Class Notes

Photo courtesy of Wellesley College Archives

1932

Esther Gebelein Swain ’32, president of the Outing Club and vice president of the Wellesley Athletic Association, advertises the Ice Carnival.

ALUMNAE PROFILES

A photo of Peggy Cullen Nicholson '54 beside a racing scull.

Peggy Cullen Nicholson ’54

Peggy Cullen Nicholson ’54 has accomplished a lot in her life: She taught French for years. She served on her town’s board of education. She’s the mother of three. She’s been a lifelong volunteer. And last fall, she rowed in her first race, at the Head of the Charles.More
A photo portrait of Anne Shen Chao '74

Anne Shen Chao ’74

In 2010, Anne Shen Chao ’74 founded the Houston Asian American Archive at Rice University, an oral history collection about the lives of Asian Americans living in the Houston area. “We want to make sure that Asian American contributions are included in the narrative of Texas history,…More
A photo portrait of Miriam Butt ’87

Miriam Butt ’87

Miriam Butt ’87, a professor of general and computational linguistics at the University of Konstanz in Germany, chose to attend Wellesley in part because it was one of the only American colleges at the time where she could study both Latin and computer science.More

In Memoriam

A photo portrait of Mary Ellen Crawford Ames ’40

1918–2021

Mary Ellen Crawford Ames ’40 passed away on Aug. 17, 2021, following a lifetime of achievement and adventure that spanned 102 years. For 70 of those years, she was an engaging presence at Wellesley as a student, class president, alumna volunteer, personnel director, and as the College’s venerable director of admission from 1969 to 1985.More
A photo portrait of D. Scott Birney, professor of astronomy

1926–2021

D. Scott Birney died on Aug. 15, 2021, at age 95. Scott joined the astronomy department in 1968, and throughout his 23 years at the College, his good cheer, wry wit, and self-effacing demeanor made the Whitin Observatory a congenial and supportive home to both students and faculty.More
Tributes to Wellesley alumnae by family and friendsMore