John Carroll University prides itself on being comprised of “men and women for and with others,” so it is hard to believe there was once a time in the institution’s history when the student body did not include women. It is even harder to believe that this time period was within the last half century. In August of 1968, John Carroll officially transitioned to a co-ed institution when it began admitting women into the College of Arts and Sciences.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this change in admission, we wanted to look back on how this progression has shaped the past five decades at Carroll.

In the fall of 1968, 48 women took residence in Murphy Hall, and it didn’t take long for them to establish themselves as involved and engaged students on campus. A women’s glee club was quickly formed and The Carroll Quarterly, a literary magazine, as well as The Carroll News both appointed their first female editors.

Inside and outside of the classroom, women were able to find their voice and fight for representation. Joan (Galzarini) Crockett ‘72 told Presidential Communications Manager Dale Armbruster that it was an empowering time for all of them. The women were able to expose themselves to different courses and new ways of thinking. Crockett looked back on those days and remembers learning how to be a leader and never take no for answer — still an empowering sentiment for females today.

Since then, women have established themselves in all sectors of campus life, whether it be academic or extracurricular. Here at The Carroll News, the editor-in-chief, managing editor and adviser are all women, and we’d like to think the class of ‘72 would be proud of the female leaders all over campus.

Whether it be through the “Women at Carroll” social media campaign or the weekend of events that the Women’s Entrepreneurship Student Advisory Council is hosting in March, Carroll has come a long way in 50 years to celebrate, cherish and empower the women who fill our campus. We’re excited to see what the future holds.