Northwestern Commemorates 150 Years of Women

Fall 2019 marked 150 years since women could enroll as undergraduate students at Northwestern. To celebrate this milestone, we are highlighting several past and present members of the Henry and Emma Rogers Society who have made an impact on the University, the community, and the world.

Christina Enroth-Cugell (deceased)
Enroth-Cugell was among the first female professors to teach engineering at Northwestern. During her 31-year tenure at the University, the vision science expert paved the way for other young women to pursue careers in science and engineering. Together with her husband, David Cugell, she left a bequest to support research in lung disease, visual neurosciences, and biomedical engineering at Northwestern.

Margaret “Mickey” Gerber ’39, ’44 MD
Gerber was one of the first women to graduate from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, breaking gender barriers for future students. She went on to become an ophthalmologist and professor at the medical school. At 103 years old, Gerber is among the oldest members of the Rogers Society and will support Feinberg through her estate.

Georgie Anne “Gee Gee” Geyer ’56, ’93 H (deceased)
A pioneering foreign correspondent, Geyer interviewed Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, and other world leaders, and her international affairs column was published in more than 120 newspapers. Through her will, Geyer chose to support journalism and creative writing resources within the University Libraries, and donated her professional papers to the University Archives.

Phyllis Lyons
A professor emerita at Northwestern, Lyons established the Japanese language and literature program at the University, and has guided its development for nearly 40 years. Both now and through her estate, she will continue to support Japanese studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, including a lecture series established in her name by the department.

Dawn Clark Netsch ’48, ’52 JD (deceased)
Netsch was a trailblazer in Illinois politics and fought hard for women’s rights, good government, and public education. She served as a state senator for 18 years, was elected state comptroller, ran as the first female gubernatorial candidate in Illinois, and became Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s first female faculty member. Through a bequest in her will, Netsch established a scholarship fund to support Northwestern Law students pursuing careers in public interest law.

Mallory B. Thompson ’79, ’80 MMus
Thompson is Northwestern’s director of bands, a professor of music, and coordinator of the conducting program, and holds the John W. Beattie Chair of Music. She received undergraduate and master of music degrees from the Bienen School of Music, and she has chosen to continue her legacy at the school with a gift in her will to benefit students through support of special projects for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

Leave Your Legacy

To learn more about how you can join the Henry and Emma Rogers Society by including Northwestern in your estate plan, please contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu.