Wells College is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

in Aurora, New York. The college has cross-enrollment with

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 ...

and

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and go ...

. For much of its history it was a women's college. Wells College is located in the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

region of New York. It is within the

Aurora Village–Wells College Historic District The historic village of Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, rises on a hill above the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. The village was named by Captain Benjamin Ledyard, who settled there in 1793, in the post-Revolutionary development of the Finger La ...

, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The college has an average student body of 450 and a student to faculty ratio of 9:1. It has five residence halls and seven academic buildings.

History

Wells was established as a

women's college Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male stud ...

in 1868 by

Henry Wells Henry Wells (December 12, 1805 – December 10, 1878) was an American businessman important in the history of both the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company. Wells worked as a freight agent before joining the express business. Hi ...

, co-founder of

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

and the

American Express Company American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...

. Wells had the building for Wells Seminary constructed on property he donated. On August 9, 1888, the college's main building burned to the ground. The building was replaced in 1890 by the current Main Building, designed by architect William Henry Miller. In 1906 Henry Wells' 1852 mansion, Glen Park, was purchased by the Alumnae Association and given to the college for its use. It is now operated as a residence hall for upper-class Women and Nonbinary Identifying People. In 1965,

Walter Netsch Walter A. Netsch (February 23, 1920 – June 15, 2008) was an American architect based in Chicago. He was most closely associated with the brutalist style of architecture as well as with the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. His signature aes ...

designed the Louis Jefferson Long Library. The design of this award-winning building inspired two other buildings on campus, Barler Music Hall and Campbell Art Building. In 1886,

Frances Folsom Frances Clara Cleveland Preston ( née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as ...

, Wells Class of 1885, married President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

and became the youngest

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

. She was the only First Lady to have her wedding in the White House, and she was the first First Lady to have graduated from college. Frances Cleveland (later Preston, after her second marriage) served on the college's board of trustees for 50 years. She helped bring the college to national prominence.

Co-education

After 136 years as a

, Wells announced on October 2, 2004 that it would become a co-educational institution in 2005. Students protested on campus against the change. Some parents of students also became involved in the protests. Some of the students said that their protests were patterned after ones at

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

in the early 1990s. A website called ''Wells for Women'' was established to organize support. After the college's decision to adopt coeducation was approved by its board, students filed a lawsuit, which the courts rejected. The college adopted coeducation in 2005. This decision is still highly controversial among alumni.

Odd/Even

Odd/Even is a Wells tradition during which students who graduate in Odd-numbered years (Odds) compete against students who graduate in Even-numbered years (Evens). The Odds' colors are purple and gold (sometimes yellow). The Evens' colors are blue and green. Juniors coach the incoming freshmen, while seniors coach the sophomores. The first Odd/Even competition took place in 1898. Traditionally, a basketball game and a sing-off were the events to determine which team was superior that year. Due to COVID-19, the basketball game was changed to a kickball game. After each event takes place, the senior coaches and song mamas pass down their whistles and recorders, respectively. In 2008, a Men's Odd/Even, usually called Even/Odd, was created. The competition consisted of a dance-off and a dodgeball game. These events have not taken place since Spring 2019 due to COVID-19 and the lack of male population at Wells.

Financial difficulties

In 2020 the president of Wells College, Jonathan Gibralter, sent a letter to the college community reporting that financial issues related to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

threatened the college's future, writing, "If New York State continues its mandate that our campus remain closed through all or part of the 020fall semester, Wells simply will not receive enough revenue to continue operations." Because Wells College receives about 15% of its operating revenue from its Italy-based study abroad program, a COVID-19-related postponement or termination of that program can seriously harm the college's financial standing.

Academics

In 2016, ''U.S. News'' ranked Wells at 174 (tied) among liberal arts colleges nationally. Wells College has several study abroad programs, most notably in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, Italy. It has created centers in

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

, business and entrepreneurship, and

book arts Book arts may refer to: * Artist's books, works of art in the form of a book * Book illustration, illustration in a book * Book design Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various compon ...

. Undergraduate students are required to participate in at least internships during their time at Wells, one of which must be off campus.

Athletics

Athletics are offered with half a PE credit earned for each season completed. A member of the Private College Athletic Conference throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, the ''Express'' sports teams of the college captured four consecutive conference championships in women's tennis (1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81). They also won titles in women's bowling (1978–79, 1979–80). Wells, which officially became an

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...

institution prior to the 1986–87 athletic season, joined the

Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference The Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference was an eight-member college athletics conference founded in 1995 and given official status in 1999. It competed in NCAA Division III and as its name implies, only offered championships in women's sports. I ...

prior to the 1996–97 athletic season. In 1996, the Wells women's soccer team captured the school's only AWCC championship title. Wells offered six intercollegiate athletic sports: field hockey, softball, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, women's swimming and women's tennis. As part of the Board of Trustees decision to begin accepting men to the traditionally all-women's college, Wells in 2005 incorporated men's soccer, men's swimming, and men's and women's cross country into their athletic cadre. Prior to the 2007–08 academic year, the Express teams were invited to join the

North Eastern Athletic Conference The United East Conference (UEC), formerly known as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of th ...

and compete against 14 other schools in the East Region. By joining the NEAC, Wells can compete for conference championships with the added benefit of receiving an automatic qualifier in select sports to participate in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

tournament. Since joining the NEAC, Wells has captured six separate conference championships. Men's swimming won the first league title in 2009–10, and earned a second title in 2012–13. Women's swimming have won three consecutive conference championships, during the 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14 seasons. Men's basketball, who won the NEAC championship in 2010–11, was the first team from Wells to participate in the NCAA Tournament. As of the 2021–22 athletic season, Wells offers 15 NCAA Division III varsity sports, including field hockey, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, softball, and baseball. In the 2018-2019 season the Wells Men’s Volleyball team made it to the Elite 8 (Quarterfinals) in the NCAA Division 3 Men’s Volleyball Tournament before falling to Stevens Institute of Technology. In the 2019-2020 season, the Wells College Women's swim team won first place in the NEAC swimming championships.

