Celebrating 50 Years of Women at Govs

Celebrating 50

Left: The 1973 first girls field hockey team; Right Top: In 1986, Peter Bragdon awards the Morse Flag to Jennifer Grimes ’86; Right Bottom: 1983, dancers on the Thompson Auditorium stage

Years of Women

Fifty years ago... 1981

Fifty years ago, in the fall of 1971, Governor Dummer Academy decided to admit girls for the first time in over sixty years; these twenty-four intrepid pioneers permanently ended the school’s status as an all-male institution. Recognizing this milestone is as much about celebrating the pioneers as it is about honoring all the girls and women who have called Byfield home.

Over the next year and a half, we look forward to having you join us for a program of special events to celebrate the accomplishments of the remarkable women who have contributed to the excellence and vibrancy of Governor’s. We invite you to dive into the fascinating, and often controversial, history of women at the Academy, and examine the progress we’ve made and the opportunities ahead.

2002 dance perfomance in the Chapel featuring Rachelle Dennis ’02, Francesca DeMeo ’02, and Heather Jameson ’02

2002

The very first group of girls (only six) were admitted to Governor Dummer Academy in 1872 for a short time under the headship of Ebenezer Greenleaf Parsons, (1872–1882), and again in 1897, a small number of female day students were permitted to study at the school. During their time at Governor Dummer, the girls largely excelled and several won academic prizes at the end of the school year. Despite key individuals who championed their cause, the trustees ended coeducation and dismissed the girls in 1904.

Whether or not the girls received diplomas at graduation has been a topic of debate. Carrie Knight Ambrose, class of 1876, and Carrie S. Dummer, class of 1879, received honorary diplomas as 70-year-old women during Commencement in 1939. However, Carrie Knight’s original diploma, which now hangs in the Academy archives, is dated 1876 and is signed by then Headmaster Parsons.

First female alumna, Carrie Knight Ambrose (also founder of the Allies)

1992

Faculty Emerita Kathy Guy P’05 (1949–2017), and Faculty Emerita Laurel Abusamra P’93, (1947–2020) Shortly after the arrival of female students, GDA realized the importance of female faculty members to help mentor and support the academic, social, and co-curricular experiences of these young women. Within the first five years, they hired two women in the language department, Kathy Guy and Laurel Abusamra, who went on to be two of the longest-serving female faculty in the history of the school. Both women quickly became trusted teachers, role models, mentors, and friends to countless students during their tenure.

Girls hockey club 1984, with faculty Lynda Fitzgerald P’93,’00 “Opportunities for girls to play ice hockey were not available until 1984 when several female students asked Lynda Fitzgerald if she would coach a new girls’ hockey club, which became a formalized team the following year. Despite having to wear old football uniforms, the team made the most of the situation and set Govs on the path to another highly successful girls’ athletics program.” — The Governor’s Academy history teacher and archivist

Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24

1979

1997

L to R: Emerita Faculty Coach Maud Havovit P’09,’13, Girls Varsity Lacrosse captains Piper Gore ’97 and Colleen Christopher ’97, and Coach Anna Hill ’85.