Discontinued Offices & Programs. Office Of The Dean Of Women (University Of Maine) Records

The Office of Dean of Women reported to the Director of Student Services (and Registrar) and was later part of the Student Affairs Office. Reporting to the Dean of Women were head residents who supervised the student residents in the female dormitories. The Dean of Women were also responsible for contributing to the development of policies and programs affecting students and overseeing women student groups including sororities on campus.

Professor Caroline Colvin who was born October 8, 1863 in Webster, Indiana was appointed the first dean of women for the University of Maine in 1923. Colvin was also a history professor and chaired the department from 1906 to 1932 becoming one of the first women hired to be head of a major university department in the country. Under Colvin's tenure as dean of women the Women's Student Government was formed and the former gym was transformed into a women's dorm. Colvin pushed for other female dorms to be built including Colvin Hall which is named in her honor. Colvin was also involved in the women's suffrage movement. Colvin left as dean in 1927, but continued as a history professor at UMaine until 1932. Colvin received a number of honors including being named the first honorary All Maine Woman. Colvin died in 1953 at the age of 90.

Professor Achsa Mabell Bean who was born June 3, 1900 replaced Colvin as dean of women in 1927. Bean had been a professor of biology at the University of Maine since 1925. Bean left the position of dean of women in 1932.

Bean's successor was Edith G. Wilson who was born December 26, 1901 in Baltimore, MD. Wilson came to the University of Maine in 1931 as associate director of the Maine Christian Association. In 1933, Wilson was appointed dean of women, during her tenure the number of sororities on campus increased and the University of Maine were active in the Intercollegiate Association of Women Students. Wilson left the position of dean of women in 1962 and would go on to be assistant to the president for institutional research and clerk of the Board of Trustees. Wilson died on September 5, 1996 at the age of 94.

The majority of the records were created during the tenure of Professor Mary Stillman Zink who was born July 21, 1916, in Bridgeport, Conn. Zink attended Yale and Cornell universities. Zink joined the University of Maine faculty in 1960 as professor of education and would serve as associate dean of women from 1960 to 1962. In 1962, Zink was appointed both the director of the university testing service and dean of women. Zink was active in both the American Association of University Women, Phi Kappa Phu, Pi Lambda Theta, and the Intercollegiate Association of Women Students whose convocation the University of Maine hosted in 1968. Zink also served on the US Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Zink resigned as dean of women in 1971. Zink died on December 30, 2008 at the age of 92.