Two students talking to a professor in front of a bookshelf.

Leaving their Mark

Providence College employed women as administrators, staff, and educators long before admitting them as full-time students.

While impossible to highlight the story of every woman who left her mark on the Providence College community, this is a cross-section of staff, faculty, and administrators who demonstrated a commitment to academic, athletic, social, and community leadership.

Sister Leslie Straub standing in front of a chalkboard.

Sister Leslie E. Straub, O.P.

Sister Leslie E. Straub, O. P., associate professor of Anthropology, and the first woman to receive tenure as a teaching faculty member.

Sally J Thibodeau sitting at a registration desk with papers in front of her, interacting with a man standing on the other side of the desk.

Sally Thibodeau, ca. 1974.

Dr. Sally Thibodeau '66G was the first woman hired into an administrative role at Providence College as the assistant dean of freshman in 1971.

Helen Bert sits at a desk in an office.

Helen Bert

Helen Bert, hired in 1971 to manage the women's recreation and athletics programs.

Jane Lunin Perel teaching in front of a chalkboard.

Jane Lunin Perel, MFA '15Hon

Founded in 1994 as Women's Studies, Jane Lunin Perel '15 Hon. was the program's first director.

Donna McCaffrey teaching in front of a chalkboard.

Dr. Donna T. McCaffrey '73G, '83Ph.D, '87G

Dr. Donna T. McCaffrey '73G, '83 PhD., was an integral part of the Providence College community, welcoming women to campus. Her 1983 dissertation, "The Origins and Early History of Providence College through 1947," demonstrated her love of history and the College.

Jennifer Illuzzi standing in the doorway of a stone building.

Dr. Jennifer Illuzzi, 2021

Dr. Jennifer Illuzi, associate professor of history, served as the director for the Development of Western Civilization Program from Fall 2021 to Spring 2024

Faculty portrait of Willesse Hester Comissiong.

Dr. Willesse Hester Comissiong

Dr. Wilesse Hester Comissiong was hired as the special assistant to the vice president of student relations in 1971 and became dean of minority student affairs in 1991.

"To convince the youth of a people who have had no significant reason to believe in the American Dream: That they can work hard and realize a 'piece of the action,' that things are changing, that justice is going to prevail, and that they have a reason for being is undoubtedly the most difficult part of my role."

- Dr. Wilesse Hester Comissiong, introductory letter to faculty, January 10, 1972

Seven women standing side by side in an indoor setting with wood-paneled walls and a framed painting above them.

Women's Liason Committee members, 1973-1974

The Women's Liason Committee formed in 1973. Women faculty and staff met with women students to provide support and discuss campus life.

Ann Manchester-Molak, College executive vice president, and Wanda Ingram, senior associate dean of undergraduate studies, graduated in 1975 as part of the first coeducational class at Providence College. Both continued their service at PC, having held senior positions in the administration.


"Ours was a generation of women who sought something different... Looking back at these days, I realize we formed a tremendous amount of resilience as a group of groundbreaking women."
 

- Ann Manchester-Molak '75, College executive vice president, Providence College Magazine, Spring 2021

Wanda Ingram seated for a yearbook photo.

Wanda S. Ingram, Ed.D. '75

Ann Manchester Molak seated for a yearbook photo.

Ann Manchester Molak '75

Wanda Ingram stands in an office talking to two students.

Wanda S. Ingram, Ed.D. '75

Anne Manchester Molak dressed in academic regalia at a commencement ceremony.

Ann Manchester Molak '75

Sister Bernadine M. Egleston working on a large sculpture of a woman.
Faculty portrait of Zophie Edwards.
Mary Anne Frieson standing in a kitchen with a dining services uniform on.
Claire Greene sits at a desk in an office.
Nazma Latif-Zaman stands next to a student helping them with a computer.
Portrait taken of Judith Jamieson.
O'daylise Collins sits at a desk talking on a telephone while flipping through a notebook.
Margaret O'Donnell sitting at an office desk next to a printing calculator.
Kathleen O'Connor sitting at a table with a book in her hands.
Jackie Peterson standing at a podium giving a speech.
Vieira Patricia photographed in black and white.
Karen Roy standing in front of a glass door that reads 'Alumni Development Public Information.'
A woman wearing a security guards uniform sitting on a chair with legs crossed in the Phillips Memorial Library.
Faculty portrait of Rosalind Chua.
Taiwo Adefiyiju-Monwuba poses at the top of a set of stairs in front of a stone building.
Olga D'Arezzo sits at a desk in an office with a typewriter.

Item Set: Leaving their Mark