Academics
The full curriculum of William Smith College provided the women not only with academic courses, but with practical work as well. There was an equal emphasis on such sciences as biology, psychology, economics and sociology, as on traditional college courses in the classics and humanities. In addition, education and household arts were part of the college curriculum.
Below are some reminiscences from former students taken from William Smith Women: Creating a College published in 1975.
"In my freshman year I had Chemistry from "Crab" Lansing. Why, I wonder, was that good, kindly man nicknamed "Crab"? I wanted to take Physics in my sophomore year, since it wouldn't be offered again until my senior year because there weren't that many girls interested and one couldn't teach boys and girls together in such a sexy subject as physics!" -- member, Class of 1917
"And then there was Bug Eaton. What a man! The Biology lecture room was in tiers and he would sit in a chair whose hind legs were on the edge of the step with the front legs off the floor. But he never tipped over. When we were unusually stupid he would rub his bald head and say, "Well, the Lord is my Shepherd!" Then was the time to say, "Oh, Mr. Eaton, what's that little bird out there?" Of course our ornithology trips had to be within walking distance, but we trailed him, early in the morning, across pastures west of the College. When we came to a fence Mr. Eaton would climb it first and stand with his back to us until the last girl had maneuvered her long and not too wide skirt over. Then, on we would go." -- member, Class of 1917