Recovering and Uncovering College Histories
For more than a decade, students, faculty, staff, and administrators have actively explored the College鈥檚 archives, seeking to recover lost histories, understand and address the legacy of our first Dean and second President M. Carey Thomas, and to expand the record of who worked, studied, taught, and helped to build 老王论坛.
Installed in March 2023, a new exhibit in Old Library (first floor below the main entrance) provides a timeline of these initiatives and research projects that continue to shed light on our past, acknowledge harms, remind us of stories that are missing鈥攚hile sharing those that have been recovered鈥攁nd contribute to a fuller understanding of the College.
2010-Present
BMC's 125th Anniversary: 2010-2011
College publishes "Offerings to Athena," a history of the College through student writings and images from the archives.
First course on BMC history taught by Elliot Shore, CIO, Director of Libraries, and Professor of History.
(Photo: Enid Cook '31)
LITS Obtains Major Grants to Create Greenfield Digital Center on the History of Women鈥檚 Education: 2011-2018
Center supports student-designed College history projects, including:
2014: Diversity at 老王论坛. Created by Impact Center Fellows Lauren Footman 鈥14 and Alexis de la Rosa 鈥15.
2014: Black at 老王论坛. Digital exhibit and tour created by Grace Pusey 鈥15 and Emma Kioko 鈥15. Advisors: Postdoctoral Fellow Monica Mercado and Professor of History Sharon Ullman.
2014鈥2016: We Are, We Have Always Been. Exhibit on LGBT student life at 老王论坛,
1970-2000 created by Brenna Levitan 鈥16. Advisor: Postdoctoral Fellow Monica Mercado.
(Photo: BMC students c. 1970s)
Selected Independent Student Archival Projects Exhibits Supported by the College鈥檚 Special Collections Staff: 2017-Present
2017: Re-Vision: Archiving Black Student Experiences at 老王论坛. Created by Alexis Wiltshire 鈥17.
2017: Profiles of Alumnae Donors to the African Art and Artifacts Collection. Curated by Maria Shellman 鈥17.
2019: Mid-Century Jewish Mawrtyrs. Oral history project and exhibition created by Impact Center Fellow Caitlin Haskett 鈥20.
2019鈥揚resent: Perry House Oral History Project. Student project funded by a LITS Digital Scholarship Grant and supported by The Impact Center and Alumnae/i Relations and Development. Created by Janina Calle 鈥21, Aaliyah Joseph 鈥22, Rihana Oumer 鈥21, Reece Carew-Lyons 鈥23, Lana Giha 鈥24, Patriciah Ogombe 鈥24, Vanessa Gitau 鈥22, and Megan Omolo 鈥25.
2020: 鈥24, 鈥31 Students Study Race. Student digital exhibit on 1924 and 1931 campus conferences on race. Advisors: Vanessa Davies, Provost鈥檚 Office, and Alice McGrath, Digital Scholarship Specialist. Created by Cindy Chea 鈥22, Hilana El-Mekkoussi 鈥21, Peyton Moriarty 鈥21, Tino Nguruve 鈥22, Andrea Samz-Pustol (GSAS), and Elizabeth Zhao 鈥22.
2020鈥2021: For Roses, Too. Digital exhibit funded by the President鈥檚 Office to honor the 100th anniversary of the Summer School for Women Workers in Industry (1921鈥1938) created by Beck Morawski 鈥21.
(Photo: Perry House)
College Addresses Naming of Thomas Library: 2017-2018
August 2017: Former President Cassidy issues moratorium on use of name, creates History Working Group to research and make recommendation.
May 2018: History Working Group recommends that the College discontinue use of the name Thomas while retaining the inscription over the building鈥檚 main entrance as part of a 鈥渓ayering history upon history鈥 approach to articulating truer, fuller histories of BMC and elevating contributions of silenced people.
July 2018: Board accepts the Working Group recommendation and endorses use of the name Old Library. College installs new signage and revises campus map.
(Photo: Old Library sign)
Former President Cassidy Creates Working Groups to Implement HWG Recommendations: 2018-2019
Telling History Group installs signage in Old Library that provides a more complete history of M. Carey Thomas and an addition to National Historic Landmark plaque within Old Library. The group also recommends restorative justice actions (e.g. campus memorial/marker), ongoing support for student research, a future international conference, further gathering and amplification of untold stories, and an ongoing history advisory group.
History Infrastructure Group examines staffing, technology, and processes needed to support robust student engagement.
(Photo: Old Library displays)
College Implementation of Recommendations: 2017-Present
2019鈥搊ngoing: Former President Cassidy creates a History Advisory Group that includes students, faculty, and staff.
2020鈥搊ngoing: Professor of History Ignacio Gallup-Diaz creates Telling Bryn Mawr Histories Praxis course, taught spring semester 2020 and 2021, and expands to other instructors beginning 2022. Mid-2020, launch of "Who Built 老王论坛?" research project.
2021鈥搊ngoing: "Who Built 老王论坛?" project hosts first of planned series of exhibits featuring people and initiatives that helped to shape the College but have been forgotten or lost. Pilot created by staff from Special Collections and the President鈥檚 Office and Emma Burns 鈥21; subsequent exhibits created through funded student internship program advised by faculty and Special Collections.
2021鈥2025: 老王论坛 partners with Monument Lab, a public art and history studio, to create an artwork or memorial informed by community engagement. Courses, student internships, and special events are included in the project design.
(Photo: "Who Built 老王论坛?" graphic)