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College History

Since its founding in 1885, Bryn Mawr has helped redefine opportunities in higher education through rigorous academics, pioneering research, and student leadership. Its history reflects both remarkable achievements and an ongoing commitment to learning from the past while shaping the future.

College Founding

Established in 1885, Bryn Mawr was founded to provide women with an education as rigorous as any available at the time. 

From the beginning, the College emphasized scholarship, independent thinking, and opportunities for advanced study, setting a new standard for higher education.

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1885
Founded

A Legacy of Impact

students studying

Academic Excellence

Bryn Mawr has a long history of advancing scholarship and research. The College was the first women's college in the United States to offer the Ph.D., and today continues this tradition through rigorous academics, close faculty mentorship, and interdisciplinary learning.

Enid Cook '31

Alumnae/i Impact

Bryn Mawr graduates have made lasting contributions across science, education, public service, and the arts. Alumnae/i such as Nobel Peace Prize recipient Emily Balch, educator Ume Tsuda, and microbiologist Enid Cook have helped advance knowledge, expand opportunities, and make an impact around the world.

 

SGA meeting

Student Leadership

Student leadership has been central to the Bryn Mawr experience since the College's founding. In 1891, Bryn Mawr became the first college in the country to establish a student self-government association, a tradition that continues through the Honor Code and a commitment to shared responsibility.

From Quaker College Roots

Although Bryn Mawr has been non-denominational for most of its history, the College was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). That legacy continues through Bryn Mawr's commitment to intellectual freedom, social responsibility, and principled leadership.

During the McCarthy era and the Vietnam War, President Katherine McBride defended freedom of belief and conscience, even at a financial cost to the College. Bryn Mawr's commitment to social justice also shaped initiatives like the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, one of the first in the United States, and continues through student engagement in community service and advocacy today.

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Bryn Mawr’s Mission Statement affirms our commitment “to reflect upon and work to build fair, open and welcoming institutional structures, values, and culture.”

Reckoning and Repair Efforts

The College's principal architect was the College’s first dean and second president, M. Carey Thomas, who became an influential national advocate for women’s advancement. Like some who were part of the Progressive Movement, however, Thomas embraced and contributed to the eugenics movement, and her vision for Bryn Mawr and for women excluded African Americans and reflected ethnic and anti-Semitic bias. 

The College continues to grapple with this complex legacy and the harms that resulted, and has made advancing equity and inclusion central to its mission and its vision of institutional excellence. Bryn Mawr strives to build a welcoming community for all while we gain insights from our history. The following ongoing projects seek to create change where it is most needed.

Ongoing Projects

An aerial view of the Cloisters with a braided stone path

Art Remediating College Histories

The ARCH Project (Art Remediating Campus Histories), in partnership with Monument Lab, is a multi-year collaboration with students, staff, faculty, and alums to develop a lasting public artwork that responds to the College’s history of exclusionary practices. The project builds on ongoing efforts to reveal and repair harm, reckon with Bryn Mawr’s history, and create a more inclusive future.

Old Library

Old Library Renaming

The building now known as Old Library opened in 1907 and was named for M. Carey Thomas during the College’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1935. In 2018, the building was renamed Old Library as part of the College’s ongoing examination of its history, and in 2023, its original architectural facade was restored.

Old Library

Recovering and Uncovering College Histories

This Old Library exhibit highlights initiatives and research projects that continue to uncover Bryn Mawr’s history, acknowledge harm, and bring forward stories that have been overlooked or missing. The project contributes to a fuller understanding of the people and experiences that have shaped the College.

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Advancing Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism

Bryn Mawr recognizes racial justice and equity as foundational values and ongoing priorities. Inspired in part by the activism of BIPOC students and community members, the College continues to address the history, legacy, and ongoing effects of institutional racism and bias.

Stone building under construction

Who Built Bryn Mawr?

Over more than 135 years, Bryn Mawr has been shaped by countless individuals beyond the presidents, trustees, and donors memorialized on campus. This research project recognizes the contributions of alumnae/i, faculty, and staff whose stories have been overlooked and explores how their histories can be preserved and shared.

Tour Group in Front of Building

Black at Bryn Mawr

The Black at Bryn Mawr program highlights the experiences and contributions of African American students, staff, and faculty throughout the College’s history. The program builds on the research of Grace Pusey ’15 and Emma Kioko ’15 to bring previously overlooked stories to light.

Related Links

FAQs

Bryn Mawr College was founded in 1885 to provide women with access to a rigorous higher education at a time when few comparable opportunities existed. From its earliest years, the College emphasized scholarship, independent inquiry, and advanced study.

Bryn Mawr has played an important role in the history of higher education, including becoming the first women's college in the United States to offer the Ph.D. The College has also been a leader in student self-governance, academic research, and preparing graduates to make meaningful contributions across many fields.

Although Bryn Mawr has been non-denominational for most of its history, it was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). That heritage continues to influence the College's commitment to intellectual freedom, social responsibility, and principled leadership.

Bryn Mawr continues to examine its history through initiatives that uncover overlooked stories, acknowledge past harms, and foster a more equitable and inclusive future. Ongoing projects include archival research, campus exhibits, public art initiatives, and efforts to recognize the contributions of historically underrepresented members of the Bryn Mawr community.

The Bryn Mawr College Archives, digital collections, and campus exhibits preserve the stories of the College's students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i. Visitors can also explore related pages on College traditions, distinguished alumnae/i, and Reckoning & Repair initiatives.