Ann Schernau, Jill Schoof, Nancy Texido, and Betsy Tiemann. They enrolled in physics,
electrical engineering, mathematics, and liberal studies.
Once on campus, the women immediately integrated themselves into campus life. Jill
Schoof organized a cheerleader squad of five women. Two of them immediately sought ways of
becoming active in campus politics, including Student Council and WNTC.
Since all College residence halls on the Hill Campus were reserved for men, the coeds
were housed in a new women's residence at 12 Lawrence Avenue, and ate at the College's
dining facilities in Lewis House. Mrs. Florence Feistel, formerly of Canton, was appointed
resident housemother for the new residents. And to "protect" these women on an all-male
campus, four Big Brothers were appointed: Bill Beston '66, Bob Birrell '65, Gary Bray '65, and
Paul Pinard '67.
Although Clarkson had not accepted women undergraduates since 1907, at least one
woman was among the first 17 students in the first freshman class in 1896. Ethel Vance
received the first diploma on June 23, 1897, for completing one school year in mechanical
engineering. Clarkson had enrolled women during World War II in the EMSWT programs
taught off campus, and again later in its graduate programs.
$22 Million Campus Expansion
. In the major expansion plan, called "Operation 71," that
would double the size of Clarkson by 1971, the Board of Trustees approved a goal calling for
the enrollment to exceed 2,900; the 1,934 enrollment figure was expected to grow to 3,000 by
the year 1971.
To handle that enrollment of more than 2,500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students,
the faculty size would have to double from 106 to 215, and graduate programs would be offered
in all major departments, including doctoral programs in engineering and science departments.
A second element of the expansion program called for 16 new buildings to be built on
the hill campus at an estimated cost of $22 million. This enlargement of the physical facilities
in "Operation 71" included a new instructional and administrative tower, a new library and
communication center, a student union and social center, a new recreational facility housing a
new hockey arena, and a new power plant and maintenance facility, a library-communications
center, two science buildings, a classroom-office building, a gymnasium-auditorium, two
additional 240-student residence halls, and married student apartments. The first building
planned was a 240-student residence hall
One key factor of this new construction was the widespread use of electricity. Based on
the pioneering concept of "total electric" energy, all of the new buildings scheduled for
construction would be heated by electricity, in addition to their conventional electric utility
services. Scheduled for completion in 1971-72, the College's 75th year, this new campus was
designed to save nearly $1 million in construction costs by eliminating the central heating plant
required by the conventional steam or high-pressure hot water system, as well as lowering the
operating costs by approximately 25 percent. Each room in the new buildings was to be
equipped with radiant convector baseboard heating units controlled by individual thermostats.
Due to the rapid recovery of these units the heat could be turned off in individual rooms when
they were not in actual use, resulting in substantial savings.
Additionally, radiant heating cables were to be installed in the floors and ceilings of
high-traffic areas such as hallways and lounges, and high-intensity lighting fixtures were to
provide additional heat sources.
