By L. Halliday Piel, Ph.D., associate professor of humanities, with Jorrie Simpson '23, Margaret Braunstein '25, and Theresa Bechwati '26

Over its long history, Lasell University has not only cultivated notable young women as students but has been a leader in the advancement of female professors, deans, and presidents. Many ask, “How has a school so dedicated to uplifting young women never had a female president?” And yet, we have had at least three of them!

Our research project began as an Honors Program project in HIST223: Special Topics in Global History, where we explored Lasell’s founding as an internationally known institution of higher education for young women at a time when society expected them to be homemakers (and at a time when they could not vote!). As job opportunities grew, so did the school’s curriculum; courses were added in shorthand, typing, accounting, and business law, while guest speakers included women leaders in movements for social reform and female suffrage, such as Francis Willard, Mary Livermore, and Susan B. Anthony. We discovered that, while Lasell’s courses championed women in the workforce, its recognition of at least three documented female leaders who held the title of principal/president was limited — and so we turned our research toward their lives and contributions.

We are proud to present three pivotal women in Lasell’s history. Without their leadership, the University would have been left adrift in times of need — and despite their commitment to Lasell, we have more to do to recognize their legacy in an equitable way.