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Celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day

Putting Women on the Map

A self-guided tour of spaces of current and historical interest about women at the University of Toronto - women breaking barriers individually and collectively for greater access and equality.

An online Google Maps version of this Putting Women on the Map tour is also available.

1. 1885 - 5 Women Graduate; 2010 - 9,692 Women Graduate (59% of all Graduates)
Convocation Hall, 31 King's College Circle

Five women graduated in 1885 - the first graduating class to include women. In 2010, 9,692 women graduated - 59% of the graduating class. (This is a significant change from 1976 when men were approximately 68% of university graduates between the ages of 25-29) (Toronto Star, March 6, 2011 p. A12)

1885 - First Graduating class to include women: bottom row, right of centre	Convocation Hall today	Women Graduates from 1900s

2. First Women in Academic Leadership: Jill Ker Conway, V-P (1973); Joan Foley, Provost [1985]
Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle

Home to the Governing Council and the Offices of the President and Provost. The first woman, Jill Ker Conway was appointed to the position of Vice-President, 1973 and the first woman Provost, Joan Foley was appointed in 1985. In the past 5 years, the balance of women and men in academic leadership roles has increased greatly.

The “Declaration on Women in Higher Education Leadership” stemming from the 6th European Conference on Gender Equity in Higher Education, August, 2009, called on institutions of higher education to take action, including:

• Commit to identifying institutional barriers to equity of participation and success in leadership and find innovative ways of addressing these impediments.
• Promote a holistic, integrated and sustained approach to gender equity

Jill Ker Conway	Simcoe Hall today	Joan Foley

3. First Woman Dean of Engineering Appointed, 2006: Cristina Amon
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, 35 St. George St.

Cristina Amon

Professor Cristina Amon joined the University of Toronto as the 13th (and first woman) Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and was reappointed for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2011. Her appointment was highlighted in the Bulletin on March 8, 2011.

There was overwhelming support for her re-appointment reflecting her exceptional leadership of the Faculty during her first term. “She is noted as a champion of communication, co-operation, transparency and increased diversity within the Faculty.” (Engineering in the News, May 2010)

Prof. Amon also holds the position of Alumni Chair of Bioengineering in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Prior to her leadership at U of T Engineering, she was Director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems at Carnegie Mellon University.

4. Family Care Office
Koffler Student Services Centre, 214 College St.

The mandate of the Family Care Office (FCO) is to support students, staff, faculty, postdoctoral fellows and their families with any family care related issue by providing information, guidance, referrals and advocacy. Through all its functions, the office aims to raise awareness of family care issues and of quality of life issues central to the achievement of educational equity and employment equity at the University of Toronto.

Initiatives and programs organized by the FCO include on-line listings of baby-sitters, childcare services on campus, resources for new parents, 12 specific breast-feeding friendly spots on campus, a Living and Learning with Baby series, support groups and much more.

5. First Female University Professor named in 1985: Ursula Franklin
Mining Building, 70 College St.

Home of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science to which the first woman, Dr. Ursula Franklin was appointed in 1967 (a Faculty at the time). In 1985 Ursula Franklin was the first woman to receive the distinguished title of University Professor. Today 7 of the 38 University Professors are women.

Prior to receiving her PhD in experimental physics in 1948, Ursula Franklin survived imprisonment in a Nazi work camp. She completed post-doctoral studies at the U of T and was a pioneer in archaeometry - the application of modern materials analysis to archaeology. In the early 1960’s, Franklin investigated levels of strontium 90 (a radioactive isotope in fallout from nuclear weapons testing) - in children’s teeth. Franklin “is a committed feminist, pacifist and human rights advocate. Since her retirement ... she has continued to write and lecture about the social impact of technology and women’s relationship to science and technology” (Staton).

