Since the inception of the institution in 1911, the campus of Anderson University has welcomed and educated women who thirst for knowledge and meaningful growth. 

The first women who decided to enroll and attend Anderson University were not really that unlike the women who attend today. They had aspirations and dreams, best friends with whom they’ve shared endless laughs, parking woes, and hearts dedicated to helping and uplifting others. As I flipped through the Columns yearbooks and The Yodler publications across the decades, the hairstyles, fashion, and cultural references were varied. But in each face of the women—the students, faculty, and staff—I could see what unites us all: a desire for a future that is better than yesterday. 

Each and every woman who has been a part of the Anderson community has left their mark. Without the cumulative efforts of so many women students, staff, and faculty, the university would certainly not be the same and might not have even existed. In fact, Dr. Annie Dove Denmark’s decisions as president are credited as preventing the closing of the institution.  

For over 110 years, women have been students, professors, secretaries, advisors, and have filled many other roles. As such, it is difficult to sift through these years to highlight the ‘most influential’ women of AU history. So, the following women are some, but certainly not all, of the most impactful women who made AU their home and left it better than they found it. Who better to start with than the renowned Dr. Annie Dove Denmark? 

Dr. Annie Dove Denmark  

• First woman president of AU, and of a South Carolina college as well  

• Inaugurated in January 1928 as fifth president of AU  

• Came to AU in 1917 as a piano and harmony instructor  

• Named Dean of Women in 1925, held this position until her presidency began  

• Retired in 1953  

• Decided to convert the four-year institution into a two-year junior college (the first of its kind in SC at the time)  

• “Strong of character and brilliant of mind, she is properly credited with having saved young and struggling Anderson [University] when it faced financial disaster and finality of existence.”  

• Oversaw the decision to allow male students to attend the college for the first time in 1930  

• Had longest tenure than any other AU president  

• Began the tradition of Founder’s Day  

• In 1934-35, she served as president of the Southern Association of Colleges for Women, the first woman to hold such a position  

• “The prospects for your life are as bright as the promises of God and just as realizable as your obedience to those promises.” — Dr. Denmark  

• In 2011, to celebrate the centennial of AU, a play portraying the story of Dr. Annie Dove Denmark  

• Deborah McEniry played the role of Dr. Denmark  

• “’The best thing to me about performing in this show is that Annie Dove Denmark really did the things you see in the production, and she said some of the exact words in the script. It’s more than just a play or a story; it’s true history,’ said Skelly.” Shelly Skelly played the role of Ms. Regina.  

Grace Louise Cronkhite  

• Born in 1869, passed in 1955  

• Her education and training include the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Massachusetts as a pupil of Carl Faelten, Edwin Klahre, Henry Dunham, Percy Goetscheus ; at the Institute of Applied Music, New York as a pupil in Composition with Harry Rowe Shelley; at the Virgil Piano School, New York; and as a private pupil in Paris of M. Moszkowski  

• Held many teaching positions throughout her life—in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia, but came to AU in 1917  

• Served as Dean of Music and Dean of Women   

• Instructor in piano and was president of chorus  

• One of her pupils when she was at Meredith College was Dr. Denmark, and the two became fast friends  

• They worked together as teachers for one year in Tennessee College for women and six years at Shorter College. When Dr. Denmark came to Anderson College Miss Cronkhite came also and taught here until her retirement.  

• Hers was a brilliant career in which hundreds of students were enriched by her competent teaching and her gracious spirit. At this commencement a special concert was given in honor of their teacher by a number of former students who had achieved distinction in the world of music.   

• She taught Piano, Organ, Advanced Harmony, Counterpoint, Analysis, and History of Music and more courses while at AU  

Dora Hancock  

• Was a student at AU from 1951-52 (then a junior college)  

• Was a study hall supervisor, freshman president, and student government president, and worked for the admissions office  

• Returned to AU in 1954 after graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to be secretary to President E.F. Haight  

• Taught secretarial science from 1956-57 full-time, and then continued to teach part-time until she retired in 1976  

• Became director of religious activities from 1958 to 1973  

• Then become academic advisor in registrar’s office in 1973, a position she held until her retirement  

• Despite retiring, she continued working at AU as a part-time library assistant  

• Was able to become President for a Day in 1982 after a Board of Trustee member suggested she receive the honor, joking that she had done almost everything but be president at AU  

