We did it and we could not have done it without you! We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the generous support offered by the Rhodes College community. With each gift, you helped our students receive the financial aid they need, supported faculty research, and supported Campus Life and preservation. It was an amazing (fiscal) year. Again, thank you for your continued support.
From Rhodes’ founding in 1848 into the 1880s, the college was strictly an all-male institution. By the late 19th century, a few females—daughters of chancellors and faculty members—were permitted to attend classes, but could not take exams or receive diplomas. But when Dr. Charles E. Diehl became president, things began to change, and fast. In 1917, with World War I in full swing, women were admitted into the college on an equal basis with men. Four years later, Margaret Trahern ’21 became the first woman in the college’s history to receive a diploma. Now, Rhodes welcomes the first woman to serve as our president, Dr. Marjorie Hass.