Gritty Women Podcast Series Recordings

This collection contains the four documetnary style episodes of the Gritty Women podcast series, by Giovana Benatto de Oliveira, and one audio file of an interview used to create the episodes. Each episode includes segments of interviews conducted by the podcast’s creator. The podcast explores the history, and legal, political, and social context of UVA's coeducation, and balances both scholarly and personal perspectives through interviews with both scholars and first women admits.

The podcast is divided into four episodes which examine UVA's decision to begin coeducation. The first episode focuses on the institutional decision-making process and the discussions happening within the walls of the University from 1967-1970. In interviews with Ernest Ern, the Dean of Admissions 1967-1973, and with Ann Brown (class 1974), alumni from first coeducational class, the episode explains what pushed these institutional leaders to support coeducation, and how they dealt with those who vehemently opposed it.

The second episode focuses on the 1969 lawsuit, Kirstein v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, when Virginia "Anne" Ginger Scott sued for her admission into the College of Arts in Sciences, and includes interviews with Anne Coughlin who teaches criminal law and procedure and feminist jurisprudence at the University of Virginia School of Law, and Ann Brown (class '74). It also explores the local and national legal landscape of the 60s/70s, and national legal trends that made coeducation an imperative at the University of Virginia.

The third episode focuses on the political and social climate of that era. Interviews with Professor Melody Barnes, Co-Director for Policy and Public Affairs at UA's Democracy Initiative, Blake Morant (class '75), Paulette Morant (class '74), Betty McGehee (School of Education '71), Daniel Sullivan (Law '70), Charles Vasaly (Law '70), and Ann Brown (class '74), explain some of the context that created a societal consensus in favor of coeducation.

The fourth examines the experiences of some alumni from the first coeducational class. This episode includes interviews with Betty McGehee (School of Education '71), Blake Morant (class '75), Paulette Morant (class '74), Barbara Lynn (class '73), alumnus from first coeducational class and the first woman to be admitted into the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, and an anonymous alumnus (class '74).

Reference list:

Giovana De Oliveira

Virginia Audio Collective.(n.d.). Giovana De Oliveira - Gritty Women [Podcast series]. WTJU. https://virginiaaudio.org/#/gritty-women/

WTJU. (n.d.). Giovana De Oliveira - Gritty Women [Podcast series]. Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/wtju/sets/gritty-women

Apple Podcasts. (n.d.). Giovana De Oliveira - Gritty Women [Podcast series]. Apple. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gritty-women/id1566917902

Spotify Shows. (n.d.). Giovana De Oliveira - Gritty Women [Podcast series]. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/1i08wEQTvVYcapoCeyVCz2?si=892PbaeTQ06jvkp3BLCa4w&nd=1