Arlene Cohen ’94

My first year at Wellesley I stumbled upon pieces around campus that gave me a sense of its history. Those pillars behind Tower Court—remnants of College Hall, the building that was the entirety of Wellesley College when it opened in 1875. Those plaques at the entrance of Founders—the building named for the founders of Wellesley, although, honoring their wishes, did so without their names. Those portraits in Clapp—all the college presidents from the beginning. I grew to love Wellesley’s history and the traditions that made it a special place in my life. That love manifested itself in many ways, but the most significant was the publication of my pictorial history book, Wellesley College, in 2006, twelve years after I graduated. Researching all aspects of Wellesley’s past to create that book and seeing it come to fruition was the true definition of a passion project and a labor of love.