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Sweet Briar History
Sweet Briar College was founded in 1901, the legacy of Indiana Fletcher Williams, who left her entire estate to found an institution in memory of her only daughter, Daisy, who died at the age of 16 in 1884. At the time of Mrs. Williams' death in 1900, her estate consisted of more than a million dollars, and over 8,000 acres of land, including the Sweet Briar Plantation. The first Board of Directors determined that the College should be free from denominational control and that it should maintain the highest academic standards. Sweet Briar would unite classical and modern ideals of education and, in the words of its founder, prepare young women "to be useful members of society."
Sweet Briar College opened formally in September 1906 with 51 students, including 15 day students. Its A.B. degree, granted for the first time in 1910, was immediately recognized by graduate programs at leading universities, with three of its first five graduates pursuing advanced degrees.
Athletics At Sweet Briar
Athletics at Sweet Birar began in 1910 with a Club Tennis Program. Within a few years time, the tennis club boasted a membership that topped 100 students.
In 1925 Sweet Briar was victorious in its first intercollegiate tennis match against Lynchburg College, and the winning tradition continues. Over the last decade, 17 Sweet Briar players have won ODAC Championship Flights, 13 have been listed in ITA National Rankings, and 4 have been named to the VOLVO/ITA All-Academic Squad. Kristina Glusac '92 was selected to the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships in both 1989 and 1992. The team won the 1990 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship and has won most of its matches against other women's colleges in the Mid-Atlantic area since 1987. In November of 2010 Ariel Taylor '14 was ranked 20th in the ITA South Region. Teammate and doubles partner Moriah Burke '13 with Taylor grabed the 10 spot in the Women-Atlantic South Doubles ranking. The team has also participated in national and regional tournaments and has been ranked in the top 50 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Most recently Taylor '14 earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Championships. The Tennis Program enters its 102nd season at Sweet Briar during the 2011-2012 academic session.
Lacrosse Joined Sweet Briar Athletics in 1914. They begin their 98th season at the start of the 2011-2012 academic session.
In 1956 the Sweet Briar Lacrosse team played the first intercollegate lacrosse game in the country against The College of William & Mary. Lacrosse at Sweet Briar has a history of success. Nationally and regionally ranked in the past ten years, Sweet Briar has produced three conference players of the year, 12 All-Conference players, 25 regional All-Americas, and 12 All-Americans, including Mary Blair Farinholt, a three-time selection. Missy Ackerman '87 scored 60 goals her senior year, was conference player of the year and was named to two All-America teams. All-American Amy Ottaway capped a 62-goal season by playing for the South in the Senior All-Star Game, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a double major.
The Field Hockey program enters it's 92nd season in 2011.
The field hockey team played the first intercollegate contest for women in the state of Virginia in 1919. Sweet Briar topped West Hampton College. The Field Hockey Team celebrates a successful career. Over the 92 years the program has produced; seventy-nine all-conference players, six conference players-of-the-year, four all-state players, one all-state player-of-the-year, 32 regional All-Americans, eight All- Americans, 32 academic All-Americans, and two national scholar-athletes; National Academic Team award, 2004 and 2005.
Sweet Briar Sports: Ahead of Its Time By Jennifer Crispen - Click here to Learn more about Sweet Briar and our Athletic history.
