"Resolved, that young ladies be admitted into the University on equal terms in all respects with young men.”

Celebrating 150 Years of Women150W mosaic

October 3, 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the UC Regents’ unanimous approval of a resolution by Regent Samuel F. Butterworth: “That young ladies be admitted into the University on equal terms in all respects with young men.” The first women were admitted in 1872, and Rosa Scrivner became the first woman graduate in 1874, earning a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of women have graduated from UC Berkeley. Many more staff, faculty, and community members have made invaluable contributions to our campus and the world beyond. This website documents narratives and efforts to create an archive of historical information on the last 150 years of the university. Welcome, and join the celebration!

Recent Updates and New Content 

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150W: History of Women in Statistics

Photograph courtesy of the Department of Statistics, UC Berkeley

150W History Project: Essays

A collection of stimulating essays about individuals, groups, and time periods that explore the complex history of women at UC Berkeley

150W: Celebrating MCB's Women

Read about Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna, MacArthur Genius Award recipient Polina Lishko, among other extraordinary MCB women faculty!

ID: grayscale photo of 5 women in a hoodless car adorned with a sign that reads "UC faculty's wives"

Celebrating 90 Years of the University Section Club

A booklet by the Celebration Committee, co-chaired by Joan Finnie and Mary Lee Noonan

Carol Christ

Campus Conversation on the 150W History Project with Chancellor Christ

150W History Project: Profiles

Profiles, interviews, and histories by Berkeley organizations honoring women's contributions

History of Women in Statistics

In celebration of 150 Years of Women at Berkeley, Statistics highlights the stories of women luminaries who have been lighting the way for over a century.

ID: dull pastel colored painting of a women in traditional greek or latin attire, playing a stringed instrument

Women in the Classics Department

A Conversation with Gertrude Allen (B.A. in Greek, 1967) on the representation of owmen in the Classics Department.

ID: 6 different logos of UC Berkeley's colleges

Histories of Women in Their Disciplines

See if your department or school has created a 150W history page!

Join the Celebration: 150 Years of Berkeley Women

Twitter: @WomenatCal150


Cal Alumni "California" Magazine Fall issue featuring 150W Timeline

150W logo with Black Lives Matter banner incorporated

Message from the 150W Executive Committee:

The 150W project announces a new version of the 150W logo featuring "Black Lives Matter". 150W is, in part, a celebration of the contributions of women over the history of UC Berkeley. That includes celebrating a number of incredible, remarkable, Black and brown women. But that number is not nearly what it could or should be. 150W is also a history project. Any history of UC Berkeley includes the honest and painful recognition that societal and institutional racism excluded so many women from the UC student body, staff, and professoriate, and put obstacles in their paths every step of the way. We grieve this oppression. It has caused tremendous loss and pain to individuals, to UC, to society. At 150W, the stories of Black women's lives matter. We are committed to lifting up those stories, as well as to shining an honest light on the places where those stories are grievously absent, due to oppression that as a society we have not yet addressed.