Ursula Franklin then and now

6. Advocate for Professionalizing Nursing: Kathleen Russell
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Health Sciences Building, 155 College ST.
(2nd floor plaque and conference room)

Kathleen Russell	Plaque honouring Kathleen Russell

A School of Nursing was established at the U of T in 1933, and became the first University in Canada to develop a nursing degree course under its auspices in 1942. Kathleen Russell Russell was appointed the first Director of the Department of Public Health Nursing in 1920 and was a staunch advocate for the professional education and training of nurses in a university environment rather than mere ward practice in hospitals.

Images of Kathleen Russell room in the Faculty of Nursing

 

7. Women Giants of Biomedical Research: Maud Menten, Vera Peters
Terence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St.

Women were first admitted to the Faculty of Medicine in 1906. The first woman Dean of Medicine, Dr. Catharine Whiteside, was appointed in 2005.

Two significant women are celebrated for their research in the foyer: Maud Menten, founder of modern enzymology; and Vera Peters, developer of lumpectomy as an alternative to radical mastectomy.

Maud Menten	Plaque honouring Maud Menten	Vera Peters

8. First Classroom Where Women Took Classes
Room 161, University College, 15 King's College Circle

Room 161 today

Room 161 in University College holds the honour of being the first classroom attended by women at the U of T in 1884. Several women had previously listened to lectures through the opened door of the President’s Office located beside the lecture room and concealed from the “lascivious eyes of young men.” The U of T Magazine featured an article on women attending classes in 1884.

 

9. Mark. S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies
Room 251, University College, 15 King's College Circle

The sexual diversity studies academic program began in 1998 while the Centre was established in 2005 and renamed the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies in 2006 after a generous gift by the donor. The SDS Centre hosts academic and community events and promotes research into sexuality. Courses offered include; UNI377 “Lesbian Studies”, and UNI477 “Transgender Studies”.

10. National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women: Commemorative Benches
Behind UTSU Building, 12 Hart House Circle

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was established to mark the day when 14 women students were killed by a gunman at the l’Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, December 6, 1989. Two benches, one commemorating “Remembrance” and the other encouraging “Action” were dedicated on the twentieth anniversary of the Massacre.

If you have a concern affecting your personal safety, contact the University's Community Safety Office (CSO).

December 6 Commemorative Benches

11. Women Finally Admitted To Hart House, 1972
Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle

Hart House today

Hart House was built as a men-only athletic facility when it opened in 1919. Administrators said that women participating in physical activity in this highly visible location would be ‘unseemly.’ It took 40 years for women to get their own space for athletics - now known as the Benson Building.

It took until 1972 for women to be admitted as member of Hart House! In 1957, hundreds of women and their allies gathered outside Hart House to protest their exclusion from a high-profile debate between Stephen Lewis and then senator John F. Kennedy (later to become President of the United States). Female students disguised themselves as men and occupied seats near the front row. However, just as the debate was about to begin, the security guard noticed these “men” were wearing nail polish and they were escorted from the building. The U of T Magazine featured an article celebrating 120 years of women at U of T.

12. Woman Honoured for Contributions to Music: Karen Kieser
Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park

Karen Kieser

Faculty of Music graduate Karen Kieser went on to become the first female head of music at CBC radio. The Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music was established in her memory and in honour of her contribution to Canadian music and musicians. Kieser's photo and memorial plaque is on the wall opposite the elevator to the library.

13. Remarkable Women Law Graduates: Ivy Lawrence Maynier (1945), Darlene Johnston (1986)
Faculty of Law, Flavelle House, 84 Queen's Park

A permanent photo exhibit is on display of 19 remarkable women graduates from the Faculty of Law including the first woman Aboriginal student and faculty member, Darlene Johnston (1986), and the first woman of colour, Ivy Lawrence Maynier (1945). The first woman Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Mayo Moran, was appointed in 2006.

