Events and Programs

The 50th anniversary of coeducation was celebrated through a variety of activities including virtual events, exhibitions, lectures, and more throughout the 2020-21 academic year.

Marking the Moment

More than 100 members of the first classes of women assembled virtually on Sept. 10 to celebrate the anniversary of the first day of class 50 years ago. The historic moment marked the beginning of Lafayette’s transition to coeducation. Members of the “First Women” (female graduates between 1972-81), representing the first decade of coeducation at the College, shared reflections and virtual toasts to commemorate the occasion. Among the attendees were Lafayette’s first female president, Alison Byerly, and Chair of the Board of Trustees Robert Sell ’84, who presented a toast to “All the First Women, who fearlessly stepped on campus in September 1970, and those who have continued to lead Lafayette since that day.”

View the slideshow of archival images shown during the event.

Read the toasts from the evening.

 

Year Long Initiatives

Lasting Legacies, Bright Future: Celebrating 50 Years of Coeducation at Lafayette College

As part of the campus-wide celebration of the arrival of women students in 1970, the College Archives showcased photographs, documents, and memorabilia commemorating this remarkable period of social change at Lafayette.

Learn more.

50th Anniversary of Coeducation Insulated Tumblers

In honor of the 50th anniversary of coeducation, the Lafayette College Bookstore sold insulated tumblers with the fabulous vintage "Coed in 1970" logo.

Order Your Tumbler Today!