One Woman’s Studies: The Far-Reaching Impact of Gayle Graham Yates, PhD (1940-2023)

Abstract

In 1979, I was introduced to Dr. Gayle Graham Yates, the first full-time coordinator (and soon chair) of the up-and-coming WoSt (Women’s Studies) program. I found her to be an inspiring teacher, a gifted author, and a thoughtful mentor. Her wisdom and empathy, in and beyond the classroom, lived on in every aspect of my own academic career for nearly a half-century (and counting!), even though I only really interacted with her for a couple of years. But they were foundational years, intense and heady, for which I am forever grateful to her. I was deeply saddened to read of her death on April 27, 2023, at age 82.