Finale Event to Mark End of Yearlong Coeducation Anniversary Celebration

The yearlong celebration of “Opening Doors” will conclude with a finale event on Jan. 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom that will commemorate the strong legacy of women — past, present and future — at the College of the Holy Cross. The keynote address will be given by Ann McElaney-Johnson "79, Ph. D., president of Mount St. Mary's College and member of the Holy Cross Board of Trustees. The program will feature performances by the Delilahs, an all-female a cappella group, and the Rhythm Nation Steppaz, a co-ed step team, as well as recognition of alumnae from the previous four decades.

“When Holy Cross opened its doors to women in 1972, the College not only created opportunities for women to access the superior education that has always been the hallmark of the College, it also changed the lives of the men who sat in class with those women,” said McElaney-Johnson. “We are always better when diverse minds come together as a community. I am proud of this commitment to an inclusive learning environment that educates all those who pass through these doors to be ‘men and women for others, ’ and I am excited and honored to be part of this celebration of coeducation at Holy Cross.”

The College’s 40th anniversary of coeducation celebration featured a robust lineup of events throughout the 2012-13 academic year. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae have had — and will continue to have — extensive opportunities to reflect on, acknowledge, and commemorate the moment in 1972 when the College opened its doors to women students for the first time. Events spanned all academic disciplines — from the arts to the sciences — and explored the impact of Holy Cross alumnae in fields ranging from business to medicine to civic life.

Highlighted alumnae include:

• Jane Hawkins ‘76
• Katherine "Kim" McElaney ‘76
• Meg (McElaney) Woolley ‘77
• Sheila (Driscoll) Celata ‘78
• Paula Sasso ‘78
• Ann McElaney-Johnson, keynote speaker ‘79
• Bernadette Semple '82
• Jacqueline (McNiff) Regan ‘83
• H. Elizabeth Mitchell ‘84
• Julie McElaney-Gorman ‘87
• Jeannie Seidler ‘96
• Emily (Rauer) Davis ‘99
• Lynsey Heffernan ‘00
• Cymetra Williams ‘03
• Luz Colon-Rodriguez ‘05
• Mary Beth Ryan ‘05
• Kolt Bloxson ‘06
• Tejal Patel ‘06
• Elizabeth Morse ‘09
• Elizabeth Wambui '09
• Miriam Westin ‘11

Related News

• Holy Cross Magazine, Winter 2014: “Opening Doors and Beyond”
• Yearlong Coeducation Anniversary Celebration Continues at Holy Cross