Ivy Lawrence Maynier	Photo exhibit at the Faculty of Law	Darlene Johnston

14. A Building for Women in the early 1900's (formERly the Faculty of Household Sciences)
Lillian Massey Building, 125 Queen's Park

Now home to retailer Club Monaco, this building was originally the School of Domestic Science. It became the Faculty of Household Sciences (1913) where many of the University's first female professors taught because they were not allowed to do so elsewhere. A swimming pool and gymnasium were included in the original building to serve female students because they were excluded from Hart House at the time.

Lillian Massey Building	Cooking Lab

15. Memorial of the Montreal Massacre, Dec. 6, 1989
Philosopher's Walk (just south of Bloor St.)

December 6th Memorial at Philosophers Walk

A bronze plaque on a boulder set in a grove of fourteen trees honours the fourteen women murdered in the Montreal Massacre at l”Ecole Politechnique, December 6, 1989. The plaque reads:

"These fourteen trees are with sorrow planted in memory and in honour of fourteen sisters slain because of their gender in Montreal on December 6, 1989. May commitment to the eradication of sexism and violence against women be likewise planted in the hearts and minds of you who stand here now and of all who come after. It is not enough to look back in pain. We must create a new future.”

16. First Women's Hockey, 1921; Dedicated Women's Hours
Varsity Arena and Centre, 299 Bloor St. West

Early Women Hockey Players

In 1921 “ the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s hockey team hit the ice for the first time when a student-athlete named Marion Hilliard put together a team to play against McGill University. The following year, U of T won the first ever women’s intercollegiate hockey championship.” (Blackburn-Evans)

 

17. Centre for Women's Studies in Education (CWSE), Women's Human Rights Education Institutes (WHRI), Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies (CIARS)
OISE, 252 Bloor St. West

Established in 1983, the CWSE is a research centre with the goal of fostering feminist scholarship, teaching and activism relevant to education as it is broadly defined. It has comfy couches, a fully-equipped kitchen and a chance to be part of the OISE feminist community. Sponsors the annual Dame Nita Barrow lecture series and hosts the Historic Feminist Poster Collection, one of the largest collections of contemporary and historic feminist posters in North America.

The WHRI offers action-based courses to enable participants to learn how to apply a woman’s human rights framework to a multiplicity of issues.

The mandate of the CIARS, located in the Dept. of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, is to enhance research and teaching in the areas of equity, anti-racism praxis and alternative knowledge(s) in education.

18. Women Students Admitted (1884) 57 Years after Men
Admissions and Awards Office, 172 St. George St.

Admissions & Awards Office

Source: http://www.fedcan.ca/equityaudit

Women were admitted as students to the University in 1884 - 57 years after men. The President at the time did not approve of women in higher education, insisting with some vehemence “never in my day !” (Friedland). Today, approximately 56% of students are women. When the first women began their studies at U of T in 1884, there was no women’s washroom on campus and they had no access to a reading room, a residence or the library catalogues!

According to Friedland, “After their admission in 1884, women students became an increasingly important part of university life. It would be another three-quarters of a century, however, before more than a handful of women would become tenured members of the faculty.” (p. 95)

19. University Women's Club
University Women's Club of Toronto (UWC), 162 St. George St.

University Women's Club of Toronto

The UWC is “dedicated to providing opportunities for the growth of women through the pursuit of intellectual, cultural, corporate and social interests..” Established by a small group of women in 1903 who were among the first in history to graduate from university. The UWC moved to 162 St. George St. in 1929. Meeting spaces can be rented and Bed & Breakfast rooms are available for rent.

20. First Courses on Women, 1971-2
Innis College, 2 Sussex Ave.

Women's studies seminar in Innis College, March 1975

One of the most outstanding accomplishments of women activists was the introduction of courses in the new field of Women’s Studies (Ford). Jill Ker Conway and Natalie Zemon Davis first offered HIS 348, “The History of Women” at the same time that a teaching collective introduced the first introductory, interdisciplinary course on women, 1971-72. (Professor Kay Armitage was a student at the time and member of the collective.) A minor in Women’s Studies was approved in 1974-75 (Friedland).

