Photos

Bona's Pioneer Women 

 
Mary Butler Devereux, 1797-1881, wife of Nicholas Devereux.
Mary continued his support of the friars in western New York
after Nicholas' death.

 
Sister Mary Teresa (formerly Anne O'Neil) was the
founding mother superior of the Franciscan Sisters of
Allegany. She served from 1865 to 1920.

 
1929 was the first time women appeared as graduates in the
college yearbook. The women photographed are Ethel Knowlden
(top) and Helen Shine, both of Olean.

 
The 1971-72 women’s basketball team, coached by Sally Luna (back row), was the last to take the court before Title IX was enacted in 1972, leveling the playing fields for women and men in collegiate athletics. A team member was Mary Jane Telford (second from left, back row), longtime women’s basketball coach (1975-1993).

 
The women's tennis team was undefeated in 1995.

 Sr. Alice Gallin, OSU, interim president, 1993-1994.

 
The 1996-97 women’s swimming team won the A-10 championship for the second year in a row.

 
Trustees Susan Green and John McGinley Jr. helped in the 2004 inauguration of
Sr. Margaret Carney, the 20th president of the University.

 
The 2008-2009 Bonnies broke the school record for victories with 23 —
tied again in 2009-2010 — and earned the school’s first postseason berth,
advancing to the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament
with wins over West Virginia and Wisconsin. A year later, 2,000-point scorer
Dana Mitchell (second from right, back row) would become the first women’s
player to have her jersey retired.