EARLHAM COLLEGE

What is interesting about this advertisement is the last line advertising that the school was coeducational. Earlham was not the first college in America to admit females—Obelin College did in 1833. However, when schools accepted females there was usually controversy and they did not advertise the fact. But here Earlham’s advertisement tells us a few things about the culture. There must have been many young women who wanted to attend college, otherwise there would not have been any point in advertising for them. In addition, although coeducation at the college level was an uncommon notion, it was probably not offensive to most people in the area lest the ads would not have been publicly run.

What is interesting about this advertisement is the last line advertising that the school was coeducational. Earlham was not the first college in America to admit females—Obelin College did in 1833. However, when schools accepted females there was usually controversy and they did not advertise the fact. But here Earlham’s advertisement tells us a few things about the culture. There must have been many young women who wanted to attend college, otherwise there would not have been any point in advertising for them. In addition, although coeducation at the college level was an uncommon notion, it was probably not offensive to most people in the area lest the ads would not have been publicly run.