Gonzaga Preparatory School

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50 years of coeducation

50 years coed
 
 
The 2025–26 school year marks 50 years of coeducation at Gonzaga Prep. 50 Stories for 50 Years will honor the women whose presence and leadership have shaped the school—from the first to walk our halls to the young women of today. Throughout the year, we will share stories from campus and beyond and invite you to reflect, engage, and celebrate this journey of growth, inclusion, and transformation.
 
 
Spokane Chronicle
INTRODUCTION
Becoming coed at Prep: How it began
When 317 young women walked into Gonzaga Preparatory School on Sept. 2, 1975, they were stepping through more than just a doorway; they were crossing a threshold that was about to change the school in the most consequential way since its founding in 1887. 
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The first coeds
WEEK 1
The first days of school
Mary Elizabeth “Molly” (Lordan) Schemmel is one of the sixty-nine young women in Gonzaga Prep’s inaugural coed senior class for the 1975-76 school year. To kick off our 50 stories for 50 years series, we offer her reflections about what it was like to be one of the firsts. 
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Do you have a story to share about the impact of Gonzaga Prep’s move to coed? Firsts, achievements, fun anecdotes? We want to hear about it. Send a note to Kathleen (McKenna) Wilson `80 including "50 years coed" in the subject line.