Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh : ) is a women ' s liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr , a community in Lower Merion Township , in the U . S . state of Pennsylvania , ten miles west of Philadelphia . The phrase " bryn mawr " means " big hill " in Welsh . Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges , and is part of the Tri - College Consortium along with two other colleges founded by Quakers — Swarthmore College and Haverford College . The school has an enrollment of about 1300 undergraduate student s and 450 graduate student s . History . Bryn Mawr College is a highly selective , private women ' s liberal arts college founded in 1885 . The Graduate School is co - educational . It is named after the town of Bryn Mawr , in which the campus is located , which had been named by a representative of the Pennsylvania Railroad who found the name in some old records . Bryn Mawr was the name of an area estate granted to Rowland Ellis by William Penn in the 1680s . Ellis ' s former home , also called Bryn Mawr , was a house near Dolgellau , Merionnydd ( Merioneth ) , Gwynedd , Wales . The College was largely founded through the bequest of Joseph W . Taylor , and its first president was James Evans Rhoads . Bryn Mawr was the first higher education institution to offer graduate degrees , including doctorate s , to women . The first class included 36 undergraduate women and eight graduate students . Bryn Mawr was originally affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends ( Quakers ) , but by 1893 had become non - denominational . In 2012 , U . S . News & World Report ranked it 25th in Best Liberal Arts Colleges . In 1912 , Bryn Mawr became the first college in the United States to offer doctorates in social work , through the Department of Social Economy and Social Research . This department became the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research in 1970 . In 1931 , Bryn Mawr began accepting men as graduate students , while remaining women - only at the undergraduate level . From 1921 to 1938 the Bryn Mawr campus was home to the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers , which was founded as part of the labor education movement and the women ' s labor movement . The school taught women workers political economy , science , and literature , as well as organizing many extracurricular activities . A June 3 , 2008 , article in " The New York Times " discussed the move by women ' s colleges in the United States to promote their schools in the Middle East . The article noted that in doing so , the schools promote the work of graduates of women ' s colleges such as Hillary Rodham Clinton , Emily Dickinson , Diane Sawyer , Katharine Hepburn ( Bryn Mawr Class of 1928 ) and Madeleine Albright . The Dean of Admissions of Bryn Mawr noted , " We still prepare a disproportionate number of women scientists [ . . . ] We ’ re really about the empowerment of women and enabling women to get a top - notch education . " The article also contrasted the difference between women ' s colleges in the Middle East and " the American colleges [ which ] for all their white - glove history and academic prominence , are liberal strongholds where students fiercely debate political action , gender identity and issues like “ heteronormativity ” , the marginalizing of standards that are other than heterosexual . Middle Eastern students who already attend these colleges tell of a transition that can be jarring . " The College celebrated its 125th anniversary of " bold vision , for women , for the world " during the 2010 – 2011 academic year . In September 2010 , Bryn Mawr hosted an international conference on issues of educational access , equity , and opportunity in secondary schools and universities in the United States and around the world . Other festivities held for the anniversary year included publication of a commemorative book on 125 years of student life , and , in partnership with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Mural Arts Program , creation of a mural in West Philadelphia highlighting advances in women ' s education . Campus . Bryn Mawr ' s library holdings are housed in the Mariam Coffin Canaday Library ( opened 1970 ) , the Rhys Carpenter Library ( opened 1997 ) , and the Lois and Reginald Collier Science Library ( opened 1993 ) . TRIPOD , the online library catalog , automatically accesses holdings at Haverford and Swarthmore . The majority of Bryn Mawr students live on campus in residence halls . Many of the older residence halls were designed by Cope & Stewardson and are known for their Collegiate Gothic architecture , modeled after Cambridge University . Each is named after a county town in Wales : Brecon , Denbigh ( 1891 ) , Merion ( 1885 ) , and Radnor ( 1887 ) . Pembroke East and West ( 1892 ) . Rhoads North and South was named after the college ' s first president , James E . Rhoads ; Rockefeller is named after its donor , John D . Rockefeller . The newest residence halls are Erdman ( opened 1965 , designed by architect Louis Kahn ) and the Haffner Language and Culture House ( opened 1971 ) . In addition , students may choose to live in Perry House ( the Black Cultural Center ) or Batten House ( an environmentally friendly co - op ) . Glenmede ( formerly graduate student housing ) is an estate located