Wilson College was founded in 1869 as a college for women by the Rev. Tryon Edwards and the Rev. James W. Wightman. The original charter was granted on March 24, 1869. Sarah Wilson, for whom the College is named, provided the initial gift for the establishment of the College. 

The purpose of the college was described as an effort to provide for the education of young women in literature, science and the arts. The Oct. 19, 1870, edition of the Franklin Repository stated that the “effort will not be to cram the minds of pupils with facts, but to spend the time in development of thought so that the pupils will learn to think for themselves, and thus become leaders, instead of followers, in society."

The Hankey Center for the History of Women’s Education serves as the central resource on the history of Wilson College through the rich repository of materials and artifacts contained in the C. Elizabeth Boyd ’33 Archives. We provide support for academic programs by making the Center’s staff and resources available to the Wilson community, as well as to scholars, independent researchers and educators in the broader community.