Women in Higher Ed

Women in Higher Ed. . , The Seminary Movement , Lake Erie College traces its historic roots back to the Female Seminary Movement (1820s to 1850s), which focused on providing advanced education for women to become wives, mothers, missionaries, and educators. As the movement evolved, seminaries became a part of a growing trend toward women's equality, as they provided the means for women to achieve a higher education. The term "seminary" expressed a vocational emphasis, and was often adopted by female academies that trained future educators., Lake Erie College is formerly known as Lake Erie Female Seminary, which opened in 1859 under its first President (Principal), Lydia Sessions (1859-1866). The institution was founded after Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in Hadley, Massachusetts, one of the historic seven "Sister Schools" in the United States, offering training that focused on domestic affairs but also options in liberal arts studies. Lake Erie Female Seminary's curriculum underwent numerous changes throughout the years, and by 1898, students could qualify for a college degree rather than a seminary diploma when the institution became Lake Erie Seminary and College. In 1908, a charter was passed by the state of Ohio to establish the institution as Lake Erie College., Female Leadership In The Field , Mary Evans (right) was the first President of Lake Erie College when it received its charter from the state, and was previously Principal when the institution was Lake Erie Female Seminary. She was a graduate of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, class of 1860. Evans worked closely with other women in higher education, like Luette Bentley, to increase women's impact in higher education and to influence women in the region for the women's suffrage cause., Bentley made her way into higher education after graduating from Lake Erie Female Seminary in 1865, becoming part of the faculty and later elected as Associate Principal under Mary Evans. When Lake Erie College was chartered, she became a dean and made significant contributions to the college's history and influence. Vivian Blanche Small became Evans' successor as President of Lake Erie College after her retirement in 1909, previously an educator at her alma mater, Mount Holyoke College. Small is considered a prominent figure in educational affairs in the Western Reserve.