 

 

21. Initiative for Women in Business
Rotman School of Management

"The Rotman School is committed to supporting women in their efforts to advance and be successful in their careers... Although professional degrees such as medicine or law in North America now have more than 50% female representation in their student population, business schools are still averaging 25% or less in their graduate programs. This reflects the situation in the larger business community: while women are often well represented in managerial ranks, their numbers dwindle quickly going up the career ladder... To make a significant difference for women in business and to support women more effectively, Rotman has established the Initiative for Women in Business. The Initiative does not operate in isolation, rather its efforts are integrated with other areas of the Rotman School, including recruitment, research and teaching. Its mission is to empower women to advance in their careers and provide programs that refine management skills and help women develop the tools they need to be effective leaders and senior executives. The Initiative supports women from the classroom to the boardroom by offering continuing education, mentorship and networking opportunities. Its vision is to be the leading voice on issues facing women in management" (Rotman School of Management website).

Massey College

22. Women First Admitted to Massey College, 1974
Massey College, 4 Devonshire Pl.

 

23. Deans of Women, UC
University College Union, 79 St. George St.

When women were first admitted as students to University College in 1884 a “Lady Superintendent” , Letitia Salter, was hired to take care of them – to be “a wise counselor and good friend to the girls….” (Ford). Not satisfied with her salary, Salter asked then U of T President Mulock for a raise in 1895, pointing out that she was paid less than his coachman!

There  were 7 Deans of Women at UC between 1921-1992.  After that, the  Dean of Women position was Changed to the Dean of Students, as the Dean of Men position was replaced by the Co-ordinator of Student Activities (now the Student Life Co-ordinator). The role is now one that supports student success.

24. Childcare a Hard-Fought Battle on Campus
370 Huron Street, Campus Community Co-op Daycare Centre

Using peaceful means of protest,  student activists in the 1970's played a central role in establishing U of T's first on-site child care facility, Campus Community Co-op Daycare Centre, and in securing funds from the University for the Centre following from recommendations by the Committee on Social Responsibility convened by the University President. The Centre moved to Huron St. from its original location on Devonshire Place.

25. First issue of The Varsity, 1880, Debates Admission of Women
21 Sussex Ave., Suite 306

An article in the inaugural issue of The Varsity, 1880, supported the admission of women and coeducation at the University. The author wrote, “Let a few young ladies muster courage to break the ice and they will soon find a numerous troop plunging in after them and the young gentlemen generously applauding their intrepidity” (Friedland).

26. Sexual and Gender Diversity Office
21 Sussex Ave.

SGD Office campaigns

The Office provides consultation, education, support and programming for faculty, staff and students, on the University's three campuses and works toward building community among LGBTQ individuals and their allies. The Office addresses both individual and systemic discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We provide opportunities for learning and skill development that effectively explore and expand students and employees capacities to address intersecting needs related to sexual and gender identity in their working and or learning environments. The SGDO offers programming, resources and support that connects with students across political, social and cultural communities; intentionally supporting the formation of social and learning networks, while facilitating learning through interpersonal relationships, leadership opportunities, and connection across a broad spectrum of environments at the university.

27. Dedicated Women's Only Hours; Centre for Girls' and Women's Health
Athletic Centre, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, 55 Harbord St.

1994 - The Faculty of Physical Education & Health launches women-only hours in the pool and the strength and conditioning centre, giving women dedicated recreation hours in order to optimize participation and reduce barriers to being active.

1999 - the Centre for Girl's and Women's Health was established.

For one hour every day, the strength and conditioning centre is open exclusively to women. Regular women-only swimming is also offered in which the pool windows and doors are covered for privacy. Accessible, private change rooms are also available.

28. First Woman Faculty Member: Clara Benson (1906)
Benson Building, 320 Huron Street

Clara Benson	Benson Building today

After a 40-year struggle by many women leaders, the Benson Building (originally called the Women's Athletic Building) opened its doors in 1959, becoming the official home for women's physical education and sports.

