Women first joined the Fairfield University undergraduate student body in the Fall of 1970 because of a president's determination: Fr. McInnes ignored the 65% student opinion opposed to Fairfield becoming co-educational. More than one Jesuit has said: "Admitting women was the best thing that has ever happened to Fairfield."

This first class of women enhanced the mathematics program greatly, both in numbers of students and in quality. These first ladies had a marvelous impact on Fairfield intellectually, spiritually and socially. They brought a quiet maturity to resident life that stifled previous unruly behavior and brought intelligence and industry to the classroom that challenged their male classmates. From the time of their arrival the women have been winning most of the academic prizes. The first eight women mathematicians were among the best mathematicians in the class. They responded brilliantly to the challenges set by their teachers and put to rest the old shibboleth that mathematics is a male domain. Not all remained math majors, but by the time they were juniors there were still 26 budding mathematicians. The roster of these 26 names follows.

MA 103 ANALYSIS V and MA 171 COMPLEX ANALYSIS
1972- 73 JUNIOR YEAR had 26 STUDENTS


BEAUDIN, STEPHEN
BOYLE, KERRIE
BRASSER JAMES
CELLINI, JOHN
CIVITELLO, MARIANN
DEBARTOLO, JOSEPH
DENIGRIS, ALBERT
FERENCE, LORRAINE
GROEN, JEROME
HELLRIGEL, GAIL
HOLIHAN, JAMES
KEALEY, GARY
LARSEN ARTHUR
LENART, MARY ANN
LUE ASTON
MORRISSEY, LINDA
MULRY, DENISE
NARDOZZI, THOMAS
NORTON MICHAEL
PERLA JOANNE
POND DANIEL
ROSANO, LAWRENCE
RUMINSKI, CHRISTOPHER
SMALL, FRANCIS
STUPAK, JAMES
TOPOR STEPHEN
TORTE ROBERT
WARZECHA ROBERT

The Mathematics majors of the class of 1974 were the first students to have class in Bannow - in the spring of 1970 - before the building was formally opened they found their way through the scaffolding to room B124 carrying with them their giant LEITHOLD calculus book. Even though construction was still going on, it was quieter than the room assigned them in Xavier because of the traffic on North Benson road.

Before the advent of the couch potato and long before Fairfield University resident student became mesmerized by cable TV, our Fairfield mathematics department was renowned for its classy social program. Monthly socials, semester dances (sometimes semi-formal) and semester picnics at Sherwood Island would attract fifty to eighty students and faculty. In fact the custom continued for some years after their graduation and the class of '74 would return to Sherwood Island in their role as eminently successful alumni.
Some of the activities of this remarkable class follow.

Some non-mathematical activities of the class of 1974
Marianne is on our team	Seventh year reunion	Joanne and Jim
Brian is thrown out	No spiking!	Let's have class here.
What do you mean, out of beer?	Its beginning to snow.	This is how its done.
How do you get rid of this ball?	We are ready for anything.	Who is doing the cooking?

Some familiar faces

The MACS Department

MACS Faculty
Some Occupations of Our MACS Graduates

Fairfield University's most interesting class of mathematicians - 1974

The two MACS Programs

Mathematics Minor
Descriptions of Mathematics Courses

Contact Information and Table of Contents for This Site
Mathematics Department Fairfield University Fairfield, CT 06430		email: macdonnell@fair1.fairfield.edu Voice mail - 203 256-7222 FAX 203-255-5947

These 13 polyhedra symbolize the 13 items of this page which is maintained by Joseph MacDonnell, S.J. They are the 13 Achimedean semiregular polyhedra.

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