Article September 1, 2013

Education

Cynthia Parsons

Originally published in the February 8, 1963 issue of The Christian Science Monitor

Sarah Gibson Blanding, president of Vassar College, made history in 1962 by telling her student body that the standards of behavior expected of Vassar students included moderation in the use of alcoholic beverages and avoidance of premarital sexual relationships.

Looking back on the furor her announcement caused, Miss Blanding remarked recently, "It was not what I said that was upsetting to the students, but the thought that they were being dictated to." She went on to explain that later, when the girls understood her meaning, she was given a standing ovation.

Miss Blanding chose her words carefully: "We adults must give the best leadership we know how. Standards should emanate from the subject matter we teach, and the teachers who stand tall on the campus provide leadership as well as instruction."

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