"The entry of women into higher education was accomplished over protest which from time to time shifted its grounds for opposition. For centuries popular opinion had questioned whether women were educable, and doubts lingered in the minds of many" (p. 3). With no role models before them, "at first even women who themselves passionately desired higher education were unsure about women's potential for intellectual achievement" (p. 3). "Despite the protest, women entered higher education in ever increasing numbers and, in the latter decades of the century, established themselves on the academic scene. At about the same time, a proliferation of professions was under way, and the social sciences ... were beginning to emerge as disciplines within colleges and universities" (p. 4).
Once women began to enter academic and professional realms, a new set of obstacles lay before them. Teaching was a traditional profession for women to pursue after graduate education, but this too was limited by multiple factors. Women were often relegated to women's colleges, as they were restricted from teaching men, and even this was often conditional upon marital status. "Marriage meant that a woman faculty member lost her position ... even at women's colleges" (p. 156). Women's university affiliation often came with limited privileges and without support for research or the security of tenured position. The contributions of many women were achieved largely in spite of these factors - with much fortitude, determination and persistence.
Scarborough, E. & Furumoto, L. (1987). Untold Lives: The first generation of American women psychologists. New York: Columbia University Press.