The November meeting of the Manhattan Branch of AAUW featured Kelly C. Sartorius, Ph.D., instructor at Kansas University speaking on Lessons in Leadership: Midwestern AAUW and Its Influence on Women’s Higher Education. She gave the history of Women in Higher Education as Deans of Women and their working with AAUW throughout our challenges to gaining access to all colleges. The Dean of Women on campuses has now changed to Dean of Students as they work with both women and men. Explaining that the first colleges in the South and Northeast of the United States were separate colleges for men and women she followed by noting that colleges in Midwest and Western United States didn’t have the money to build separate colleges so they joined men and women in colleges with dorms that were totally separated on campus. In the 1940’s Deans of Women on campuses engaged in discussing civil rights, sex education and other topics with students. In the 1950’s leaders on campuses finally realized that a woman could have both a career and a family. Sororities were the only groups on campuses that taught leadership skills to women for many years. Ms. Sartorius showed us that the Title IX amendment changed everything for women on the college campuses and in high schools across the United States. In the future with the help of AAUW the men and women on college campuses must have open conversations about dangers on campus, equal pay and opportunities for women, etc. Refreshments were provided by Women of K-State and this event was sponsored in cooperation with Women of K-State.

The next Manhattan AAUW Branch meeting (note change of location) will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1110 College Avenue, at 6:00 pm. The meeting will feature The Church Ladies Music Harmonies followed by a gift exchange, dessert, and coffee. Persons interested in learning more about AAUW in Manhattan may go to manhattan-ks.aauw.net or email manhattanksaauw@gmail.com.