about a half mile from the main campus which was available housing for undergraduate students . In 2007 , it was sold to a conservation buyer as the annual costs of upkeep were too great for the college . The campus was designed in part by noted landscape designers Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted , and has subsequently been designated an arboretum ( the Bryn Mawr Campus Arboretum ) . Blanca Noel Taft Memorial Garden . In 1908 , John C . Olmsted designed a private garden for M . Carey Thomas adjoining the Deanery . The garden was later modified and renamed as the Blanca Noel Taft Memorial Garden . It currently exists as a small , serene enclosure with two wall fountains , one with a small basin and the other with a sunken reflecting pool , as well as a statuary based on designs Thomas and Garrett had seen in Italy . The decorative wall tiles , placed above the smaller wall fountain and basin , were purchased from Syria . Erdman Hall Dormitory . In 1960 , architect Louis I . Kahn and Bryn Mawr College president , Katharine Elizabeth McBride , came together to create the Erdman Hall dormitory . For over a year , Kahn and his assistants struggled to translate the college ’ s design program of 130 student rooms and public spaces into a scheme ( well documented by the letters written between McBride and Kahn ) . The building comprises three geometrical square structures , connected at their corners . The outer walls are formed by interlocking student rooms around three inner public spaces : the entry hall , dining hall and living hall . These spaces receive light from towering light monitors . The Marjorie Walter Goodhart Theater . The Marjorie Walter Goodhart Theater houses a vaulted auditorium designed by Arthur Meigs , two smaller spaces that are ideal for intimate performances by visiting artists , practice rooms for student musicians , and the Office for the Arts . The building ' s towers and gable s , friezes , carvings and ornamental ironwork were designed by Samuel Yellin in the gothic revival style . In the fall of 2009 , the College completed a $ 19 million renovation of Goodhart , which included expanded stage and rehearsal space , updated sound and lighting , a teaching theater , and renovated seating for audiences . M . Carey Thomas Library . Named after Bryn Mawr ' s first Dean and second president , the M . Carey Thomas Library was used as a library until 1970 , when Mariam Coffin Canaday Library opened . Today , it is a space for performances , readings , lectures , and public gatherings . The Great Hall ( formerly the reading room of the old Library ) was designed by Walter Cope ( of Cope and Stewardson ) in 1901 and built by Stewardson and Jamieson several years later , although M . Carey Thomas played a large part in its construction . M . Carey Thomas Library encloses a large open courtyard called " The Cloisters " , which is the site of the College ' s traditional Lantern Night ceremony . The cremated remains of M . Carey Thomas and Emmy Noether are in the courtyard cloister . The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991 . Rhys Carpenter Art and Archaeology Library . Named for Bryn Mawr ’ s late professor of Classical Archaeology , the Rhys Carpenter Library was designed by Henry Myerberg of New York and opened in 1997 . The space is attached to the rear of the M . Carey Thomas Library . The entrance is a four - story atrium . Names of art and archaeology faculty are on the main wall with a frieze of plaster casts from ancient Athens . Most of the stacks , study areas , lecture halls and seminar rooms were built underground . The roof comprises a wide grassy area used for outdoor concerts and picnics . The building won a 2001 Award of Excellence for Library Architecture from the Library Administration and Management Association and the American Institute of Architects . Carpenter Library also houses the College ' s renowned collections in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology , History of Art and Classics . The building also contains a large lecture hall and a seminar room . Organization . Bryn Mawr undergraduates largely govern themselves in academic and social matters via the Self - Government Association . A significant aspect of self - government is the Academic Honor System ( honor code ) . The Honor Code is a set of principles that stress mutual respect and academic integrity . Students ratify the code each year , agree to adhere to it , and enforce its provisions . Along with Haverford College , Bryn Mawr forms the Bi - College Community . Students in the " Bi - Co " enjoy unlimited cross - registration privileges and may choose to major at the other institution . The two institutions join with Swarthmore College to form the Tri - College Consortium , opening the Swarthmore course catalog to interested Bryn Mawr students as well . Free shuttles are provided between the three campuses . There is the Blue Bus between Bryn Mawr and Haverford College , and a van , known to the students as the " Swat Van " , that travels among the three colleges . In addition , the College is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania through a special association known as the Quaker Consortium , allowing Bryn Mawr students to take classes there . Additionally , Bryn Mawr students in the Growth and Structure of Cities