Objects in the Rearview Mirror: A Social History of Coeducation under the Dome

“It all began more than a generation ago. The first coeds were a combination of daughters of alumni, transfer students (most from Saint Mary’s), and young women who just wanted to be a part of this new tradition. ... It is their journey chronicled through the reflections on coeducation … on this ‘maiden voyage’ and its impact on their lives.”
— Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, President Emeritus, February 7, 2007

In the fall of 1972, the University of Notre Dame du Lac admitted 365 undergraduate women who changed the institution’s complexion forever. These female pioneers soon found themselves moving into hastily converted dorms in this previously all-male stronghold … and wondering, “Now what?”

Through reflections on the first five years of coeducation by many members of the Notre Dame family, Objects in the Rearview Mirror answers that question.

This social history explores the experiences that drove these women’s collegiate lives: a challenging atmosphere of heavy academics, relationships, drinking, drugs, sex … and football. Woven through the personal stories are relevant facts and figures, insights from men affected by the university’s coeducation decision, and interviews with key administrators.

With more than 150 contributors, Objects in the Rearview Mirror documents this transformative path at Notre Dame and the roads traveled a half-century later: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times […] we had everything before us.”

Deborah "Debi" A. Dell was a member of the first class of undergraduate women admitted to Notre Dame in 1972. Inspired by her father, attending Notre Dame was a personal goal from the age of eight. (And, yes, she was at ND during the "Rudy" years!) She graduated in 1976 with a bachelor's degree of business administration, with a focus on management. Raised in South Florida, her parents encouraged her to pursue her career in the big city - Chicago. While working for Commonwealth Edison as a technical sales representative, she completed an MBA at Loyola University Chicago. After the blizzard of 1979, Debi returned to Florida, where she joined IBM in 1980 and eventually became program director for IBM's Project Management Center of Excellence. She was one of the first employees to work from home and experienced the joys and tribulations associated with teleworking - but that's another story! In 1995, she earned a master's degree in the management of technology from the University of Miami in Florida. Specializing in brand management, her experiences with IBM inspired her first book, "ThinkPad: A Different Shade of Blue." Debi is actively involved in service to the University of Notre Dame and continues to support the Notre Dame class of 1976.