| 1871 |
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Somerville Literary Society |
Barred from joining the two campus literary societies for men, members of a women's baseball team organized their own and made it open to all women students and alumnae. They chose for their namesake Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780-1872), a Quaker and an accomplished scientific writer from Scotland who supported women's education.
As more women graduated, the organization grew into an ad hoc alumnae association. Members published a magazine until 1910, sponsored speakers, and raised money to award graduate fellowships named for College founders
Lucretia Mott and Martha Tyson. The fellowships are still awarded today.
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