Iowa ACEs Action (IA)

Iowa ACEs Action connects individuals and communities across Iowa who are reducing adverse childhood experiences and the impact of toxic stress. This collaborative online community serves as the venue for sharing resources and best practices, and for launching discussion and open communication across all regions of our state.

Few People Know Iowa Was Home To The First Public University To Admit Women In America (onlyinyourstate.com/iowa)

Dana Brown (PACEs Connection Staff) 4/6/2312:00 AM

Vkulikov/Wikipedia

To read more of Raymond Goldfield's article, please click here.

Iowa has a rich educational scene, with its public colleges and universities being some of the most acclaimed state institutions in the country. The University of Iowa is even home to a writers’ workshop that has resulted in the city being named an official UNESCO City of Literature! Countless famous faces have visited the city – but most people don’t know what a huge role the university and state played in the battle for women’s rights to an equal education. Iowa feminist history is surprisingly rich, and it all began when the University of Iowa became the first university to fully admit women as equal students and allow them access to the same programs as male students. Let’s turn back the clock, and see how Iowa helped to change the country and pave the way for equal rights.

The University of Iowa is the crown jewel of Iowa's public university system, and its roots date back to 1847. It would only be eight years later that it would make history.

While some private coed colleges and women's colleges had been opened, the University of Iowa became the first public university to admit women as equal students in 1855.

This would only be the start of significant moves in Iowa feminist history. Arabella Mansfield would push Iowa to become the first state to allow women to practice law in 1869.