"The necessities of the present age demand--and even more will those of coming generations call for--thoroughly educated women... in every sphere of activity which they may please to honor with their presence."
--Henry Wells, founder, at the laying of the cornerstone of Wells' first building in 1866.
A Liberal Arts College located in Aurora, New York on Cayuga Lake. It was established in 1868, and chartered in 1870 by Henry Wells, founder of American Express and Wells Fargo, as a women's liberal arts college. His dream was to provide women with the same academic opportunities as men. In 1866 Henry Wells resisted combining the college with his freind Ezra Cornell's college (Cornell University), and to this day the two schools have remained amicably independent.
Today Wells College consists of about 450 students, offering about 45 different majors. Most popular appear to be Arts and Performance, Psychology, and Biology. It is still a women's collge, offering Bachelor of Arts degrees.
Here is the Mission Statement taken from the course catalogue:
"The mission of Wells College is to educate women to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Through Wells' academic program, residential atmosphere, and community activities, students learn and practice the ideals of the liberal arts. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, and to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong. Committed to excellence in all areas of its reach, Wells College equips students for lifelong learning and for sharing the priveliges of education with others."
To this I can only add that Wells College is also paradise to women of all ages and walks of life who love learning and who have never felt they belonged anywhere else. | 
