Roberta (Bobbi) Scherr '83
Trinity College 40 Years of Coeducation 1969-2009 Preliminary Schedule of Events
In the fall of 1969, 186 years after the founding of the College, Trinity accepted its first class of women. 106 women matriculated as "freshwomen." Over the past 40 years, women have made significant impacts on all areas of the life of the College, in the highest arenas of academic achievement, the emergence of a vibrant women's athletic culture, and the transformation of much of Trinity's social culture.
energies to helping friends and family in challenging medical situations for many years. Now I feel ready to continue doing the same in an official capacity." Jay believes that "a life of caring enhances lives, not only a resume or an obituary." Since she was 12 years old, Roberta (Bobbi) Scherr '83 knew she wanted to
be a doctor. "I thought I would win the Nobel Prize for biomedical research." A shy child, Scherr says she came into her own at Trinity. "I developed selfpossession, and I realized that I enjoyed working with people." That realization led her not to biomedical research but to family practice. She attributes her growth at Trinity to her immersion in the inaugural Guided Studies Program, which examines the evolution of Western civilization from a variety of disciplines. "This provided me with a social group and common experiences with 25 other freshmen," she says. Though she didn't complete the program due to the heavy demands of her premedical curriculum, the 300-level courses in philosophy,
religion, and literature and colloquium sessions with faculty members opened her eyes, she says. Scherr received her M.D. from Hahnemann Medical University (now Drexel Medical School) in Philadelphia and completed her residency at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, New Jersey She is a faculty physician at the Good Samaritan Hospital at Pennsylvania State University, where she teaches residents in family medicine. In her fourth year of medical school, Scherr met Barry Abramson. The two were married in 1988. Several years later, Abramson became ill, and finally, in 2002, he was diagnosed with polyateritis nodosa, a rare disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels. Scherr devoted much of her time to facilitating her husband's treatment until his death in August of 2008.
Scherr believes that we are presented with life's challenges for a reason, and she was glad to be able to assist in her husband's care. "Even though he was ill, even though we went
Throughout the 2009-2010 academic year, Trinity will offer a series of events that examine the whole range of implications of 40 years of coeducation. NOVEMBER 5, 2009 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Profession Panel Discussion*
Philip C.F. Bankwitz Lecture* Organized by Adrienne Fulco, Associate Professor Judith G. Coffin '74, of Legal and Policy Studies Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin Mather Hall , Second Floor NOVEMBER 12, 2009 12:15-1:30 p.m. Sex Differences in Brain and Cognition* Organized by Sarah A. Raskin, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Mather Hall, Second Floor MARCH 2, 2010 Coeducation at Trinity College: A 4oth Anniversary Exhibition Lecture Robin L. Sheppard M'76, Professor of Physical Education and Associate Director of Athletics
Mather Hall, Second Floor
Watkinson Library, Raether Library and Information Technology Center
NOVEMBER 13-14, 2009 Homecoming Weekend
MARCH 4, 2010 12:15-1:30 p.m.
DECEMBER 1, 2009 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Mead Lecture*
Watkinson Library, Raether Library and Information Technology Center
Organized by Theresa Morris, Associate Professor of Sociology
FEBRUARY 4, 2010 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Mather Hall, Second Floor
Women in the Legal
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Alice M. O'Connor '80, The West End String Quartet Associate Professor of History at the University of Hamlin Hall California, Santa Barbara, JANUARY 25-JUNE 28, 2010 and Member of the Trinity College Board of Trustees Coeducation at Trinity Mather Hall, Second Floor College: a Fortieth Anniversary Exhibition APRIL 6, 2010 12:15-1:30 p.m. Curated by Peter J. Knapp '65, Special Collection Work-Life Ba lance Panel Librarian and Archivist Discussion*
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