University of Virginia Library

ADMISSION OF WOMEN

President Darden presented the following letter from Mr. George O. Ferguson, Registrar

"Between 1920, when women were first admitted to the University, and the present, three
women have been awarded the degree of B. S. in Architecture, thirteen have received the B. S. in
Commerce, and five the B. S. in Chemistry. All of these degrees were awarded on the basis of work
in the regular session of the College.

"No woman has ever been admitted to the regular session as a candidate for the degree
of Bachelor of Arts, and no woman has ever received this degree on the basis of work in the regular
session of the College.

"However, between 1925 and 1939, twenty-one women were awarded the degree of Bachelor
of Arts as students of the Summer Quarter. The general revision of degree and residence requirements
of 1936 has made the award of summer session B. A. degrees impracticable in the last dozen
years, although I know of no legislation to prevent the award of these degrees in the summer.

"I believe the following quotation from the current undergraduate catalogue, pages
60-61, adequately represents our practice in admitting women to the College in the last twenty
years. "Women are not admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences as candidates for the degree
of Bachelor of Arts, as pre-professional students, or as special students. They may, however,
be admitted as candidates for the vocational degrees of Bachelor of Science in Architecture,
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, or Bachelor of Science in Commerce. In order to be admitted as
a candidate for a vocational degree, an applicant must be at least twenty years of age, and must
have completed, in an accredited college, at least two full years (sixty semester-hours) of
academic work with satisfactory grades." I believe that in a very few instances the President
of the University has waived the age requirement for admission to candidacy for a vocational degree

"Prior to twenty years ago, a few women of the local community were admitted to the
College each year as "special" students, to take certain courses of their choice. They were not
admitted as candidates for degrees. There was never any legislation to permit the admission of
women as special students. They were admitted by special approval of the President in each case.
However, the number of applicants for admission as special students became so great that the
practice of admitting any of them was discontinued about 1932

"I hope this is the information you desire, but if you wish additional details, I
think I can probably supply them. Our records of the degrees awarded women since 1920 are quite
complete."

The Rector stated that following the resolution of the Board at its November meeting,
he had referred this matter of the admission of women to the College of Arts and Sciences to the
Attorney General for an opinion, but he was not sure that he had stated correctly the practice as
followed by the University in the past. Mr. Ferguson's letter clarified the matter, and he would
ask the Attorney General to proceed with his determination.

At this point the secretary left the meeting.