Tulane's response to Ann M. Simmons' piece Trying to Save New Orleans' Historic Newcomb College (also as a pdf ), Los Angeles Times, 5/5/07

May 5, 2007

Dear Ms. Simmons:

There are several points that need clarification in your article "Trying to save New Orleans' historic Newcomb College"

In the second paragraph you say, "The fight to reopen H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College has swelled among students and alumnae…"

Upon what evidence are you basing this statement? Outside of a handful of alumni involved in the lawsuit and two students you quote, we have seen no groundswell of support, especially among our current students.

In the sixth paragraph you state, "The decision sparked outrage among Newcomb students and alumnae. A group of them sued in U.S. District Court in March 2006, charging that Tulane was failing to honor the intent of the original donation, which was to maintain a women's college."

While this is the position of those involved in the lawsuit, the truth is that Josephine Newcomb did not place any such condition on the use of the funds in her will. She explicitly stated that she was entrusting the disposition of the funds "fully and solely" to the discretion of Tulane.

You also state that, "Last year, Tulane's Board of Administrators dissolved Newcomb and merged it with Tulane College, its counterpart for undergraduate men. Newcomb-Tulane College was formed in July 2006."

But you do not mention that over many years Newcomb College evolved with the changing times and increased opportunities for women in education. For instance in the1960s Newcomb students began to enroll in coed classes with men. In 1969 Newcomb and Tulane Colleges combined their academic departments and by 1979 Newcomb and Tulane College share a single curriculum. By the 1980s Newcomb and Tulane integrated their faculty for liberal arts and sciences and Newcomb College no longer had its own classes, own faculty, own admissions office or academic programs. These changes and others achieve an updated version of Mrs. Newcomb's original intent to advance women's education. In Mrs. Newcomb's day, the issue was providing women access to higher education. In today's world, with women outnumbering men at Tulane and on college campuses throughout the country, the goal is not access but enhancing women's education.

You also quote one Tulane student as saying "I feel it's very sexist that of the two schools, it would be the women's college that is usurped and not the male college."

In fact, Tulane College, the university's men's undergraduate college, was merged with Newcomb College. The restructuring affected each school in the exact same manner.

The other student you quote in your article says, "It is a platform for women's issues that is gone now," But the fact of the matter is the Newcomb College Memorial Institute, created through the Renewal Plan, hosted 104 speakers and 110 programs this year alone. There are more academic opportunities available now for women at Tulane University than ever before.

In the final paragraph, the only one in which you quote someone in favor of the merging of the two schools, you suggest that the restructuring of Tulane and Newcomb Colleges was carried out for financial reasons. In fact, the merger did not realize any substantial savings for us. Its primary purpose was to avoid duplication of services and use the funding from the Mrs. Newcomb to provide enhance educational opportunities for all women of Tulane University.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns,

Michael T. Strecker
Director of Public Relations
215 Gibson Hall, Tulane University
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 865-5210
Fax (504) 862-8777
mstreck@tulane.edu