"A Mutual Need for Friendship in New Surroundings": The Union College Student Wives Association and Childcare Center, 1965-1986.
In honor of International Women's Day, this exhibition features materials from two collections in Union's archives: the Student Wives Association of Union College Records, and the Childcare Center Reunion Collection.
The Student Wives Association of Union College was established in 1965 by a small group of women who were married to men studying at Union. Members of the Student Wives Association were also involved in the formation of the Childcare Center, which opened in 1974 and had a reunion celebration in 1986.
- Curated by Gabriella Baratier, Class of 2025
"Surprisingly, many of us live within blocks of each other and hadn't met. And as you can imagine, many of us have babysitting problems, unscheduled days, and weeks that revolve, solely around hour, mid-term, and final exams." - Gail Blair, November 17, 1965.
"(Out of the married couples affiliated with Union,) a number of the women became acquainted, expressed a mutual need for friendship in new surroundings, and joined together in a very informal group." - An Open Letter to Married Students, Undated.
"Dear Cynthia, On behalf of everyone at the Childcare center, I want to thank you for your gift of $50....We will certainly put it to good use as there is always a need for new equipment. Thank you for your interest and good wishes. We certainly hope that the Childcare Center will remain a permanent part of Union College." - Kristina D. Phillips, Treasurer of Union College Childcare Center, November 5, 1976.