Trailblazers of Change: Celebrating 50 Years of Women at UVA and Madison House’s Growth

“We were really special and got a lot of attention, and we felt a responsibility to do something special,” explains Dr. Deborah Denno, reflecting on her experience as a member of UVA's first co-ed undergraduate class in 1974. The year 1970 was groundbreaking, marking the first time women were admitted to UVA’s undergraduate program. Now, in 2024, the 50th anniversary of that historic graduating class is being celebrated. Reflecting back on their time at UVA, alumnae Katherine Taylor, Karen Montgomery, and Connie Laudenschlager reminisce fondly how Madison House shaped their college experiences.

Rick Noble, a graduate student at the time who was integral in Madison House’s organizational development, delves into the history of the non profit organization. “Without the women, it certainly would not have gotten to where it is today– and might not even have gotten anywhere,” he notes. While at UVA for a doctorate in economics, he heard of the “Master and Fellows of Madison Hall.” Now, prior to his arrival in Charlottesville, Mr. Noble explains, “Madison Hall and Madison Bowl were owned by the very first collegiate YMCA in the country. They were not officially part of the University, but were right smack dab in the middle [of Grounds] with 5 acres of land and a very nice building.” In the late 1960s, circa 1969, the YMCA reincorporated as the Master and Fellows of Madison Hall. Mr. Noble joined the program and was one of just four employees: he served as president alongside a vice president, an office manager, and a program leader. Over a period of two to three years, the Master and Fellows of Madison Hall program moved from Madison Hall to a space across from Memorial Gym. When a fraternity house near Beta Bridge burnt down around 1973, a vacant lot opened up. “No fraternity wanted to go in and build, so that is when we transitioned to Madison House and opened on Rugby Road,” summarizes Mr. Noble. UVA alumni and Madison House volunteer Pat Graney ‘75, similarly reflects, “Madison House really started to develop in the years between 1971 and 1975,” notably just after women joined as undergraduates at UVA.

The general idea for Madison House came at a pivotal time in history. “Madison Hall was birthed, time frame wise, with civil rights and especially with the Vietnam War,” says Mr. Noble. “There were a lot of students who were potentially available to respond to those kinds of issues.” Mr. Graney similarly remembers Madison House being a place where “everyone could work together.” UVA was also experiencing critical developments, as women had entered the classrooms! Deborah Denno remembers her female peers at UVA as being “amazing” and “ambitious.” But, she says, after a while she got accustomed to being in this group of trailblazers and the novelty faded away. “I just didn’t notice. This sounds crazy given our situation, but pretty quickly I didn't notice the distinction, unless it was very obvious.” That is not to say that women had an easy transition to UVA. “They didn’t know what to do with us!” exclaims Connie Laudenschlager, laughing, “We had to literally plan our day around where the restrooms were because there weren’t that many!”

Madison House offered a place of equal opportunity for men and women to explore their passions and give back to the UVA and Charlottesville community. Dr. Denno, for example, grew up in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. She grew up aware of urban crime and developed an interest in criminology. At Madison House, she volunteered for a program called Offender Aid and Restoration where she tutored incarcerated adults, helping them read and serving as a general mentor. “It really stood out to me. We had a lot of opportunities, there were a million things to do, but for me that was a really special experience,” she adds. Even now, Dr. Denno has continued pursuing her passion for criminology, getting a Ph.D. in Sociology and Criminology and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She is now a Law Professor at Fordham Law School and believes that the prison work she engaged in at Madison House influenced her career.

Big Siblings was another popular program in Madison house’s early years. It enabled UVA students to pair up with a young Charlottesville student and serve as a mentor. Ms. Laudenschlager recalls that they would often venture around Charlottesville with their ‘little siblings’ from the program. “I’d go out and buy them ice cream,” she adds. Similarly, Karen Montgomery says, “My roommate Katherine Baldwin Taylor and I shared three sisters—Judy, Joyce and Suzy—for our three or four years at UVA. We would pick them up at their home and take them to the park to feed the ducks, have an Easter egg hunt, or just play and talk. …We enjoyed their company every week or two.” Another roommate, Katherine Taylor, adds, “We enjoyed our time with the program and getting to know those sweet children. [It] gave us a way to be in touch with the larger community of Charlottesville.”

Madison House has long served as a bridge between UVA and the Charlottesville community. The programs Madison House developed were not part of some master plan, but rather employees and volunteers “followed [their] noses to where there were community needs,” explains Mr. Noble. “There is often a tension between a community and the [local] university… It’s the monster in the town they reside in. Madison House connected the community and the University in a very noticeable and impactful way.”

While some Madison House programs reflected broader population interests, others began just because one or two people had an interest—like a partnership with a local horse farm that provided children with different abilities experiences with the animals. Over time, Madison House grew, amassing popularity with the student body, University, and broader community. And it has reflected the increasing diversity of the school as well. For example, Mr. Noble notes that when he first began with Madison House, the Board of Directors was an all male group. But times have changed! Fifty years following the first co-educational graduating class at UVA, the two co-chair seats of the Madison House Board of Directors are both filled by women.

Though at times they may have felt burdened by the weight of expectations, these pioneering female graduates left a lasting impact on the University, paving the way for future generations of students. They truly achieved something special, particularly through their involvement with Madison House, contributing to an organization that has only grown stronger and more influential over time.

By Cecilia Murphy