first time that a woman has held a VP Position at Auburn.
Auburn Women’s Gymnastics reaches the super six for the first time
Auburn Women’s Gymnastics wins the National Invitational Tournament Title, the first national athletic championship of any kind for Auburn women.
Women’s Volleyball ties for 1st in the SEC West
Click the title to read Jaunelle White’s story, one of the Tiger’s top players.
Auburn Softball’s inaugural season
Click to read the story of an Auburn Softball charter member Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson.
Sarah Wentworth wins SEC Gymnast of the Year
Click the title to read “How Could I Not Go? — Sarah Wentworth’s Journey.”
Auburn Women’s Swimming & Diving wins the first of its 5 NCAA National Titles under Coach David Marsh
Click the title to read former Auburn swimmer Maggie Bowen’s story.
Margaret Hoelzer swims the 200-meter backstroke in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece
Click the title to read her story
The Auburn Equestrian team wins its first Varsity Equestrian Overall National Championship
The first of four national titles.
Kerron Stewart ’07 wins Bronze in the 2008 Olympic Games
Click the title to read her story
Auburn Women’s Basketball clinches the SEC Conference Title at home with a win over Tennessee
Click the title to read “You Learn To Take Care Of Each Other — DeWanna Bonner.”
Women’s Soccer wins the SEC Tournament Championship
Click the title to read former Tiger Katy Freels’ story.
Auburn competes in 2017 Air Race Classic
Click the title to read their story
FORMER AUBURN GOLFER CYDNEY CLANTON SHINES ON LPGA TOUR
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