In the late 1970s, the percentage and number of women both on campus, and majoring in engineering, increased dramatically. Thus, the total number of women on campus increased from 59 in 1970 to 629 in 1980 (the total undergraduate population increased as well). Still Clarkson remained a very white and male-dominated environment—in numbers of students, faculty, and administrators and in terms of the culture.
| Year | Percentage of Clarkson Women Undergraduates | Percentage of Clarkson Women Undergraduates who Majored in Engineering |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.6 | 0.17 |
| 1970 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| 1974 | 7.8 | 4.5 |
| 1980 | 18.3 | 13.9 |
During their time at Clarkson, the women interviewed remember fondly living with other coeds, sometimes saying that living in the all-female dorm, located in a beautiful historic home on campus, was like “being in a sorority.” Some remembered walking the “gauntlet” between the all-female dorm and the cafeteria at the beginning of their freshman year as male students yelled obscenities and played raunchy music out their windows. Many of the women were involved in sports on campus, founding the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Although they mentioned some challenges creating the teams, they clearly enjoyed the athletics and camaraderie with their teammates.
Women at Clarkson also formed a chapter of the Society of Women Engineers in 1973. The chapter was very active and won numerous awards. Academically, the women did not see themselves as having a disadvantage because they were female, and all of the women mentioned the numerous job offers they received as college seniors. They graduated in an era when engineering jobs were plentiful and when corporations actively sought women to hire because of new affirmative action laws.
Pictured above is the cover of The Girls at Clarkson, a 1971 promotional pamphlet.