• Her dedication, intellect, and care for students made her presence a delightful asset to campus   

Debbie Barnwell  

• Featured in a story in The Yodler, the AU publication for her studies and travels abroad  

• She emphasized that education is more than just books, but experience as well  

• Studied for six weeks in Mexico, then enrolled and attended her first year at AU  

• Then, traveled with a group to Paris for a week, then Spain for six weeks  

• Stayed with host parents, Señor y Señora Iglesias  

• Reflected her thoughts and experiences  

• Differences in culture—nightlife, dating, school  

• Her remarks  

• “’The only way to get to know people is to live with them. The people meant so much to me in Mexico and in Spain. I learned from the people, and I loved every minute of it.”  

• “My aim in life is to help other people and show God’s love to others in any way that I can.”  

Pam Bryant Ross 

• Enrolled at AU in 1977, said she felt a sense of home once she was on campus 

• Her desire to continue her education and playing basketball made her decide to attend, especially after meeting then basketball coach Frankie Porter 

• After graduating in 1983, she was hired at AU as a college representative 

• She had a unique talent in ventriloquism, a skill she started developing at age 12 

• She stumbled upon a ventriloquist at a tent revival when she was growing up and felt inspired.  

• “I just seemed to have the natural skill for it, and people really liked the voice and personality of Freddy (her ventriloquism puppet),” Bryant-Ross said. 

• Began serving as assistant woman’s basketball coach in 1984, and also served as an admissions counselor and head softball coach 

• In 1996, she became the Director of Admission 

• Under her leadership, Anderson’s traditional student enrollment grew from 892 students in 1995 to 1,283 students in 2007. By 2019, enrollment of traditional students reached its greatest peak at 2,372. 

• Named as the Dean of Admissions in 2012 

• Became Vice President of Enrollment Engagement in 2016 

• Now serves as Senior Vice President of Enrollment Engagement 

• She has served at AU for over 40 years now 

• “Knowing the purpose behind what I do and the many stories I get to see is why I love this place so much,” she said. “These brilliant young people make my job worth doing.” 

Dr. Wanda Staggers 

• Staggers was the first African American faculty member at AU from 1984-1994  

• She was an assistant professor of computer science who introduced many students to the then-novel realm of computer science, and later became the Chairman of Computer Science 

• Staggers was from Manhattan, NY and graduated from the University of Hartford in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics  

• She also completed a master’s degree in industrial education from Clemson University and a Master of Science majoring in the field of computer science  

• Additionally, Staggers completed a Doctor of Education degree from Clemson University, with her dissertation entitled A Survey of the Status of Computer Literacy Graduation Requirements in Selected Private Colleges and Universities  

• In each the many photos of Dr. Staggers throughout the Columns yearbooks, she is often seen helping students–a testament to her intellect and care for students 

Mrs. Diane Whitaker 

• Mrs. Whitaker has been just as transformative as her husband in her role as First Lady of AU for over 20 years now  

• She serves as the ultimate ambassador of Anderson University and as a calming presence in the lives of countless students through her acts of hospitality and service  

• Diane’s first exposure to the professional music world came during her two seasons with the Virginia Opera Association’s children’s chorus.  

• She went on to perform with a Christian music group based out of California and sang in Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, England, France and Kenya, as well as touring most of the United States singing nightly concerts.  

• After college, Diane worked as an admissions counselor for her alma mater, Belmont University  

• Then, she worked in Residence Life, a job that required her to live on campus in the residence halls, which led her to meeting Evans Whitaker  

• In March of 2003, Diane moved to Anderson, South Carolina to support her husband in his presidency of Anderson University  

• She is active on several community boards including GAMAC, The Salvation Army and the United Way and sings at various churches and denominational events.  

• People often speak of the revered Mrs. Whitaker: “They talk about her kind heart. Her beautiful singing voice. Her care for students. Her omnipresence on campus. And her critical role as Dr. Whitaker’s confidant, closest friend and consigliere.” (Andrew Beck)  

As mentioned before, this list could be as long as the entire history of the college itself. In between the presidency the incredible Dr. Annie Dove Denmark and our current First Lady Mrs. Diane Whitaker are thousands of women whose presence on campus has forever altered it. But in addition to individual women who have contributed to campus culture and growth, the rights and privileges women enjoy today were hard-fought by the national efforts of women in American history. The increasing awareness and voicing of women’s issues and advocating for equal treatment and rights did not fail to occur on the AU campus as well. 

