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Timelines and Chronologies

​​​​​​This guide is designed as a resource for timelines and chronologies of college history, including information about athletics, campus buildings, diversity, coeducation, and more. Archives, Special Collections & Community.

1950-1975

 1958 

The Richardson Scholarship Program was the first institutional effort to bring international students to Davidson. This program brought students to Davidson for one year of study.  There were students from Latin America and India between 1958-1962. Other students also came from Western Europe, Asia, and South America. The program ran from 1958 to 1968, as other scholarships began being offered to international students. Here is an example page from the 1961 Quips and Cranks that lists international students during that academic year (students who were presumably brought here as Richardson Scholars).

 

 Fall 1962

Davidson College becomes integrated with the enrollment of Congolese students Benoit "Ben" Nzengu and George Nzongola.

 

 1964 

First African-American students enroll, Leslie Brown and Wayne Crumwell, who entered Davidson in Fall 1964

To increase international awareness, Davidson began encouraging students to partake in study abroad programs. Junior Year Abroad (JYA) was the first Davidson-sponsored study abroad program. Programs were first offered in Germany and France.

Cora Louise Nelson was hired as the first female faculty member in the Economics Department. Later in 1975, she became the first female faculty member to earn tenure. 

 

 1965

Jewish and Catholic students were permitted to attend a synagogue or church instead of attending either a chapel or vespers service

 

 1967 

The Black Student Coalition was founded in 1967 "to establish and maintain a spirit of solidarity among the black students of Davidson College."

Mike Maloy and Calvin Murphy were the first African-American athletes at Davidson. Both played on the Men's Basketball team in 1967-68

 

 1969

Chapel and vespers end for all students in Spring 1969

Davidson participated in an 8-college exchange program that allowed female exchange students to take classes at Davidson.

 

 1970 

South Asian Studies program begins

 

 1971 

Board of Trustees approved offering Davidson degrees to wives of Davidson students, and to wives and daughters of faculty.

 

 1972 

Board of Trustees officially voted to become co-educational and granted open admission of female degree candidates.

The Davidson in India study abroad program begins.

Office of Admissions redefines a position to devote half-time to minority recruitment.

Lois Kemp [pdf], a Spanish professor, was hired and became the first female head of an academic department at Davidson.

 

 1973

First woman elected to Board of Trustees – Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans

In Fall 1973, four African-American women attended Davidson:

  • Julia Deck, who attended for one year

  • Renee Denise Fanuiel, who became the first African-American woman to graduate from Davidson in 1977 and the first woman commissioned through ROTC at Davidson

  • Debra Kyle, who attended for two years

  • Marian Perkins, who graduated in 1979

Class of 1973: Missy Boaz Woodward was the first woman to earn a degree.

 

 1974 

First African-American professor, Charles Dockery (French)

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