A Brief History of Women at Benson
Benson used to be an all boys school. Until 1973 when six young women entered our halls…
By Elizabeth Larrison —
Benson was an all boy’s school until 1973. That year six girls joined the class of ‘77; Gloria Wallberg-Sutton and LaQuita Corbett came to speak at the 2024 Fall Pep Assembly, and I got the opportunity to speak with them.
Wallberg-Sutton originally came to Benson because it was a family tradition. Her brothers and father had all graduated from Benson. Corbett was encouraged to come to Benson by her 8th grade teacher, saying, “he saw a little feistiness in me.”
The girls had “very immaturely calculated” that they had three hundred thirty three and a third boys each. But despite this, Wallberg-Sutton said that it was very welcoming, that she never heard a word saying they didn’t fit in. Corbett agreed.
When asked if they have any advice for girls at Benson now, in 2024, they advised to not box yourself in. Go to chess club, join baseball, do anything else you want to do. Don’t allow fear or stereotypes to dictate what you can and can’t do. Wallberg-Sutton told me about how she had been interested in chess club, but didn’t think of herself as “enough of a nerd.” They both agreed that you should do as many clubs as you can, and enjoy the school to its fullest. Also to make good friends, and keep them. Wallberg-Sutton’s best friend now is one she made at Benson, nearly half a century ago.
Now, there are over 300 girls at Benson, 51.5 times more than there were in 1973. Women make up a little less than 35% of the student body, which may not be much, but those first six women made up less than 0.3% of the student body.