Pioneering Women

A group of young students in the 1960s – three women and a man – having a picnic.

Honoring the lives and careers of the women who helped build EGC and Yale Economics – and demanded greater equality in the profession.

"Economics is not a man's field"

Starting in EGC's 60th anniversary year, 2020/21, our team began researching the stories, not only of well-known faculty who helped build EGC’s name and the field of development economics, but also members of the EGC community whose contributions have been overlooked, including women and international visiting scholars.

Below, you can read the stories of some of the pioneering women who helped found EGC, made inroads in Yale Economics as students and faculty, and pushed for equality in academia.

Pioneering Women: Economic Growth Center and Yale Economics

A virtual panel discussion September 26, 2020 honored the women who helped found EGC and pushed for equality in the economics profession. It coincided with a weekend celebration marking the anniversary of coeducation at Yale, and launched EGC’s 60th Anniversary celebration year.

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The women of EGC's founding team

When the Economic Growth Center was founded in 1961, three women were hired to provide research and administrative support. All three had PhDs and happened to be married to Yale economics professors. However, six years later, all were required to leave their jobs amid a flash of concern about nepotism. Despite the setback, the women went on to outstanding careers of their own.

Giving economist Nancy Ruggles her due

Nancy Ruggles, a Harvard PhD in economics, co-authored essentially all of her husband Richard Ruggles’ work during her lifetime, but was never offered a faculty position of her own. This article traces her life and career and honors the contributions she rarely received credit for during her own lifetime.

YaleNews, March 10, 2020

"Not a man’s field": Mariam Chamberlain & the Yale Economic Growth Center

Mariam Chamberlain was also let go by the EGC, but after her initial setback became an officer at the Ford Foundation, where she became known as the “fairy godmother of women’s studies.” This article highlights Chamberlain’s work to advance the status of women in academia, especially within economics.

YaleNews, July 8, 2020

Mary Reynolds' pioneering role at Yale EGC – and in literary studies

Mary Reynolds put her love of literature on hold early in life because she felt it was less practical than political science. But after she left the EGC, she devoted herself to the study Irish literature and became a world-renowned James Joyce scholar.

EGC Blog, July 16, 2020

Students and faculty making a place for women in Economics

The women who were in the first coeducational classes at Yale Economics faced many obstacles. Not only did they thrive in their careers, they demanded that the profession change, innovate, and become more inclusive.

How a job at Yale in the 1960s set Susan Eggers on a groundbreaking path in computer science

Eggers broke barriers as the first woman to win the Eckert-Mauchly Award in 2018 for her contributions to the field of computer architecture. Her interest in computer science started in her role as a secretary at EGC in the 60s.

EGC Blog, September 14, 2020

“Strength of Will”: How Cynthia Taft Morris’s career shattered ceilings

From an early polio infection to departmental barriers in her career, Taft Morris experienced discrimination firsthand. Yet, her determination wouldn’t allow it to prevent her from becoming an influential mentor, advocate, and economist.

EGC blog, September 21, 2020

How Marsha Goldfarb established a place for women in economics at Yale

After a successful stint at USAID, Goldfarb joined the EGC as the first female economics faculty member at Yale. Later, she would go on to become an influential health economist while simultaneously advocating for women in academia.

EGC blog, September 24, 2020

The Young Women Who Didn’t Accept The Usual Answers

The Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP), a vital force for equality in the profession, owes its existence in large part to Yale women. Fifty years ago, Yale graduate students pushed the American Economics Association to recognize that “economics is not a man’s field” and establish the AEA’s first committee to address gender discrimination.

Yale Economics Department, July 23, 2020

The 1971 AEA was a heady experience for a second-year graduate student. Watching President J.K. Galbraith herd our resolution to passage was amazing — one year’s worth of activism paid off big. It was also exciting to meet Joan Robinson who spoke to some of us personally. CSWEP was one outcome of our efforts and several years later, under the leadership of another Yale PhD in economics — Heidi Hartmann — many of us were involved in launching the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). And then, a couple of years later, the International Association for Feminist Economics in 1990!! Also, as a result of IWPR’s report on the status of women in Mississippi, I worked with others in Mississippi to pass legislation establishing the Commission on the Status of Women in Mississippi. All started in New Haven!

– Marianne Hill M.A. ’74 M. Phil ’74 PhD ’83 reacts to the series

Fran Blau, Marianne Hill and Heidi Hartmann during their time at Yale. — All three women were part of a group of graduate students in New Haven who pushed the American Economics Association to address gender discrimination.