Long before she stepped foot onto campus at Beaver College in 1965, it was apparent that Dr. Carolyn Hodges ’69 was destined for success. Growing up in Roebling, New Jersey, Dr. Hodges displayed a voracious appetite for academics and the pursuit of new knowledge from a young age. Little did she know, however, that a girl from a small New Jersey town would one day serve as a national pioneer for African American women in higher education.
As the valedictorian of her class at Florence Township Memorial High School, Dr. Hodges was offered scholarships to several colleges and universities. Yet it was Beaver College, above all others, that captured her attention. “I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the campus. I knew I would be able to focus on my studies without distraction and receive the kind of personal attention from professors that just isn’t possible elsewhere.”
During an era when racist policies and segregation in American schools were still largely prevalent, Dr. Hodges was one of the few Black women enrolled at Beaver College. She looks back fondly at her experience and remembers the acceptance that she felt among her classmates. “Despite what was happening in our country at the time, I always felt extremely comfortable and accepted by my peers at Beaver College.” As a result of the support she felt, Dr. Hodges thrived both academically and socially.
It was also during this time that she developed a passion for travel and language. As a French major, she took advantage of the study abroad opportunities that Beaver College offered and studied in Germany and France. This experience would serve as the foundation for her distinguished career in higher education as both a professor and administrator.
Much the same as she was a trailblazer at Beaver College, Dr. Hodges became the first African American Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She spent 37 years at the University of Tennessee and retired in 2019 as Professor of German Emerita and Vice Provost and Dean Emerita.
In 2021, Dr. Hodges became a member of Arcadia’s Covenant Society, making a commitment that will benefit Arcadia students for generations to come. For Dr. Hodges, it is the creation of new possibilities that inspired her gift commitment. “To imagine is a powerful thing. The beauty of hope is what I intend to give through this commitment.”
In addition, Dr. Hodges was also inspired to join the Black Alumni Association of Arcadia University because of the university’s lived values and commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. “This is what Arcadia is about. Arcadia doesn’t just talk about these principles. They mean it.”
Dr. Hodges embodies the spirit and ethos of the Beaver College legacy. Throughout her life, she chose to not allow barriers to block her path. Instead, she opted to follow her dreams despite the many challenges she encountered along the way.
Through her philanthropy, Dr. Hodges leaves a path for future generations to follow in her footsteps of opportunity and access. Nothing stood in her way . . . and this is the gift she leaves for countless future students at Arcadia University.