First 8 women admitted to first year of MBA program, 1963. HBS Archives Photograph Collection: Student Life. Harvard Business School.

Harvard Business School Women were first admitted to the full two-year MBA program in the fall of 1963.  Harvard’s Education school admitted women in 1920, its Med School in 1945, and its Law School in 1950.  The B School was the last of the major schools to fully admit women, (although a one-year Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration existed for almost 30 years*). 
    

Since 1963, the percentage of women enrolled at HBS has grown sharply to 44% in 2020. 

YEAR                    1963          1968         2000        2010         2020**
% of Women           1%           1.8%           26%          38%            44%
   

The admittance of women to HBS has had a major impact on the Business School, the business community, and on society. 

    

We are fortunate to have many members who were among the women to have attended HBS during these early years. We have reached out to these pioneers in order to understand: 

·       Why they decided to join a field long dominated by men? 

·       What it was like to be a member of a very small minority? 

·       What special challenges were faced- (for example, in the first 5 years, women could not live in the dorms and Aldrich had only one women’s bathroom)?  and 

·       How these women faced the male dominated job market.  

     

Men, who graduated with these women, likely thought little about what being a woman in a class dominated by men, and likely never talked to these women about their journeys. Women, who graduated more recently, never experienced what is was like to be a small minority in a class of men and may have spent little time considering the experiences of the females who pioneered the way for them. 

       

Please join us and some of the women who helped change HBS for our next virtual BBL where we will discuss the experiences of the first women at HBS and how they helped change the world. 

    

*Harvard University Research Archives:  Women at Harvard 

**Quantic: The Rising Number of Women in Business School Explained, August 5, 2022. 

   

This is a private, alumni-only, off-the-record discussion. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and participants and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Harvard Business School Club.
   

Participants must register by Noon on May 21st to receive details on joining the discussion. The Zoom link will be sent out 24 hours before the event.

By registering for this event you agree to abide by the HBSCNY Code of Conduct for yourself and your guests (read here)