Honor Code

Wells has an honor code to which all students subscribe. By signing the Honor Code, Wells students pledge "not to lie, cheat, steal, deceive, or conceal in the conduct of their collegiate life". Wells allows students to have take-home exams and to work in their residence hall rooms, at the library, or on the dock by the lake rather than only in classrooms.

Notable alumnae

Frances Folsom Cleveland Frances Clara Cleveland Preston ( née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as ...

– wife of President

and First Lady of the United States *

Pleasant Rowland Pleasant Thiele Rowland (born Pleasant Williams Thiele; March 8, 1941) is an American educator, reporter, writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Rowland is best known for creating the American Girl brand. She is also notable for her efforts to re ...

– founder of Pleasant Company and creator of the American Girl brand of dolls, books, and accessories *

Laura Nader Laura Nader (born February 16, 1930) is an American anthropologist. She has been a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley since 1960. She was the first woman to receive a tenure-track position in the department. She i ...

– Professor of Anthropology at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. * Helen Barolini – author of novels and essays *

Edith Kinney Gaylord Edith Kinney Gaylord (March 5, 1916 – January 28, 2001), also referred to as Edith Gaylord Harper, was an American journalist and philanthropist. Early life She was born on March 5, 1916, in Oklahoma City to Inez and E. K. Gaylord. Her father ...

– journalist, philanthropist, founder of Inasmuch Foundation and

Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) is a grant-making foundation based in Oklahoma that provides grants to journalism institutions throughout the United States. In 2011, the foundation's assets were $91.1 million and $4 million ...

, and former president of the National Women's Press Club * Mary Beckerle – Ph.D and executive director of the

Huntsman Cancer Institute Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) is an NCI-designated cancer research facility and hospital located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center i ...

. She is also a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

. *

Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter (June 15, 1876 – April 26, 1963) was an American translator and writer, best known for translating almost all of the works of Thomas Mann for their first publication in English. Personal life Helen Tracy Porter was the ...

– translator of

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...

's works * Grace Carew Sheldon (1855–1921), journalist, author, editor, businesswoman * Helena Zachos – faculty member at

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

Notable faculty

Jesse Bering Jesse Michael Bering (born May 6, 1975) is an American psychologist, writer, and academic. He is a professor in Science Communication at the University of Otago (where he serves as Director of the Centre for Science Communication), as well as a ...

– psychologist *

Robert P. T. Coffin Robert Peter Tristram Coffin (March 18, 1892 – January 20, 1955) was an American poet, educator, writer, editor and literary critic. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1936, he was the Poetry editor for ''Yankee'' magazine. Early life ...

– poet * Frances "Sissy" Farenthold – politician and human rights activist, former Wells president *

John D. Graham John D. Graham (December 27, 1886, Kyiv, Ukraine – June 27, 1961, London, England) was a Ukrainian–born American modernist and figurative painter, art collector, and a mentor of modernist artists in New York City. Born Ivan Gratianovitch ...

– painter *

Victor Hammer Victor Karl Hammer (December 9, 1882 – July 8, 1967) was an Austrian-born American painter, sculptor, printer, and typographer. Early life and education Hammer was born in Vienna, Austria to Karl and Maria (Fuhrmann) Hammer. He began his a ...

– artist *

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ''Ne ...

– composer and violist * R. Joseph Hoffmann – historian of religion, humanist activist *

J. J. Lankes Julius John Lankes (1884–1960) was an illustrator, a woodcut print artist, author, and college professor. Early life and education Lankes was born on August 31, 1884 in Buffalo, New York to parents of German heritage. His father worked in a l ...

– artist *

Lillian Rosanoff Lieber Lillian Rosanoff Lieber (July 26, 1886 in Nicolaiev, Russian Empire - July 11, 1986 in Queens, New York) was a Russian-American mathematician and popular author. She often teamed up with her illustrator husband, Hugh Gray Lieber, to produce wor ...

– mathematician and author *

Louise Ropes Loomis Louise Ropes Loomis (May 3, 1874 – January 2, 1958) was an American historian, classicist, and translator. She was a professor of history at Wells College from 1921 to 1940, and editor of Classics Club Publications from the 1920s until 1949. I ...

– historian, translator, editor *

Lewis H. Morgan Lewis Henry Morgan (November 21, 1818 – December 17, 1881) was a pioneering American anthropologist and social theorist who worked as a railroad lawyer. He is best known for his work on kinship and social structure, his theories of social ev ...

– anthropologist * Robert A. Plane – chemist and Wells president * Thomas J. Preston, Jr. – Wells president pro temp (married Frances Cleveland, widow of Grover Cleveland) *

William Stokoe William C. Stokoe Jr. ( ; July 21, 1919 – April 4, 2000) was an American linguist and a long-time professor at Gallaudet University. His research on American Sign Language (ASL) revolutionized the understanding of ASL in the United States and s ...

– English professor *

Margaret Floy Washburn Margaret Floy Washburn (July 25, 1871 – October 29, 1939), leading American psychologist in the early 20th century, was best known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development. She was the first woman to be grante ...

– psychologist * William Matthews – poet

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{authority control Former women's universities and colleges in the United States Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1868 Education in Cayuga County, New York Liberal arts colleges in New York (state) 1868 establishments in New York (state)