department may earn a Bachelor of Arts at Bryn Mawr and a master ' s degree in city planning at Penn through the 3 – 2 Program in City and Regional Planning . Academics . Bryn Mawr is a small , four year , highly competitive , residential baccalaureate college . Although the college offers several graduate programs , the majority of enrollments are from students enrolled in the undergraduate arts and sciences program . The college granted 331 bachelor ' s degrees , 106 master ' s degrees , and 21 doctoral degrees in 2009 . Students at Bryn Mawr are required to complete divisional requirements in the social sciences , natural sciences ( including lab skills ) and humanities . In addition , they must fulfill a one - year foreign language requirement , a quantitative skills requirement and an Emily Balch Seminar requirement . The Emily Balch Seminars are similar to courses in freshman composition at other institutions . The seminars stress development of critical thinking skills and are discussion - based , with " intensive reading and writing . " Admission to Bryn Mawr is classified as " more selective , lower transfer in . " In 2009 , Bryn Mawr received 2 , 276 undergraduate applications , admitted 1107 ( 48 . 6 % ) , and enrolled 362 ( 32 . 7 % ) . First year students had interquartile ranges of 600 – 700 on reading , 580 – 680 on math , and 620 – 700 on writing on the SAT . The four - year graduation rate is 81 . 4 % and the six - year rate is 86 . 3 % . The student body comprises 1 , 283 female undergraduate students and the graduate program comprises 464 graduate students ( 21 . 3 % of them male ) . Traditions . The four major traditions are Parade Night , which traditionally took place on the first day of classes each academic year , but has been moved to the Friday of the first week of classes ; Lantern Night , which takes place in late October or early November ; Hell Week , which takes place in mid - February ; and May Day , which takes place on the Sunday after classes end in the spring semester . The Dar Williams song " As Cool As I Am " has recently become part of the tradition of May Day ; it is played during the " May Hole " celebration . The song is even called an " unofficial anthem " for the school . Step Sings , when students bring their class lanterns and congregate at Taylor Hall , occurs around the time of the four major traditions . The two Traditions Mistresses of the College , elected by the student body , are in charge of organizing and running traditions . In addition to events , Bryn Mawr ' s traditions extend to superstitions around the campus , some of which date back to the opening of the college in 1885 . Sustainability . Bryn Mawr has signed the American College and University President ' s Climate Commitment , and in doing so , the school agreed to make all new buildings comply with a LEED silver standard or higher ; to purchase Energy Star products whenever possible ; and to provide and encourage the use of public transportation . The school ' s dining halls strive to be environmentally sustainable by working to expand their local and organic offerings , recycling in all dining areas , and recycling used fry oil as bio - diesel fuel . The dining halls previously offered biodegradable takeout containers , but reverted to Styrofoam in the 2009 / 10 academic year . Additionally , all leftover food is donated to a local food bank . On the College Sustainability Report Card 2009 , published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute , Bryn Mawr received a C + . The school ' s highest category score was an A in Investment Priorities , since Bryn Mawr invests in renewable energy funds , but the score was brought down by lower grades in categories like Green Building ( in which the school earned a D , since the campus currently features no green buildings ) . Athletics . Bryn Mawr fields intercollegiate teams in swimming , badminton , basketball , cross country , field hockey , lacrosse , rowing , rugby , soccer , tennis , track and field , and volleyball . The badminton team won national intercollegiate championships in 1996 and 2008 . The mascot of the college is the owl , the symbol of Athena , Greek goddess of wisdom . A large number of Bryn Mawr alumnae have gone on to become notable in their respective fields . The list includes Drew Gilpin Faust , the first woman president of Harvard University ; Hanna Holborn Gray , the first woman president of a major research university ( University of Chicago ) ; modernist poets H . D . , and Marianne Moore ; classics scholar Edith Hamilton ; social activist and feminist Grace Lee Boggs ; Nobel Peace Prize winner Emily Greene Balch ; geneticist Nettie Stevens ; artist Anne Truitt ; author Ellen Kushner ; federal judge Ilana Rovner ; economist Alice Rivlin ; personal finance reporter Jennifer Westhoven ; Dean of Quinnipiac School of Law Jennifer Gerarda Brown ; and movie actress Katharine Hepburn . In addition the journalist Martha Gellhorn also briefly attended the school , later labelling her brush with formal higher education : " not a success " . Notable faculty include Woodrow Wilson , Edmund Beecher Wilson , Thomas Hunt Morgan , mathematician Emmy Noether , classicist Richmond Lattimore , the Spanish philosopher José Ferrater Mora , Karl Kirchwey and the 10th president of Sweet Briar College Jo Ellen Parker .