History

In 1897, the College was officially chartered with the purpose of creating a college for the promotion and advancement of women and the cultivation and diffusion of literature, science and art. Located in Winchester Hall on East Church Street in Downtown Frederick, the College opened its first semester with a student body of 83 and a faculty of eight. The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded to 14 women in 1898.

Also in 1897, the College acquired a 28-acre tract of farm land on the northwestern edge of the city, made possible by a gift from Margaret Scholl Hood. In recognition of Mrs. Hood’s generosity, the Board of Trustees voted in 1912 to change the name of the College. In 1914, construction began on Alumnae Hall, which continues to house many of the principle administrative offices of the College. Today more than 30 academic, residential and administrative buildings are quartered on Hood’s 50-acre campus.

Though commuting male students have been a part of Hood’s undergraduate and graduate populations since 1971, in October 2002 the Board of Trustees voted to allow men to reside on campus, making the College fully coeducational in fall 2003.

The College is widely recognized for its degree programs and opportunities for high-caliber research in the natural sciences. It offers 32 undergraduate majors, master’s degrees in 19 professional areas, 11 post-baccalaureate certificates and certification programs in education. Nearly 1,200 undergraduates and nearly 1,000 graduate students. Hood has more than 100 regular faculty members, 93 percent of whom hold a doctorate or the terminal degree in their field. In all that it does, Hood recognizes that a strong foundation in the liberal arts provides the best possible preparation for personal and professional success.

Hood College prepares its students to excel in meeting the personal, professional and global challenges of the future. It is committed to the thoughtful integration of the liberal arts and technology, to the exploration of values and the cultivation of community and to equipping students for lives of responsibility and leadership. In all that it does, Hood recognizes that a strong foundation in the liberal arts provides the best possible preparation for personal and professional success. 

Working with their hearts and minds and hands, as the motto of the College enjoins them to do, Hood's more than 19,000 alumnae and alumni have served their communities as scientists, teachers, lawyers, physicians and citizens. The College is proud of its accomplishments and welcomes the pride that they continue to take in Hood.