University of Virginia Library

Shannon Denies Request To Coeducate Gwathmey

In a reply to a petition urging the
reconsideration of a previous decision,
Edgar F. Shannon, President of the
University, stated that he could not alter
his decision that the Roberta Gwathmey
House continue to be occupied solely by
women.

In a letter to Alan Williams, Vice
President for Student Affairs, the
President expressed the idea that "it
seems utterly unjustifiable, with more
upper-class undergraduate women than
ever before needing housing for next year, and
limited as we are to over 200 spaces in a
women's dormitory, to fall to use this space for
women."

He continued by stating that it would
appear "especially illogical and even arbitrary"
if he were to turn this newest section of Mary
Munford over to male occupancy while
requiring up to 100 women to live in
dormitories constructed for males.

In future plans it is proposed that the
all-female dormitory be continued to be used
for women during the Summer Session and
after the completion of additional housing.

It would, according to the President, "be
uneconomical to expose Roberta Gwathmey
House temporarily to the wear and tear of male
occupancy."

Mr. Shannon did mention an alternative
which was acceptable to him. In this proposal a
portion of the entering first-year women would
be housed in Gwathmey and the same number
of upper-class women would be placed in one
of the dormitories in the Alderman
Observatory Hill area.

This would permit the first-year women who
prefer such an arrangement an opportunity to
associate with upper-class women, while the
upper-class women, while the upper-class
women would "enjoy and benefit from
essentially being big sisters to these first-year
students."

Mr. Shannon concluded by saying that the
Lambeth Field and future planning of student
housing would provide for the accommodation
of students of either sexes, giving greater
flexibility of assignment.