In 1896, the question of women’s suffrage was on the California ballot for the first time, and the events of 1896-7 epitomize the efforts of women students to represent themselves and recruit the support of patrons and sponsors in the community.
As Catherine Gallagher shows in the essays below, during the first two decades of their presence at Berkeley, women had been excluded from organized extracurricular student life. But in the 1890s, they began creating their own activities, associations, and traditions. This section will explore the changing conditions, resources, and attitudes that made their activities necessary and effective.
