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Originally posted by Cream
So I guess that I am approaching this topic from a Northeastern perspective. In the 1860's and 1870's, the women colleges which became known as the Seven Sisters were created as an opportunity for women to receive an education that was equal to the classical education offered to men only at the "elite" schools in the Northeast some of which comprise the Ivy League. Of course, this was a century before you went to college. Some of the Ivy Leagues remained all male until the early 1970's.
I agree that 'opportunity' might be a better word than 'right'. I grew up a child of the 1970's and 1980's. I was told that I could be anything that I wanted to be when I grew up. I also attended a school that had 99% college admission rate so college was an expectation and a necessary step.
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OK, that I understand. Another thing that occurred to me is that prior to the Civil War a number of colleges were founded a military schools and excluded women for that reason. The military hasn't had a sterling record in dealing with gender issues.
I went to Ohio University, which was chartered by the "Ordinance of 1787" which formed the Northwest Territory, and the school was founded in 1804 as the first institution of higher learning in the territory. The school is at Athens. Miami of Ohio was opened shortly after that time at Oxford. Note the names of the towns. At that time, Ohio was considered "the West."
Sorry, a bit of historical digression.
In any event, by the 1940's there were quite a few "coeds" including my mother-in-law who was an ADPi at Wittenberg University in Ohio.