Fifth Triennial CHWR (2001)

The Fifth Triennial Conference on the History of Women Religious was held at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 17–20, 2001. Program Chair Elizabeth McGahan assembled 30 panels on the theme “Individuals in Community: Women Religious and Change–Past, Present, Future,” and scholars from North America, Western Europe, and Australia presented on a range of topics including missionary sisters; Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Buddhist nuns and sisters; and sisters’ lives and work in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. The keynote address, “The Door That Opened: My Life as a Historian of Women Religious,” was given by Mary Ewens, O.P.

The business meeting worked towards further formalization of the organization’s structure, and adopted the logo the CHWR still uses today. Recommendations adopted were: (1) exclusive use of “Conference on the History of Women Religious,” discontinuing use of “Network”; (2) three committees (Coordinating, Awards, Triennial Conference); (3) formal establishment of “Coordinator/Newsletter Editor” to deal with day to day business of the organization as well as chair the triennial conference.

Mary Oates was awarded the fifth Distinguished Historian Award, and the newly-established Distinguished Book Award was presented to Carol Coburn and Martha Smith, C.S.J.