Wellesley Widows records

The Wellesley Widows were founded on October 27, 1949 by Bette Bettman and Lois Liebeskind; their faculty advisor was Judith Welles, a professor in the department of Biblical History. On November 29, the group was narrowed down to twelve members and named themselves the College Widows.

On December 8, 1949, the group was further narrowed down to eight members: Bette Bettman, Lois Liebeskind Levine, Florence Benson, Katherine Pargellis, Judy Viedt, Frances Hazelhurst, Joan Borkow, and Marcia Braman.

The College Widows' first formal performance on campus was at freshman prom on April 22, 1950. Their first off campus performance was a few days later, on April 28, 1950, at Harvard's sophomore dance.

Over 200 Wellesley Widows now inhabit the world. Since 1949, the Widows have sung to audiences in Jamaica, Bermuda, California, Chicago, Mexico, the White House, and the Woodstock Chilifest. Widows have performed with a cappella groups nationwide, and many have gone on to start new groups after graduation.