As part of the yearlong celebration of Indiana University’s Bicentennial, IU South Bend dedicated and installed a historical marker honoring the legacy of Gloria Kaufman on March 4. Kaufman was the founder and first director of the Women’s Studies Program at IU South Bend.
Markers for individuals are rare, said James Capshew, University Historian, underscoring the distinction during the dedication ceremony. Of the University’s nine total historical markers, the Kaufman Marker is only the third marker to honor an individual.
Kaufman, who joined the IU South Bend faculty in 1967, is a central figure in the history of IU South Bend. In addition to teaching Chaucer, Shakespeare, and other classics, Kaufman developed the first Women’s Studies course, established the first Women’s Resource Center, and served as affirmative action officer on the campus.
Her work embodies the spirit of our faculty and represents IU South Bend’s liberal arts and sciences foundational philosophy, said Susan Elrod, Chancellor of IU South Bend. We also owe a debt of gratitude to women like Gloria for forging a path that the women of today can walk upon with confidence and conviction.
The campus holds a Gloria Kaufman Memorial Lecture each year. Following the Marker dedication, Dr. Julie Williams of Wright State University delivered the 2020 Kaufman Lecture on the intersections between feminism and disability studies.
