When Julie C. Van Camp ’69 majored in philosophy at Mount Holyoke, it never occurred to her that it was a male-dominated field. After two decades as a Professor of Philosophy, the now retired Van Camp remains passionate about encouraging women in her discipline.
The Julie C. Van Camp Fund for the Advancement of Women in Philosophy will result from five charitable gift annuities that she established with the College, supplemented by a gift from her estate. The fund will provide research assistance for faculty and students as well as sponsor guest lectures by accomplished women philosophers.
“It’s a continuation of what the college has always been about – the importance of educating women," she said.
Van Camp was a junior high student in Davenport, Iowa, when she first heard of Mount Holyoke, after stumbling upon a Good Housekeeping article about the Northeastern U.S. women’s colleges known as the Seven Sisters. The article, which touted the colleges as providing the best education for a smart daughter, had a lasting impact.
“I got my heart set on going to a Seven Sisters college,” she recalled.
Her parents expected her to go to the University of Iowa, where most of her classmates would end up. Van Camp applied to Mount Holyoke, however, which not only accepted her but also provided a generous scholarship.
“It opened up a new world for me,” she said.
It was a world that expected a great deal from women at a time when society generally did not.
“It really makes a difference, even today, that women are supported, encouraged, and told they can do what they want to do," Van Camp said. "At a women’s college you don’t have stereotypes such as, ‘This is a major only for men.’ ”
It was when she began her Ph.D. studies at Temple University—as one of two women in an entering class of ten—that she realized most philosophers were men, including 18 of the 20 faculty members in her department. “That was a shock,” she said. “You never got that feeling at Mount Holyoke.”
Van Camp went on to teach philosophy for two decades at California State University at Long Beach. She never misses a reunion, and last May she enjoyed an afternoon gathering attended by both her classmates and Mount Holyoke undergraduates. “The students talked about what issues matter to them now, including marriage equality and the environment.” She’s especially pleased with the College’s support for international students, among its other global education initiatives.
She serves as chair of the Mary Lyon Society, which honors those who have made planned gifts to Mount Holyoke. She is currently receiving income from a couple of her annuities, which supplement her other retirement funds while providing tax benefits. “You also know you’re leaving something for the College,” said Van Camp.
To learn more about making a planned gift to Mount Holyoke, please contact Anne Vittoria FP'05, Director of Gift Planning at 413-538-2637.
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