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The Early Influence of Women on Campus

By the year 1885, women had established their place in Vanderbilt’s classrooms as equals, and the first women-run organizations began developing. The Women’s Aid Society, founded by Mrs. Hohlfeld and Mrs. Baskervill, as well as the Vanderbilt Women’s Club are some examples of female-oriented organizations emerging in this era. Much of the female involvement on campus was centered around fundraising and the refinement of etiquette and cultural knowledge and included both students, faculty, and family of faculty. These early forms of involvement displayed some of the first signs of success for women on campus and foreshadowed their academic and social accomplishments in the decades to come.