Department History | Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department History

This timeline highlights the history of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Stony Brook University, alongside related milestones and achievements across the campus community.

First Woman Student Government President

1958

Rosemarie Capone served as the first Vice President and later the first President of Stony Brook University's Student Government, which was established in 1958. She was also valedictorian of her graduating class. (Photographed at graduation 1961)

First Woman Administrator

1958/59

The first woman to serve as Associate Dean of Students was Kathryn M. Sawyer, (photographed right) who was succeeded by Elizabeth Morrow (photographed left) in 1959–1960.

First Woman Faculty Member Hired

1960

Mirella (Levi) D’Ancona was the first woman hired as a faculty member at Stony Brook University within an academic discipline, specializing in Art and Art History. Elizabeth Morrow is recognized as the first woman faculty member overall and appears to have taught seminar-style courses comparable to SBU 101.

First Women's Studies Courses

1971

The first documented Women's Studies-related course at Stony Brook was offered in Spring 1971. Joel Rosenthal taught SSC 302: An Interdisciplinary Problem – Women in Society, a topics-based course.

The first non-topics Women's Studies courses were introduced in 1973: EGL 276: Women and Literature and SOC 247: Women and Men.

Women's Studies Minor Established

1976/77

The Women’s Studies Minor was originally housed within the Interdisciplinary Program in Social Sciences and coordinated by Beverly Birns. It initially required 24 credits, with SSC 102 Introduction to Women's Studies serving as the foundational course.

Women's Studies Program Established

1987

The Women's Studies Program was established in 1987, with Ruth Schwartz Cowan, a professor of history, serving as its first director.

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2011-2013

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