Coeducation
By Laura Merrell, revised by Jordan Wilson
Annie B. Irish
The College of Wooster’s first female professor, Annie B. Irish, led an exciting life in a time when most women’s opportunities were fairly limited. As a young woman, she studied in Germany and France and later at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The United States Government made use of her noted linguistic skills and employed her as a translator for the Department of the Interior.1 After giving an impressive lecture on French Literature at the University of Wooster in March 1881, Irish received the post of Professor of German Language and Literature at the school and in 1882, she was given a Ph. D.2 For the young women studying at the College, Irish was a strong mentor and role model, both academically and outside of the classroom. She would often invite students over to her house and would visit them at their residences as well.3 Irish left her position to nurse her sick sister, but unfortunately, she became ill herself and died later that year. Her untimely death shocked and saddened the wider campus community. In Annie B. Irish, the College lost a mentor, colleague, friend, and highly regarded scholar.
Pictured left: Annie B. Irish
Students, faculty, and trustees paid for the monument that paid tribute to both sisters’ accomplishments and contributions to the University.
The association lamented the loss of their bible teacher, Mary Irish, and resolved to always remember the sisters’ exemplary personalities. 
The talk included music and stories about Annie B. Irish’ life and honored her accomplishments as a scholar.
The article discusses President Scovel’s address at the university chapel for Mary Irish, who was a student at the University before she became ill. The tight bond between the sisters was remarked upon and Annie B. Irish took care of Mary until her death.
Women’s Literary Societies
One activity available to female students in the early period of the College was participation in women’s literary societies. They would report the program from their weekly meetings in the Wooster Voice, which included recitations, readings, unscripted conversations, and book reviews. The most prominent of these literary societies were the Willard Society, the Orio Society, the Castalian Society, and the Athenian.4 These societies gave women a social and academic outlet beyond the classroom in which they could discuss the works of authors such as Charles Dickens. During Wooster’s struggle to rebuild the campus after the 1901 fire, many of the campus’ female literary societies donated money for rebuilding. Most of them gave twenty-five dollars and had their name printed in the Wooster Voice for recognition.5 Although women’s literary societies no longer exist at the College of Wooster, they were an important social and intellectual pursuit for female students for many years.
Citations
1 Howard Irish to Lucy Notestein, 6 March 1931, Annie B. Irish Box, College of Wooster Special Collections, Wooster.
2 Biography of Annie B. Irish, folder: Faculty–Irish, Annie B.–Biography [about]- [1947], College of Wooster Special Collections, Wooster.
3 The Wooster Voice, February 17, 1886.
4 “Literary Societies,” The Wooster Voice, October 5, 1901, Vol. XXI, No.4, 2.
5 The Wooster Voice, December 14, 1901, Vol. XXI, No. 14.
How to cite this page
MLA: “Coeducation.” stories.woosterhistory.org, http://stories.woosterhistory.org/coeducation/. Accessed [today’s date].
Chicago: “Coeducation.” stories.woosterhistory.org. http://stories.woosterhistory.org/coeducation/. (accessed [today’s date]).
APA: (Year, Month Date). Coeducation. stories.woosterhistory.org. http://stories.woosterhistory.org/coeducation/