Women at West Point
New Bern Historical Society’s Lunch and Learn Wednesday May 13, 2015
New Bern Historical Society’s Lunch and Learn Wednesday May 13, 2015
First female West Point graduates - 1980
Women at West Point
New Bern Historical Society’s Lunch and Learn Wednesday May 13, 2015
NEW BERN, NC. – Congress authorized the admission of women to the federal service academies in 1975. West Point admitted its first 119 female cadets in 1976. Before those first female cadets arrived, Lt. Col. Ret. Sarah Parker Smith, MS, LD, RDN, was the only female officer at West Point. On Wednesday May 13, 2015, she’ll share some of her experiences and how it was that women came to take their place in today’s military.
Originally from Raleigh, Sarah received her commission in the Army upon graduation from college. Her twenty-four years of service was as a dietitian, bothactiveduty and reserve. She was the dietitian to the United States Military Academy during the preparation for the initial entry of women to West Point. During that assignment she was featured in Ladies Home Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The National Enquirer on the subject of "Diet and Exercise at West Point". Years later her final assignment was a Reserve assignment with the admissions department as an admission liaison officer.
Originally from Raleigh, Sarah received her commission in the Army upon graduation from college. Her twenty-four years of service was as a dietitian, bothactiveduty and reserve. She was the dietitian to the United States Military Academy during the preparation for the initial entry of women to West Point. During that assignment she was featured in Ladies Home Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The National Enquirer on the subject of "Diet and Exercise at West Point". Years later her final assignment was a Reserve assignment with the admissions department as an admission liaison officer.
Sarah has lived in much of the United States and Japan where she was fortunate to seriously study Japanese Embroidery and, upon returning to The United States, was able to introduce Japanese Embroidery to the Smithsonian.
Sarah and her husband Bedford live in Beaufort where she has a private practice in nutrition and health counseling and continues to study and teach Japanese Embroidery.
Lunch & Learn starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Chelsea Restaurant at 335 Middle Street in New Bern. Tickets are $16 for Historical Society members and $18 for non-members; lunch is included. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the New Bern Historical Society at 252-638-8558. Reservations are also available online at www.NewBernHistorical.org/tickets/.
Contact:
Lynne Harakal
New Bern Historical Society
252-638-8558
Lynne@NewBernHistorical.org
Robert B Butler | Communications | PR
