Nancy Y. Bekavac
Encyclopedia
Nancy Bekavac was the sixth president of Scripps College
and the first woman to hold that position. She began her tenure on July 1, 1990, and concluded it on June 30, 2007. Scripps College is a liberal arts
women's college
in Claremont
, California
.
scores of 1350, up from 1140 in 1991. Scripps also has more National Merit Finalists than any other women's college in the nation.
In 2003, Scripps College Summer Academy began an annual two-week residential program for underserved high school students.
Many changes were made to the physical structure of the campus during Bekavac's tenure. The college's physical plant was extended and improved. In 1994, the Millard Sheets
Art Center was opened. In 2000, the Malott Commons was opened for college-wide dining and special
programs. Also in 2000, a new residence hall (Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Hall) was opened and the former President's House on campus was renamed as the Ellen Clark Revelle House. In 2001, a 25-meter swimming pool was built, and in 2006 ground was broken for the Sallie Tiernan Field House, a recreation and athletic center with a woman-friendly environment. The Field House now accommodates nutrition and health classes and includes workout rooms.
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Bekavac was a 1965 graduate of Clairton High School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College
in 1969 and from Yale Law School
in 1973.
She was one of four Swarthmore College team members on the weekly College Bowl
"quiz" show during the 1968-1969 season that defeated competing teams for five consecutive weeks. She was also a Watson Fellow, traveling in South Asia and Eastern Europe. At Yale Law School, she was a classmate of president-to-be Bill Clinton
.
She practiced law in Los Angeles, and was a partner at the firm now known as Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP; she was Director of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation, and was counselor to the president of Dartmouth College
prior to her appointment as president of Scripps College.
Scripps College
Scripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
and the first woman to hold that position. She began her tenure on July 1, 1990, and concluded it on June 30, 2007. Scripps College is a liberal arts
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
women's college
Women's colleges in the United States
Women's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
in Claremont
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Scripps College
During her tenure, the endowment of Scripps College increased from $57 million to $230 million dollars, student enrollment increased from 630 to 880, and applications doubled to 1,900. Student quality also increased: first-year students now have combined median SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores of 1350, up from 1140 in 1991. Scripps also has more National Merit Finalists than any other women's college in the nation.
In 2003, Scripps College Summer Academy began an annual two-week residential program for underserved high school students.
Many changes were made to the physical structure of the campus during Bekavac's tenure. The college's physical plant was extended and improved. In 1994, the Millard Sheets
Millard Sheets
Millard Owen Sheets was an American painter and a representative of the California School of Painting, later a teacher and educational director, and architect of more than 50 branch banks in Southern California.-Early life:...
Art Center was opened. In 2000, the Malott Commons was opened for college-wide dining and special
programs. Also in 2000, a new residence hall (Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Hall) was opened and the former President's House on campus was renamed as the Ellen Clark Revelle House. In 2001, a 25-meter swimming pool was built, and in 2006 ground was broken for the Sallie Tiernan Field House, a recreation and athletic center with a woman-friendly environment. The Field House now accommodates nutrition and health classes and includes workout rooms.
Life
Born and raised in Clairton, PennsylvaniaClairton, Pennsylvania
Clairton is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 6,796 at the 2010 census. Under Pennsylvania legal classifications for local governments, Clairton is considered a third-class city...
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Bekavac was a 1965 graduate of Clairton High School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in 1969 and from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1973.
She was one of four Swarthmore College team members on the weekly College Bowl
College Bowl
College Bowl was a format of college-level quizbowl run and operated by College Bowl Company, Incorporated. It had a format similar to the current NAQT format. College Bowl first aired on US radio stations in 1953, and aired on US television from 1959 to 1970...
"quiz" show during the 1968-1969 season that defeated competing teams for five consecutive weeks. She was also a Watson Fellow, traveling in South Asia and Eastern Europe. At Yale Law School, she was a classmate of president-to-be Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
She practiced law in Los Angeles, and was a partner at the firm now known as Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP; she was Director of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation, and was counselor to the president of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
prior to her appointment as president of Scripps College.