Williams in the Sawyer Era
1,275 views · Published 6 April 2013 · 6:51 · Indexed 29 October 2026
Channel: Williams College · 2013 · Education
A half-century ago, Williams—led by President John E. Sawyer '39—underwent a series of changes that transformed the college and set it on a course to become the Williams of today. From the early 1960s to the early 1970s, the college phased out fraternities; admitted women and set out to diversify the student body, faculty, and board of trustees; introduced non-Western studies to the curriculum; and launched Winter Study, environmental studies, and the graduate program in art history. The college also did away with compulsory chapel, built a science center, and completed a fundraising campaign eight times the size of the one before it. On April 5, 2013, Daring Change: The Sawyer Era http://www.williams.edu/daring-change/ honored Sawyer and his legacy at Williams and in higher education. In a conversation with three leaders who knew Sawyer and/or experienced the college's transformation in the decades since his presidency, we'll explore the impacts of decisions made 50 years ago.
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