Bay Path University

In 1945, Thomas Carr, a leading Springfield businessman purchased Bay Path Institute. The war shifted society and culture in America, and he noticed that there was an opportu- nity to expand the role of women in business. Carr moved Bay Path Institute to Longmeadow, MA, on the former Wallace estate (they had owned the Springfield-based department store chain Forbes & Wallace) and re-named it Bay Path Secretarial School for Women. By 1949, it became Bay Path Junior College and was chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to award the Associate in Science degree. Soon, families were sending their daughters to Bay Path for an education of purpose and "to develop…strength of character." And it was more than an education. Certainly, there were courses that prepared them for their field, at that time mostly consisting of secretarial, teaching, or office administration. But they equally learned about community service, personal conduct and appearance. There was a dress code, and annual events, such as Elizabeth Arden Day, which instructed students in fashion, social poise, and conversation. More important, their education also gave them confidence. Often first-generation Americans AND first-generation college students, they were making a giant leap into the mainstream and graduates would find themselves working in places their parents would never dream of: major businesses, financial institutions, government, and even the White House. For Carr, his vision of education that produced polished and prepared young women had come true. Year after year, recruiters would come to campus because they knew a Bay Path graduate with a diploma in hand was a guarantee of excellence. After 24 years at the helm, President Carr stepped down and was succeeded by President Douglas Davies Perkins who held the office from 1968 to 1971. It was then that Bay Path's third president took the reins, Dr. A. Randle Elliott. A gentleman scholar, his tenure was one of great stability. He strengthened the financial foundation of the College, while holding to high academic standards. Meanwhile, the re-emergence of the feminist movement in the 60s, and the tumultuous decades of the 70s and 80s were ones of momentous change for the country. In 1979, Bay Path came under the leadership of a dynamic woman, Dr. Jeanette Wright, the fourth President. She realized that the number of women in the workplace was growing, and they were branching out into new careers. To reflect this, she instituted changes in the curriculum, and petitioned the Commonwealth to allow Bay Path to award bachelor's degrees and the name was officially changed to Bay Path College. For Dr. Wright, adaptability was the key word, not only for the students, but the institution she led. It was with shock that the College community learned of Dr. Wright's sudden passing in March of 1994. An interim president served, as the Board of Trustees gathered to determine who would take the reins at that critical time in Bay Path's history. The search committee unanimously selected Dr. Carol A. Leary. On April 22, 1995, she was inaugurated as Bay Path's fifth president. Things would not be the same on the Longmeadow campus. www.baypath.edu The creation of Bay Path Junior College in 1949 addressed the opportunity to expand the role of women in business in the post-war economy. 11

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