Rhoda M. Dorsey (September 9, 1927 – May 10, 2014) was an American historian and college president. Dorsey was the longest serving president of
Goucher College
Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...
and the first woman to hold the position.
Early life and education
Rhoda Dorsey was born on September 9, 1927 in
Dorchester neighborhood of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
. When Dorsey was a teenager, her mother died. She and her younger sister Frances Cobb (née Dorsey) were then cared for by Clara MacKenzie, whom her father retained full time, to care for the girls in his home in Newton, Massachusetts.
Dorsey graduated with a bachelor's degree
Smith College
Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...
, magna cum laude, in 1949. She then attended
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
as a
Fulbright scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
where she earned a bachelor's and master's degree. In 1954, while completing her doctorate at
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
, she was hired as an assistant professor of history at
Goucher College
Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...
. Dorsey completed her doctorate in 1956.
Her dissertation was titled ''The Resumption of Anglo-American Trade in New England 1783–1794''.
Career
Dorsey became an academic dean in 1968. In 1973, Dorsey succeeded Marvin Banks Perry, Jr. as the acting president. The next year, she was appointed as Goucher College's eighth president, becoming the institution's first woman to serve in this position. She presided over Goucher College in 1986 when its board of trustees voted to allow men to attend the college.
She retired on June 30, 1994, after serving as the President of Goucher for 21 years.
Community involvement
Dorsey was a member of many corporate boards. Upon retirement, she remained a volunteer at the
Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. Th ...
. She helped organize the 1995 book sale at her ''alma mater''
Smith College
Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...
.
Personal life
While serving as president of Goucher, Dorsey lived on campus in the president's residence and shared the residence with her childhood caretaker, Clara MacKenzie until Dorsey's retirement. Dorsey enjoyed traveling and was an avid gardener, specializing in flowers and herbs.
See also
*
References
External links
Goucher College profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Rhoda
1927 births
2014 deaths
People from Boston
Smith College alumni
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
University of Minnesota alumni
Presidents of Goucher College
American women philanthropists
Goucher College faculty and staff
Women heads of universities and colleges
20th-century American philanthropists
People from Dorchester, Massachusetts
20th-century women philanthropists