This article features the centennial celebration at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Monday, December 11, 2006
By Mike Maslanik
William Smith College is celebrating a century of existence by highlighting the importance of developing leadership qualities in young women.
The centennial celebration kicked off Saturday night with the annual Founder's Day dinner and will continue through September 2008, the 100th anniversary of when the first class - 18 women - started at William Smith. Today, there are 1,028.
"[A centennial provides] a wonderful opportunity to step back and look at 100 years of William Smith College and all the alumnae who've gone on to make a difference," said Mark Gearan, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
One of the major initiatives the college will launch is the Centennial Center for Leadership at 603 South Main St. Each year, the college will select one woman to act as a Leadership Chair to provide guidance and a good example for all students.
"The goal is to bring in someone who can be a scholar in residence, a woman who is recognized as a leader in her field," said Deborah DeMeis, William Smith dean and head of the centennial committee. "We want change agents who can give students some perspective on what it's like to be a leader."
She envisions the Leadership Chair visiting the campus several times a year to deliver lectures, host work sessions and act as a mentor.
The latter is particularly important, DeMeis said, because as more women enter higher education, they'll need to learn how to take the reins in politics, business and sciences.
"Oftentimes, they're going to be the first woman in leadership positions," she said. "That's why mentoring is such an important part of this mission, the best way to learn is from those who came before you."
However, women won't be the only ones to benefit from the center, DeMeis said.
"Men have a lot to gain from seeing different styles of leadership," she said. "It's important that men be comfortable working with strong, female leaders now, because a lot of them will move on to places where women [have the top job]."
Leadership has been embedded in William Smith's mission ever since its namesake signed a deed of gift to establish the school in 1906, she said. A wealthy Geneva businessman and nursery owner, Smith was greatly influenced by his close ties to the women's suffrage movement.
"Smith knew that if women were to enjoy full participation in politics, they needed an education," DeMeis said.
Smith ensured that his college would be a non-denominational, liberal arts institution dedicated to providing broad, not vocational, education, she said.
William Smith's coordinate relationship with Hobart College also gives women a unique opportunity to lead, DeMeis said. Men and women share curriculum and faculty, but each has its own administration and student government.
Many William Smith graduates have gone on to distinguish themselves as leaders in their field, including Gail McGinn, class of 1973, who has been the U.S. deputy undersecretary for defense plans since 2002.
"William Smith taught me to think, to care, to question and to be empowered to make a difference," McGinn said, via e-mail. "These things help you believe in yourself and that's what equips you to lead."
mmaslanik@fltimes.com