Pembroke College in Brown University

Pembroke College operated as a coordinate women's college within Brown University from 1891 until full merger in 1971, providing undergraduate education to female students in Providence.

Founded in 1891 with support from educator Sarah Doyle, the college began in a grammar school before moving to Pembroke Hall and was renamed in 1928 after Cambridge University's Pembroke College.

The institution maintained separate student government, social clubs, and publications while women attended classes alongside male Brown students, preserving a distinct educational experience for female undergraduates during its eighty-year history.

Following the 1971 merger, the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women was established in 1981 to continue research on gender and society, maintaining archives documenting women's education and feminist activism in Rhode Island.

The college introduced a nursing program in 1931 through collaboration with Rhode Island Hospital Training School for Nurses, expanding professional training opportunities for women beyond traditional liberal arts education.

Location: Providence

Inception: 1891

Part of: Brown University

GPS coordinates: 41.82920,-71.40260

Latest update: November 28, 2025 15:19