Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Limitations Of Women In Science At Six Midwestern Colleges Due To The Adherence To Conceptions Of Gender Differences Between The Sexes In The Years Of 1880 Through 1940, Denise Mohney '91

Honors Projects, History

It is difficult for college students today to imagine life when the term "discrimination" had not yet been defined or conceived. Yet only a little more than a hundred years ago women were first entering the academic world alongside men. These were often middle class women whose primary interactions with men had been through courtship and marriage. It was questioned whether women's intellectual ability and physical stamina were strong enough to persevere through the college experience. Scientists and physicians, writing for the general public, cited evidence that besides physical distinctions between the sexes, there were also intellectual and emotional differences. …