Letters to the Editor: I was a rare female student at Caltech in the 1960s. It’s come a long way

To the editor: When I arrived at Caltech in Pasadena as a graduate student in chemistry in 1966, there were no female undergraduates, no tenure-track women faculty, and only a handful of women graduate students. I was often the only woman in a classroom of men. (“Caltech’s latest STEM breakthrough: Most of its new students are women,” Aug. 27)

Fast forward 58 years, and women are now the majority of undergraduates, and those students have wonderful female faculty mentors and role models, including Nobel Prize winners.

The cherry on the sundae is the exceptional Caltech Children’s Center, which provides child care to students, faculty and employees. I was one of three women who got it started in 1970 and was privileged to tour it recently. Where else would you find a science laboratory for 2-year-olds?

I congratulate my graduate school for its progress in gender equality.

Paula Bernstein, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Your article about incoming women outnumbering men at Caltech reminded me of a visit I had there 17 years ago.

After touring the campus, I was a bit concerned about my son’s social life should he go there. So I asked our guide what the gender breakdown of students was. The guide’s response, “It depends on why you ask,” always amused us — no doubt a quantum physics-style answer.

Recently, I sent my son your article with the comment, “Our domination is over!”

He responded, “Sheesh, next thing you know, we’ll have a female president!”

By the way, my son did meet his future wife as an incoming freshman — at UC Berkeley.

Dan Ellison, Ventura