Sarah Gibson Blanding (November 22, 1898 – March 3, 1985) was an American
educator
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
and
academic administrator
Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the Faculty (academic staff), faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint ...
who served as
Vassar College's sixth president (1946–1964) and its first female president. A strong public advocate, she worked hard to advance the professional, political, and academic place of women in the world and was a general proponent of expanded educational opportunity.
Biography
Blanding was born on a farm in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
in 1898. She attended the
New Haven Normal School of Gymnastics, where she graduated in 1919. That same year, Blanding was hired as a physical education instructor by the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
, where she simultaneously began her undergraduate work in the A.B. program. While at UK she coached the
women's basketball team from 1919 through 1922, leading the team to a 3-14-1 record. She played on the team as team captain in 1923 under coach
A.B. "Happy" Chandler.
Upon graduation in 1923, Blanding was appointed the university's acting dean of women, becoming the youngest dean in the country, at age twenty-four. Blanding obtained her master's degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in 1926, and pursued graduate studies at the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
under
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski (30 June 1893 – 24 March 1950) was an English political theorist and economist. He was active in politics and served as the chairman of the British Labour Party from 1945 to 1946 and was a professor at the London School of ...
. In 1929, she was appointed dean of women and professor of political science at the University of Kentucky. She served in these positions until 1941, when she was selected as the first dean of
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
's
College of Home Economics
The University of Home Economics Lahore is a public university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It was founded in 1955 to create a center for teaching and research in the field of Home Economics.
On 8 February 2017, Punjab assembly passed the bill to ...
and became the first female dean at Cornell.
Blanding was named president of
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
in 1946. One member of the Board of Trustees explained that they selected her because she impressed them as a "great personality". Indeed, Blanding was always known for her outspoken character; at Cornell she was praised for being an effectively aggressive administrator. Blanding herself credited her independent and charged personality to her upbringing on a farm and to the running of her own tobacco farm in Kentucky for many years.
A biography of Sarah Gibson Blanding would be incomplete without mentioning the famous "no sex until marriage" speech that she gave in April 1962 to the students of Vassar College while serving as college president. She demanded that students (all females at that time) withdraw from the college if they engaged in
premarital sex
Premarital sex is Human sexual activity, sexual activity which is practiced by people before they are Marriage, married. Premarital sex is considered a sin by a number of religions and also considered a Sexual mores, moral issue which is taboo i ...
. This unusual and controversial speech was picked up by the media and made national news.
During her tenure at Vassar, Blanding instituted several important changes. In 1949, she helped establish the Mary Conover Mellon Foundation for the Advancement of Education, a research program that studied and promoted the psychological welfare of college students. An evaluation of Vassar was conducted under Blanding's leadership in the form of a two-year assessment, which reviewed everything from living conditions to academic objectives. A new
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
that emphasized independent study was put into place as a result. Blanding encouraged the advancement of faculty members at Vassar on a merit system, not years served, and increased faculty salaries by 116%. She also instituted the house fellow system, where faculties lived in
dormitories
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
alongside students. Blanding raised $25 million for Vassar in nine years, tripling its
endowment
Endowment most often refers to:
*A term for human penis size
It may also refer to: Finance
*Financial endowment, pertaining to funds or property donated to institutions or individuals (e.g., college endowment)
*Endowment mortgage, a mortgage to b ...
. Three new buildings (Ferry House, Chicago Hall, and Noyes House) were erected, and three major reconstructions of older buildings occurred during her presidency.
Blanding died on March 3, 1985.
Other work
Sarah Blanding served on many boards and commissions, often as the only woman. Her positions: consultant to the
U.S. Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
as member of the Joint Army and Navy Committee on Welfare and Recreation (1943-1946); member of the President's Commission on Higher Education under
President Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
; and member of the Public Advisory Board of the
Economic Cooperation Administration
The Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) was a U.S. government agency set up in 1948 to administer the Marshall Plan. It reported to both the State Department and the Department of Commerce. The agency's first head was Paul G. Hoffman, a fo ...
. Blanding had a prominent public presence. In the 1950s, she spoke out to protect the rights of several faculty members against allegations made by Senator
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
. Blanding received international attention on another occasion. Many students found an impromptu speech at a required convocation in 1964, reproaching premarital sex, alcohol, and "vulgar conduct" among Vassar students, out of step with their own mores. She also served as the first female on the First Board of Foreign Scholarships administering
Fulbright Scholarships
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 ...
, and the National Committee that chose the first
Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship for "intellectually distinguished young Americans ndtheir country's future leaders" to study at any university in the United Kingdom. It is widely considered one of the most prestigious sc ...
s.
Upon her retirement as Vassar president in 1964, the college presented Blanding with a tractor "evoking both the practical effects of her tenure and her Kentucky childhood". Blanding died in 1985. She had been a lifelong advocate of academic freedom and independent thinking for her students. "I like people," Blanding once said. "I like all kinds of people. I get along well with them because I trust them. I make it plain to everyone on my staff that I want them to stand up and fight for their own ideas. If they have better arguments, they win."
Legacy
Blanding Tower as well as the low-rise Blanding I, II, III and IV dormitories at the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
are named for Sarah Blanding.
References
Sources
*Daniels, Elizabeth Adams. "Sarah Gibson Blanding" American National Biography. 1999 ed.
*"Everybody's Weekly." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. 7 April 1946.
*"Sarah Gibson Blanding Obituary." ''The New York Times''. 4 March 1985.
*"Vassar Saddened by Death of Sarah Gibson Blanding." Vassar Views. No. 80 March 1985: 1
*"Vassar College and its Eight Presidents, 1861-1986: An exhibition prepared to honor Frances D. Fergusson on the occasion of her inauguration as the ninth president of Vassar College." October 11, 1986.
External links
Biographyat Vassar College Encyclopedia
Biographyat the University of Kentucky
Sarah Gibson Blanding Papers.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanding, Sarah Gibson
1898 births
1985 deaths
Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
Cornell University faculty
Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball coaches
Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball players
Presidents of Vassar College
University of Kentucky faculty
American women's basketball coaches
Deans of women
20th-century American women
American women academics
Women heads of universities and colleges
20th-century American academics