It was renamed to honour Clara Benson, one of the first women to obtain a doctorate at the University (1903) and was appointed Associate Professor of Physiological Chemistry in the Dept. of Household Science becoming the first woman faculty member. (Note that the Dept. of Chemistry would not hire a woman!) Prof. Benson was listed in “American Men in Science” for her excellent food science research. She was appointed Chair of the Women’s Athletic Association, 1918. On the second floor of the building is the banner of the Founding Women of the Faculty: Celebrating Strength, Honouring Leadership.

As of 2009 approximately 36% of all faculty were women. In 2009 approximately 24% of Professors were women.

Alumna Helen Gurney, author A Century to Remember (1893-1993): The Story of Women's Sports at the University of Toronto (1993), pictured in front of the banner commemorating women leaders in sport in sports programming

29. Women's Studies Collection
Donald G. Ivey Library, New College, 20 Willcocks Street

The Ivey library holds special collections in Women's Studies as well as Equity, Disability, African, Caribbean, and South Asian Studies. The collection is supported by the Gender Studies Database. .

30. Institute for Women and Gender Studies; Equity Studies
New College, 300 Huron St

The Institute for Women and Gender Studies (IWGS) is now a graduate degree program. Both the UTM and UTSC campuses have undergraduate Women's and Gender Studies programs.

The Equity Studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to social justice theories and practices in a variety of local and global contexts. Areas of study include: disability, anti-racism, social advocacy, global food systems, global health and transnational labour.

31. Centre for Women and Trans People, First Nations House
563 Spadina Ave., North Borden Building

First Nations House

Originally established in 1986 as “The Women’s Centre” after a group of women pitched tents in front of Simcoe Hall to rally for a ‘safe space for women’ in campus, it changed its name to The Centre Women and Trans People in 2006. The Centre is a drop-in space committed to offering access to food security, alternative media, peer support and referrals in a women and trans-centred, family friendly space. It is a student funded, volunteer operated, non-profit campus community organization governed by a collective.

First Nations House is a dynamic place where Aboriginal students can seek culturally appropriate services. It provides students the opportunity to create a space where Aboriginal people from across Canada and the United States can work and grow in a community environment, which reflects the distinctive cultures of Aboriginal Nations. First Nations House provides a number of culturally supportive student services and programs to Aboriginal students and the general university community, including academic and financial supports, resource centre/llibrary, elders, a work study program and more.

32. Status of Women Office
215 Huron Street, Suite 603

The Status of Women Office was established in 1984 in response to increased concerns on campus and in society-at-large regarding women’s inequality. The year marked the one hundredth anniversary that women were first admitted as students - 57 years after men were admitted. The mandate of the Office is to be a ‘catalyst for change’ in working toward full gender equity at the University for students, staff and faculty. The Office works to reduce barriers to women's full participation in University life.

 

 

Works Consulted:

• Ford, Anne Rochon, "A Path not Strewn with Roses, One Hundred Years of Women at the University of Toronto 1884 - 1984", University of Toronto Press, 1985
• Friedland, Martin L., "The University of Toronto, A History", University of Toronto Press, 2002
• Smyth, Elizabeth, “Are We There Yet?”, Presentation, September 2009
• Staton, Pat. “Footsteps in Time, Women of Toronto: A Walking Tour”, (Draft)

 

This map is a work in progress so please contact status.women@utoronto.ca if you have a space that might be added.

Please note this map is currently of the St. George campus. UTSC and UTM campus maps are in progress.

Thank you to Justine Johnston, Sue Murphy and Amanda Wagner for their help in putting this map together.

Thank you to the following for their input: Althea Blackburn-Evans, Paul Cantin, Burl Crone,Tricia Patel, Nona Robinson, Pat Shand and Morgan Vanek.

Updated: March 2011