By Elizabeth Faragi

March marks the start of Women’s History Month, dedicated to honoring the women who came before us and prepared a world for others to follow. 

The University of Maryland has produced some of the most influential women in history. Whether they were students or professors, they made a powerful impact and forged a lasting path for female students at this university. 

Elizabeth Hook, a 1920 graduate, was the first woman to attend this university and complete a four-year degree. Hook enrolled at the university — then known as Maryland State College — straight out of high school and studied entomology. Not only did she study bugs, a very non-feminine major, she wrote for the student newspaper, the Maryland State Review, and established the first sorority on campus. 

On May Day in 1937, the female students at this university honored Hook.

“By her courage, friendliness, dignity and ability, she cleared the path for other women to follow,” students said. “Time can never erase from our grateful memories the contribution she has made.” 

“She was our first real coed,” wrote Adele H. Stamp, then UMD’s dean of women, in Hook’s obituary published in the 1950 alumni magazine.  

Thanks to Hook, women have continued to attend this university. 

Hook might have been the first trailblazer at this university for female students, but she certainly isn’t the last. UMD has produced many, from activists to producers to athletes. 

If you’ve ever watched “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Family Guy,” you can thank Gail Berman, class of 1978. A notable producer, she served as president of entertainment for Fox and president of Paramount Pictures before becoming chairman and CEO of The Juckal Group. 

Berman served as president of entertainment at Fox from 2000 to 2005 before becoming president of Paramount Pictures in 2005. She is most known for her show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” one of the first shows to showcase the strength of women. 

“There weren’t a lot of empowered young women on TV at the time,” Berman told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “As a woman, as a mother, these were values and notions that really were important to me. This show was important for female storytelling … it changed storytelling.” 

Trailblazing female athletes have also called UMD home. Dominique Dawes, the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics, was a member of the class of 2002. 

Dawes was part of the 1996 gold-winning United States women’s gymnastics team, known as the “Magnificent Seven.” She also competed in the 2000 Olympics and earned the team’s highest beam score. While she was training and competing, Dawes was earning a degree in communications from this university. 

Dawes paved the way for future gymnasts with diverse backgrounds, such as Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas. Now, Dawes has opened the Dominique Dawes Academy, teaching young children gymnastics and continuing to inspire young female athletes. 

One of UMD’s most influential trailblazers is Bernice Sandler, the “godmother of Title IX.” Sandler was a member of the class of 1969 and is a major reason why female students continue to have access to higher education. 

Sandler graduated with her Doctor of Education degree in counseling and personnel services from this university. She came back to teach at UMD part-time, and the university denied her multiple times for a full-time position based on her gender. In 1970, she filed a class-action lawsuit against all universities in the United States after finding that about 250 schools were illegally not hiring women. 

During the lawsuit, Sandler worked with members of Congress and wrote the first federal policy report on gender discrimination in education. She also became the first woman appointed to a Congressional committee to work specifically on women’s issues. 

In 1972, her work resulted in the Title IX Education Amendment: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 

Because of Sandler, women today can receive a higher education from universities like UMD. She, like many other women, attended this university and continued to fight for the future generations of women to carry that momentum. 

These are just a few of the many women who have attended this university and paved the way for more women to attend now and in the years to come. 

Gabrielle Dwoskin, a sophomore business and psychology major, was excited to hear about all the amazing women who attended the school before her. 

“​​It’s empowering to know that so many trailblazing women in so many different fields attended the same university that I do,” Dwoskin said. “I hope they inspire other female students to pursue their dreams and prove that success is achievable.” 

Featured Image: Adele Hagner Stamp’s portrait hangs near the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s entrance on March 9. Photo by Miller Rogers-Tetrick.