Founded in 1870, Wellesley College stands as a beacon of women’s education. It sits on a sprawling 500-acre campus. The campus is located in Wellesley Massachusetts. That is about 12 miles west of Boston.
Wellesley College was originally named Wellesley Female Seminary. The name change was approved in 1873. The college opened its doors in 1875. Pauline and Henry Fowle Durant founded Wellesley. They believed in educational opportunities for women. They wanted to prepare women for vast reforms in social life.
Wellesley was a leading center for women’s study in the sciences. From 1875 to 1921, Wellesley employed more female scientists. It had more than any other U.S. institution of higher education. Wellesley was the second college to initiate laboratory science instruction for undergraduates.
The original College Hall was destroyed by fire in 1914. Students noticed the fire on the fourth floor near the zoology lab. An electrical or chemical accident may have triggered the fire. A group of residence halls known as the Tower Court complex is located where the old College Hall once stood.
After the fire, the college expanded into several new buildings. The campus hosted a Naval Reserve Officer Training program during World War II. The college began exchange programs with other colleges in the area like MIT in 1968. In 2015, Wellesley adopted an inclusive admissions policy. They began admitting transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer students.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. described Wellesley’s landscape as unique. He said it had a marked individual character. The campus overlooks Lake Waban. It includes woodlands and open meadows. The landscape-based concept represented a break from the courtyard campus arrangement that was typical.
Wellesley offers 17 different residence halls. One is the French-speaking house. In 1931, Green Hall was completed. It is the only building bearing the name of Hetty Green. Part of the building is the Galen L. Stone Tower. It houses a 32-bell carillon. Members of the Guild of Carillonneurs routinely play the carillon between classes.
Houghton Chapel was dedicated in 1899. The architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge designed Houghton. The chapel can seat up to 750 people. Houghton is used for religious and secular functions. The lower-level houses the Multifaith Center.
Andrew Carnegie donated $125,000 to build Clapp Library in 1905. The building was renamed for Margaret Antoinette Clapp in 1974. She was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
The Davis Museum opened in 1993. Rafael Moneo designed it. The collections span from ancient art to contemporary art exhibitions. Admission is free to the public.
The current president of Wellesley College is Paula Johnson. She became Wellesley’s 14th President in July 2016. Wellesley’s fund-raising campaign in 2005 set a record for liberal arts colleges.
The Wellesley Centers for Women is one of the largest gender-focused social science research organizations in the United States.
Wellesley offers 60 departmental and interdepartmental majors. Students can propose their own major. Wellesley offers support to non-traditional aged students through the Elisabeth Kaiser Davis Degree Program.
Approximately 98% of students live on campus. Wellesley has offered a cross-registration program with MIT for more than 50 years.
WZLY is the college’s campus radio station. It is entirely student-run. It claims to be the oldest still-running women’s college radio station in the country.
Wellesley fields 13 varsity sports teams. Wellesley does not have a mascot. Its sports teams are referred to as “the Blue”. The school colors are royal blue and white. The Wellesley College Crew Team was the first women’s intercollegiate rowing team in the country.
Hoop rolling is an annual tradition at Wellesley that dates to 1895. The Wellesley campus sits just before the halfway mark on the Boston Marathon course. Students cheer on runners in what has become known as the “Scream Tunnel”.
Wellesley’s alumnae are represented in a variety of fields. They include Madeleine Albright and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both have spoken about the formative impact their Wellesley experiences had on their careers.
Wellesley College. A place of tradition, academic excellence, and enduring impact on women’s education.