1987

I don't know about you, but I came to Dartmouth in the fall of 1983 fairlyignorant about Dartmouth's history as an allmale institution and its transition to coeducation. Of course I knew that it had been all male at one time, but I don't think I knew that it had only been coed for ten years, or that up until 1980 there was a cap on how many women could be admitted each year. None of us who were here from 1983 to 1987, however, could have remained completely ignorant of the gender issues that existed at Dartmouth at that time. It was during our years on campus that the Women's Issues League was founded, and that the establishment of the Women's Resource Center was approved. We witnessed (and participated in) protests, sit-ins, and vigils. It was a time of unrest at Dartmouth, not only in terms of gender, but also in terms of race, religion, and politics. I'm sure that many '87s glided through those four years relatively untouched by the tempest swirling around them, while for others, that upheaval clearly shaped and defined their Dartmouth experience.

This year the College commemorates the 25th anniversary of coeducation, and I hope you will be able to return to campus this fall to participate in the gala celebration that is being planned for October 1720. In the meantime, here are just a few of our female classmates who are doing us proud:

We begin with the "übiquitous" WendyBecker (thought you'd escaped that nickname, didn't you, Wendy?) Not only was she the leader of the Student Assembly during our senior year and a representative to the Alumni Council, but also our class president from 1987-92, head Alumni Fund agent from 1992-96, and currently our class treasurer. In her spare time, Wendy is a consultant with McKinsey in San Francisco. (This is where IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner '63 got his start, so anything's possible, Wendy!)

When you think of leadership, you also can't help but think of Ginny Wise Wilkins. Ginny served as our class president from 1992-96, and is now at the helm of the. Dartmouth Club of Greater Boston. She also became a new mom in November. If you can find any fault with her record of service to Dartmouth, it's that she works as a fundraiser for that pesky Ivy League school in Cambridge, but nobody's perfect.

Many of us have taken the business world by storm. Jen Tisdel is making sure we won't ever have to travel more than a few blocks to get our decaf double lattes. She is a marketing vice president for Starbucks in Seattle. Pam Haering Hagerman is also on a path towards world domination as vice president of international marketing at Turner Broadcasting.

Others serve the public good in a variety of ways. Class Vice President TraceySalmon is an assistant U.S. attorney in New York. Bethany Rogers worked for several years at the Coalition for Essential Schools, a center funded by Walter Annenberg which is at the forefront of public school reform. Amy Keller served our country during the Persian Gulf War, and now lives in New Hampshire with her two children. Betsy Wall Rutherford is also a mother of two, and devotes much of her time to helping teenage moms become better parents.

This is just a tiny sampling there areabout 450 of us about 450 of us '87 women out there, each contributing in our own way. Clear evidence in my book that the coeducation decision was a pretty good idea...

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