In 1974, Saint Anselm College made the momentous decision to welcome women into all programs at the college, beyond the already well-known nursing program. More than 50 years later, the college celebrates this historical milestone with a year-long commemoration. This anniversary marks the inspiring journeys and countless achievements made by the first 26 admitted women at the college. The decision to reshape Saint Anselm into an institution of equal opportunity and success remains salient today.
Appointed by President Joseph A. Favazza, a special committee plans the anniversary celebration with a series of events and programs, engaging students in the year-long commemoration. Featuring the history and success of Saint Anselm women through the last half century, this tribute connects the past to the present, highlighting those who shaped Saint Anselm to be what it is today with the many accomplishments made by women in the present.
In some ways, it is hard to imagine a time when Saint Anselm was not a coeducational institution […] When reflecting on that decision, it is so clear to me how the presence of women on campus has only strengthened the mission of the college.
Climbing the Hill: Women at Saint Anselm College
The history of women at Saint Anselm is not widely known. Many of their stories have been obscured by the passage of time—but their presence has had a strong, lasting impact on the college.
Honorary Committee
Saint Anselm College celebrates 50 plus years of women’s academics with a series of events throughout the year. The programs engage students in remembering and honoring the many milestones achieved by women at the college. An honorary committee is appointed to construct the year’s commemoration, The committee is led by Father Benet Phillips, O.S.B., ‘87, Director of Alumni Relations and Advancement Programming, and Christine Gustafson, Professor of Politics and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The committee members are listed below:
Father Benet Phillips, O.S.B. '87
Christine Gustafson
Ann Holbrook
Carolyn King
Jennifer Kelber '01
Susan Gabert '91
Ann Camann
Jennifer Pace '13
Karlea Brunelle
Laura Lemire '06
Keith Chevalier
Benjamin Horton '12
Caryn Sheehan '94
Partner with the Women’s 50th Celebration Committee
If you have an event that fits with our celebration of 50 years of women’s education at the College, please contact Fr. Benet Phillips (bphillips@anselm.edu), Christine Gustafson(cgustafson@anselm.edu), or Laura Lemire (llemire@anselm.edu), so that we can include it in our calendar. We can also give you access to our logo to help with marketing your event. We welcome your collaboration!
Learn More
Alumna Emily Orlando ’91 shares her expertise on feminism in literature with an English class.
The college kicked-off its 50th anniversary celebration with a convocation featuring alumna Emily Orlando ’91.
The Women in Business student club promotes equality and empowerment through its programming.
Upcoming Events
Bag Lunch Book Group
"A Piece of the World" by Christina Baker Kline
All members of the Saint Anselm College community are invited to attend a book discussion of "A Piece of the World."
"To Christina Olson, the entire world was her family’s remote farm in the small coastal town of Cushing, Maine. Born in the home her family had lived in for generations, and increasingly incapacitated by illness, Christina seemed destined for a small life. Instead, for more than twenty years, she was host and inspiration for the artist Andrew Wyeth, and became the subject of one of the best known American paintings of the twentieth century. Told in evocative and lucid prose, A Piece of the World is a story about the burdens and blessings of family history, and how artist and muse can come together to forge a new and timeless legacy" (GoodReads.com).
Copies of the book will be available to borrow at the Circulation Desk by February 28, 2025.
Attendees are welcome to bring their lunches to the book group meeting.
Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
Time: 12:30 - 1:20 p.m.
Location: Library Classroom, upper level of Geisel.
Join us for the “Race, Gender, Ethics, and the Arts” conference, happening from March 27–29 at Saint Anselm College. This 3-day event, will bring together panelists to explore the ethical dimensions of artistic creation, consumption, and identity, with a focus on how race and gender shape the arts.
Refreshments provided. Free and open to the public with registration. Both in-person and remote.
Day Two Schedule:
12:45pm—Arrive at New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Saint Anselm College for coffee and cookies
1pm—Welcome
1:10-2pm—Session 1: Black Bodies and Literature [Jesse Saywell, moderator]
“Black Bodies That Matter: The Case for Beautiful Rage” - James Garrison, University of Massachusetts Lowell
“‘A Good Negro Woman’: The Eighteenth-Century Stereotype in Literature and Art” - Bindu Malieckal, Saint Anselm College
2:00pm—Keynote Talk #2 “Pauline Viardot, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and the Ethics of Collaboration” - Hilary Poriss, Professor of Music and Chair, Music Department, Northeastern University
2:45-4:30pm—Panel “Gender, Ethics, and the Arts” [Chani Marchiselli, moderator]
Speakers:
- Hilary Poriss (Northeastern University, Music)
- Ann Holbrook (Saint Anselm, English Literature)
- Laura Shea (Saint Anselm, Art History)
- Katie Collins (Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord)
- Tina Philibotte (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice Advocate & Consultant)
- Aaron Tolson (Saint Anselm, Dance)
4:30-4:50pm—Guerilla Girls Exhibition walk-through at Living Learning Commons (led by Laura Shea)
5-6pm—Happy Hour and Zoom with the Guerilla Girls LLC Commons
To learn more and to see complete conference schedule: https://www.drawingtheline2025.com/
To register: https://form.jotform.com/250514401405139
Sponsored by: Fine Arts Department, Center for Ethics in Society, Bean Distinguished Lecture Series, the Diversity and Inclusion Innovation Fund, the Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center, and the Richard L. Bready Chair in Ethics, Economics & the Common Good.
Event details for Drawing the Line: Race, Gender, Ethics and the Arts
Join Campus Ministers for Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent.
We will begin at 12:30 at the Saint Benedict statue in the Visitor’s Parking Lot. In case of inclement weather, we will do indoor stations.
