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Women at Vanderbilt Portrait Project

About the Women at Vanderbilt Portrait Project

One of the ways that women’s history and achievements can—and should—be acknowledged is through portraiture. Even though women haven’t always played prominent roles on Vanderbilt’s campus, this project, housed at the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, provides a visual representation of a variety of women who have made a significant impact at Vanderbilt University and beyond. It honors the wide-ranging contributions of these women throughout Vanderbilt’s history, from the late nineteenth century to today. By recognizing and celebrating these women, this exhibit emphasizes the importance of remembering the multiple ways women have shaped Vanderbilt from its beginning.

Visit the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center (2304D Vanderbilt Place, Franklin House) to view the portrait project in person.

Featured Women

Sallie McFague

Artist: Alison Fullerton

A native of Massachusetts, Sallie McFague (1933–2019) graduated magna cum laude from Smith College in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Yale Divinity School in 1959 as well as a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in theology from Yale University in 1960 and 1964, respectively.

McFague was named an assistant professor of theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School in 1970. She became the first woman dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School in 1975. McFague served as dean until 1979, when she returned to full-time teaching and research at the Divinity School, where she became the inaugural holder of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professorship. The endowed chair was established in 1989 by the Carpenter Foundation to honor the role of women in the church and academy. That year she also was named the Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor, given in recognition of “distinguished accomplishment in furthering the aims of Vanderbilt University.” McFague’s scholarship on feminist Christian theology, alternatives to the traditional model of God, and ecofeminist theology have influenced countless students, theologians, and clergy across the world.

Mary Jane Werthan

Artist: Alison Fullerton

A native Nashvillian, Mary Jane Werthan (1907-2000) matriculated at Vanderbilt in 1925 and graduated with high honors in 1929; she earned a master’s degree in social work in 1934. As an undergraduate, she served as president of the newly formed Women’s Student Government Association, the Women’s Athletic Association, and of her sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi. In her senior year, she was elected Lady of the Bracelet, the highest recognition accorded a female undergraduate by her peers. An active volunteer for Vanderbilt, Werthan worked with the Vanderbilt Aid Society and served as vice president of the Alumni Association and as director of the Vanderbilt Development Foundation. In 1964, Werthan became the first woman to serve on the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. During her tenure on the board, she served as chairman of the Student Affairs Committee, earning the respect and admiration of countless Vanderbilt students. Each year, the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center presents the Mary Jane Werthan Award to a Vanderbilt community member who has contributed significantly to the advancement of Vanderbilt. The award honors three qualities characteristic of Mary Jane Werthan: vision, persistence, and extraordinary skill in interpersonal and institutional relations.

Stella Vaughn

Artist: Diane Davich-Craig

Although she was not born in Nashville, Stella Vaughn (1871–1960) was affiliated with Vanderbilt for over seven decades. She came to live at Vanderbilt at age ten, when her father was appointed professor of mathematics; she lived on campus in the house now known as the Vaughn Home, where the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities has its offices today. She began studying at Vanderbilt in 1892, one of a handful of women students admitted to the university “by courtesy.” After graduating in 1896, she took on the unpaid work of teaching physical education to women and organizing the university’s first women’s basketball team, which she coached for 20 years. Starting in 1905, she earned $100 per year, a salary that increased to $200 per year in 1913. The legacy of “Miss Stella,” as she came to be known, appears in various campus locations: one of the halls in Branscomb Quadrangle bears her name, and she was inducted into the Vanderbilt Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition, Miss Stella was a founding member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.

Margaret Cuninggim

Artist: Diane Davich-Craig

Margaret Cuninggim (1914–1986) graduated from Duke University in 1936, and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1947 and a Doctor of Education from Northwestern University in 1958. She served as dean of women at the University of Tennessee from 1957 to 1966. Between 1966 and 1973, she served as the fourth and final dean of women at Vanderbilt. During her tenure, Vanderbilt witnessed many changes across campus due to the burgeoning women’s and civil rights movements. Dormitory rules and regulations were overhauled to keep up with the times: student government saw significant changes; and as part of the upheaval that marked the late 1960s and early 1970s, the need for separate deans for men and women seemed outdated so the two offices were combined, and the duties divided. Cuninggim became the first woman to serve as dean of student services; she fulfilled this role from 1973 to 1976. Dean Cuninggim’s office was responsible for overseeing counseling programs; the orientation of new students; working with sororities, fraternities and honor societies; and the special concerns of minority students and women. In addition to the Women’s Center itself, which was dedicated to Cuninggim in 1988, the Cuninggim Lecture on Women in Culture and Society is named in her honor.

Candice Storey Lee

Artist: Donna Woodley

Candice Storey Lee (b. 1978) holds three degrees from Vanderbilt: a Bachelor of Science degree in human and organizational development; a master’s degree in counseling; and a Doctor of Education in higher education administration. While she was an undergraduate, she was a captain and four-year letter winner for Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team. She is the first woman to serve as vice chancellor for athletics and athletic director at Vanderbilt. She is also the first Black woman to head an SEC athletics program. Lee is a member of the SEC Council on Racial Equity and Social Justice, a league-wide body consisting of diverse student-athletes, administrators, coaches, and SEC staff. The council works to promote racial equity and social justice while also fostering diversity, helping overcome racism and pursuing nondiscrimination in intercollegiate athletics. In 2018, Adidas named Lee to its prestigious “NEXT UP” class, comprising senior-level administrators, handpicked by some of the most respected athletic directors in the industry, who are believed to be ready to take the next step as athletic directors. In 2021, Peabody College honored Lee with the Distinguished Alumna Award.

Shirley Collado

Artist: Donna Woodley

Shirley Collado (b. 1972) earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt in 1994, followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from Duke University. A first-generation college student and the daughter of Dominican parents, Collado was a member of the Posse Foundation’s inaugural class of students at Vanderbilt. Posse assembles small groups of diverse students to attend college together and to provide a support system for each other. Collado is the first Posse scholar to receive a doctoral degree and become a trustee of an institution of higher education. She joined the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in 2014. After working as a clinical psychologist in community mental health, Collado served as the executive vice president for the Posse Foundation and later became a professor of psychology, dean of the college, and vice president for student affairs at Middlebury College. She has served as executive vice chancellor and chief operating oflicer at Rutgers University-Newark and as president of Ithaca College, where she was the first woman of color in that role. She is currently the president and CEO of College Track, a program supporting college completion.

About the Artists

Alison Fullerton is a contemporary portrait artist who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She paints in encaustic wax, an ancient Egyptian medium using molten beeswax fused with heat. Fullerton has exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, has work in museum collections, and has authored articles about encaustic wax. Her work was recently on the cover of Wax Fusion magazine.

Contemporary realist Diane Davich-Craig lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has been featured on the Tennessee Public Television show Tennessee Crossroads. Before working as a full-time painter, she enjoyed a career as a professional flutist. She led and performed regularly with the Nashville Chamber Players for many events in the Nashville area.

Nashville resident Donna Woodley is a visual artist whose works primarily discuss the relationship between Black culture and American culture. Named Nashville’s Best New Artist in 2016 by the Nashville Scene, Woodley was one of the featured artists for the Representative John Lewis mural installed in downtown Nashville. Her works are displayed at Vanderbilt University and at the University of Tennessee at Martin.