"Wellesley College was founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant, who were passionate about the higher education of women. Wellesley’s first president, Ada Howard, and nearly all of the College’s early educators and administrators were women. (The slide show above depicts portraits of the first 12 presidents of the College. The 13th, H. Kim Bottomly, took office in 2007.) The first students, numbering 314, moved into College Hall and began classes in 1875. From that first class, 18 were graduated in 1879. "