February 7, 2020—I’ll take Hudson River Valley colleges for $500, Alex.

Last night, Red Foxes across the country had a fun surprise when this clue appeared on the popular game show, “Jeopardy!”

“In the 1960s Marist College in Poughkeepsie began admitting them, just as nearby Vassar stopped admitting only them.”

The answer—presented in the form of a question, per “Jeopardy!” rules, of course—was, “Who are women?” Marist started admitting women to its evening classes in 1966; in 1968 women were admitted to day classes as well, making the College fully co-educational. Marist’s Poughkeepsie neighbor, Vassar, was a women’s college for more than 100 years and began admitting men in 1969.

The Marist social media team practically had a TV screenshot posted to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram before any contestant could even press their buzzer. And, the reaction on social media from Red Foxes was swift and jubilant.

Not surprisingly, one commenter, Susan Schulz ’73, expressed her pride, “I was in the first class of women residents in 1969 on the 6th floor of Leo Hall.”

Last year, Caroline Fiske ’20, a communication major from Fairfield, Connecticut, competed on "Wheel of Fortune." Last night, Marist was featured on "Jeopardy!" We're coming for you next, "Deal or No Deal."

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