UVA Club of Washington DC: The History of Women at UVA

In honor of Women's History Month, the Speakers and Panels Committee invites alumni, faculty, friends, and families of the University to attend a virtual discussion that focuses on the timeline of women's involvement at UVA.
The event will feature Richard Gard (Col '81), Editor at the Virginia Magazine, and Professor Emerita Phyllis K. Leffler of the History Department. Both of these speakers have conducted extensive research on the female journey at UVA and will have related photos, stories, and milestones to share with the audience!
Our speakers will share more about:
“Not Without a Fight” - A look at the dramatic court case that forced the University of Virginia to coeducate faster and more fully than it had planned.
When did women first come to UVA? - Spoiler - NOT 1970
What were some of their experiences like?
Why is this history so little known?
About our Speakers:
Richard Gard is the Alumni Association’s VP for communications and editor of Virginia Magazine. Since his arrival to Alumni Hall in 2016, the magazine team has won more than 30 journalistic honors for editorial and design excellence, including Richard’s recent awards for his report on the state of the Honor System, “Honor Up Close,” and the piece he will discuss tonight on the litigation that forced UVA’s hand on full coeducation, “Not Without a Fight.”
Richard was an Echols Scholar and English major at UVA. He got his law degree at the University of Georgia and practiced in Atlanta before starting a career in law, business and investigative journalism. Prior to coming to Charlottesville, he led award-winning news organizations in Atlanta, Missouri and Chicago.
Phyllis Leffler, Professor Emerita, retired from the History Department in 2015. Her research has focused in part on the history of UVA with a particular focus on the experience of women. She spearheaded a survey of women who attended the university prior to full co-education in the College in 1970. She also founded the Institute for Public History, placing undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful paid summer internships in libraries, museums, historic houses, and historical societies. Currently, she is the President and chair of the board of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.