[Deans B. Stapleton, Weaver, Chaffin, and Cuninggim].

Women students first entered Vanderbilt in the 1880s as “listeners.” The first dean of women, Ada Stapleton (1925-1940), managed the women

in loco parentis. In 1973, Margaret Cuninggim, the first dean of student life, worked for greater integration. The Women’s Center opened in 1978, hosting events like Women’s Week to change perceptions of feminism and women’s issues.