The Woman’s Educational Society began over a hundred years ago, when Mary Slocum, wife of the CC president at the time, established it in April of 1889. Over a hundred women attended that first meeting of WES, and established the goal of giving “physical, intellectual and spiritual aid to students in any department of the college."  At the time, there were only three buildings on the CC campus. While one of them was a dormitory for men, there was no women’s dorm, and women students had to board in town.  As a result, the first major project of WES was raising the funds and supervising the building of Montgomery Hall, which still stands on the campus today.  

Soon after the completion of Montgomery Hall, WES advised the architect of Ticknor Hall, the second dorm for women, and then furnished its rooms.  In 1902, WES furnished the salary for the first college nurse at CC, and later purchased the building which became CC’s student infirmary.  Along the way, WES funded lectures and endowments, made many gifts to the library, furnished or updated campus buildings, and even donated to a camp for underprivileged children.

Above all, since its beginning, WES has provided scholarships to CC students, and that focus continues through today.  Currently, WES funds scholarships for 21 CC students, regardless of sex or gender, each year, adding five students in each year’s freshman class.  In addition, WES gives grants for unpaid or underpaid internships or research fellowships, and special purpose grants to fund travel or learning experiences over the summer.