Dear Friends,
From the moment you picked up this issue of Portraits, you surely knew it was special. And indeed, it is, celebrating the 50th anniversary of co-education on the Hilltop with a reflection on the women who were pioneers, champions, innovators, influencers, standardbearers and standard-setters. While 50 years is within the lifetime of many of us, it is hard to envision a Saint Anselm College that was ever without women as part of the fabric of the institution.
Of course, there were women who studied at the college prior to the 1974-1975 class, as Saint Anselm had been a top nursing program since the 1950s. However, those early nursing students did not have the opportunity for the full Hilltop experience, living off campus and commuting to the college with little interaction within the community as a whole. They were our pathfinders, the explorers who opened the first doors to those who would later come to study humanities, science, business, politics and so much more.
Since that history-making first class 50 years ago, there have been so many individuals who have left an indelible imprint on the college. There have been the students, of course, and there were the professors, and administrators, and benefactors, and members of religious orders; as you turn each page of this magazine, you will remember with fondness and admiration those who played a special role in your Anselmian journey, leaving their mark not only on the place but also the people of our community. I hope you enjoy these 50 stories of leadership, of friendship, of change, of challenge, and of triumph. Our beloved Saint Anselm has been deeply enriched by that watershed moment in the mid- 1970s. My deepest gratitude to the innumerable individuals, far too many to mention, who profoundly shaped the college yesterday, and those who are shaping it today, and those who will join our family and lead us into the future.
Warmly,
Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D.
President