This is clear because while flipping through the pages of the student-led newspaper, The Yodler (from 1926 to 1974, when the name changed to the A[U] Echoes), there were several interesting articles commenting on contemporary issues. The young students who were publishing the newspaper felt passionate about covering a multitude of topics–from politics to class registration to dating life.  

One article entitled “Women Air Issues” from 1972 stated “One of the issues brought up at the recent trustees meeting with A[U] students was the fact that women on this campus are not treated as equals to the male students. It is no secret the rules and regulations imposed on the masculine sex are much more flexible, versatile and are even more just than those the feminine sex must contend with.” The students assured readers that they did not want to completely eradicate the standards, but to enforce a fairer system.  

Many other similar articles existed, even one that summarized the points of Christian author and poet Ragan Courtney who spoke at Anderson in 1984. Courtney offered a Biblical perspective on the promotion of equal rights and behavior toward women. “The qualities we attribute to women are gentleness, long-suffering, tender-heartedness, compassion,” he said. “We call these feminine traits when actually they are fruits of God’s spirit.”  

Despite the hardships and barriers imposed on women, Courtney said, “women have made great contributions to the cause of Christ.” He continued, saying that “‘If as Southern Baptists we had no Woman’s Missionary Union, we would have no Foreign Missions Board, no Southern Baptist Convention, nothing.’” Though it can be assumed that perhaps not all listening at the time held the same beliefs and convictions around the promotion of women’s rights, it is commendable that such stories were featured in the student newspaper. 

While creating space for women to voice their opinions and concerns, the articles of The Yodler and A[U] Echoes also celebrated movements toward the educational and professional (and even fashionable!) equity of women. 

Far more positive than negative articles grace the pages, and among them are the ones detailed below. 

1970s Article entitled “Women Leaders Form Network” 

• 1970s article entitled “Women leaders form network” 

• Speaks of the National Women’s Student Coalition  

• They were organizing a Women’s Leadership Network on campuses across the country that will help female students develop leadership and organizational skills  

• Set up workshops, conferences, and organized efforts all aimed at helping women become more active leaders  

• Workshops focused on how to get campus, regional and even national action on women’s issues  

• Promoted educational equity for women 

Page from 1974 Columns yearbook, “Ideals of school are first with WC” 

• “The Women’s Council meets once each week to discuss more effective ways of upholding A[U]’s ideals and regulations.”  

• Under the guidance of Mrs. Mary Shooter, who sponsored the annual Miss Anderson College Pageant 

Page from 1974 Columns yearbook, “CC Club is for able girls” 

• “Today’s woman is rapidly closing the gap between careers open to her and those of her male counterpart. Consequently, many new channels have been opened for the purpose of educating young women in business processes they have previously had little opportunity to study.” 

• Kathryn McGregor directs monthly meetings of the club 

• “As women wake up to their own capabilities and seek their rights to exercise them, we should see more organizations with aims like those of the Commercial Club.” 

Early 1980s article entitled “A[U] Women Participate in ROTC”  

• Expanded ROTC program to include women students  

• Women students in Army ROTC program included Susan Register and Cathy Jones 

• “When asked if she would recommend the program to other girls, Cathy gave an emphatic answer. ‘I certainly would recommend it,’ she said. ‘You can get a lot out of ROTC. You learn to be a leader, and also you learn a lot about yourself.’”  

• Objectives of program are teaching respect for authority, leadership, and co-operation with others  

• Women students in Air Force ROTC program included Jane Moseley, Yvonne Vernon, and Sandy Cervera  

1984 article entitled “President Is Woman”  

• “For the first time in over five years a female will hold the office of Freshman class president.”  

• Maura O’Leary   

• Speech and Theater major from Greenville 

• In high school, she was member of student government as secretary of the student body 

• Resided in Pratt Hall at the time, where she served as intramural sports hall captain 

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Each of us plants seeds in a garden that we may never see bloom. Looking back through documents from AU’s history–the student-written publications, the yearbooks, the artifacts–are ways we can find the seeds that were planted whose fruits we are now enjoying. 

There are so many current students, faculty and staff who are continuing to be faithful gardeners to the soil of Anderson’s campus, both male and female. How lucky are we to be able to continue a legacy that for most of human history was unavailable to the feminine sex, that of a holistic Christian education on a campus where the sisterhood and community is tangible.