We Few, We Academic Sisters

Starting in 1967, a time when fewer than 1% of women completed advanced degrees, the Washington State University (WSU) Sociology Department hired three female faculty members who became supportive lifelong friends: Lois B. DeFleur, Sandra Ball-Rokeach, and Marilyn Ihinger-Tallman. Each served as a role model and paved the way for those who followed. Volume editor Betty Houchin Winfield, who in 1979 was a new assistant professor in communications, benefited immensely from their support and encouragement.

Four decades later, Winfield prompted her former mentors to chronicle their past, then gathered their stories. The three women discuss their childhoods, educational and research efforts, personal lives, and career advancements. They note major influences, share what they learned, and acknowledge assistance they received. Though all married professors, they fought to be known as individual scholars, overcoming quotas, nepotism rules, sexual discrimination and harassment, and intense societal pressure to follow traditional female roles.

These trailblazers' impressive careers parallel larger national events and the onset of increasing opportunities for women. All became full professors when it was exceedingly rare. Dr. DeFleur held positions as dean, provost, and university president. Dr. Ball-Rokeach gained international status as a major media sociologist, and Dr. Ihinger-Tallman became WSU's first female chair of the sociology department. Their inspiring narratives highlight the importance of community and offer meaningful guidance to current women academics.