Gail Gerry arrived at the University in 1970 as part of the first undergraduate coeducational class. Entering as the result of a divisive decision, the presence of women was not universally celebrated. Some male students refused to sit beside them in class, and many believed the University had made a huge mistake by letting a coeducational class of women in at all. This reaction and treatment sparked a fire in many of the women, and left several feeling as if they had something to prove.
More than 50 years later, Gerry is revisiting and unpacking those early years in her book “Here to Stay: The Story of the Class of Women Who Coeducated the University of Virginia,” which documents the experiences of her and the hundreds of other women who entered the University as part of the first coeducational class.
According to Gerry, a defining part of these women’s experiences was their grit and determination to succeed despite the challenges they faced, a theme that is highlighted throughout “Here to Stay.” Amid today’s changes to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the University, Gerry emphasized that her book serves as a reminder that the University’s progress has been undeniably driven by students who were once told they did not belong…