Women at MSU: 150 Groundbreaking Years

The exhibit “Women at MSU: 150 Groundbreaking Years” in the Special Collections Gallery celebrates 150 years since the first women were admitted to what is now Michigan State University. The project brings together colleagues and materials from the MSU Museum, the University Archives and Historical Collections, and the Main Library as well as Special Collections. Spanning from the admission of the first women in 1870 to the Women’s Rights Hearings in 1972 called by President Wharton, the exhibit includes pamphlets, textbooks, women’s handbooks, photographs, student notebooks and scrapbooks, and an audio recording from the 1972 Women’s Rights Hearing. There will be a companion online exhibit for those who are not able to visit the gallery in person.

This exhibit has provided a unique opportunity for colleagues across the libraries, archives, and museum to collaborate and connect to increase our visibility in the MSU community. This collaboration is especially important considering the relatively new reorganization of the University Archives and the MSU Museum under the leadership of the Dean of the Libraries. The exhibit offers a chance to connect the community to the history of women at MSU and to reframe our history from their perspective through the collection items that will be displayed. It will also surely be a way to bring awareness of our collections to Alumni. Since this exhibit is a collaborative effort across departments, it will also expose the community to the different resources and services available at the Main Library, the Murray and Hong Special Collections, the University Archives and Historical Collection, and the MSU Museum.