University Libraries

By Ava Merriman ’26

The University of Dayton finds its origins in the 19th century, founded by the Society of Mary in 1850 as the St. Mary’s School for Boys. As the name suggests, the institution, which later became UD, enrolled only boys. It wouldn’t be until 1935 that both men and women could attend the university at the same time.

Though only 27 women enrolled in the university for the 1935–36 school year, the number grew as the years went by. In 1946, a women’s campus group known as the Central Women’s Organization — or CWO — formed to promote and support women students at the University of Dayton.

The CWO became a campus powerhouse that would influence and oversee all of UD’s women’s organizations. If you were a member of a sorority, you were a member of the CWO. If you were part of the Home Economics Club, you were a member of the CWO. If you were a member of the Flyerettes, the Marching Coeds, or the women’s pistol team? You guessed it, you were a member of the CWO. If you were a woman and a student at UD, even if you did not participate in any women’s club, organization or sports team, the CWO considered you a member. In this regard, one could consider CWO one of the highest-membership student organizations in UD’s history.

As an organization run by women for women, the CWO had a vested interest in engaging students in women’s rights issues. Thus, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, CWO voted to join the Intercollegiate Association of Women Students (IAWS). Successful in its petition to join, CWO became a provisional member in 1968 and a full member in 1969. Full membership made students in CWO leadership positions eligible to attend IAWS regional conventions, which offered lectures on issues such as reproductive rights, sexual freedom, discrimination, and educational and vocational opportunities for women. On campus, CWO members would also raise money for campus projects such as the Student Aid Fund and the Student Union Building Fund. 

Nowadays, the name “Central Women’s Organization” probably doesn’t ring any bells amongst UD students. The organization dissolved in the 1970s, long before most students were born — and before some students’ parents were born. The ratio of men to women at UD has evened out in recent decades, and structures such as the Women’s Center and Students Advocating for Gender Equity (SAGE) have formed to address issues of importance to women. Although CWO is now but a memory, it helped create a coeducational environment in which women can thrive, thus making it an important — if overlooked — part of UD history.

More milestones and memories

The University of Dayton is celebrating its 175th anniversary with an exhibit in Roesch Library. Plan your visit to Honoring Our History: UD at 175.

— Ava Merriman is a senior English major and student employee in the University Archives.

Left to right: Patty Siemers, Sharon Kelly, Sara Gover, R. Kathleen Whetro, Dean of Women, Mason Benner, Assistant to the Dean of Women, Mary Gail Hallerman, and Trudy Schwieterman in 1957.