The Howard v. Tulane oral argument will be heard in Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 9:30 A.M. The hearing will take place at the Louisiana Supreme Court Building at 400 Royal Street in downtown New Orleans.

We have waited a long time and have worked extremely hard to reach this milestone in our fight to save Newcomb College. We invite and encourage you to attend this historic event, and to show your support for the lawsuit. After the hearing, please join us for a reception in the courtyard of the Place d’Armes Hotel, 625 St. Ann Street. It will offer us all a chance to meet and to discuss the hearing over refreshments.

All supporters, especially New Orleanians, are urged to fly their Newcomb Lives flags to demonstrate the ongoing support for this lawsuit. If you would like to order a flag to show your dedication to Newcomb, TFoNC is offering a special price for the immediate future of $20 for flags, cash and carry, or by mail, with shipping charges added. Please contact Carolyn Lenz at (504) 284-3746.

As the time approaches for the May 20 hearing–the culmination of our efforts to save our beloved college–the members of the Board of The Future of Newcomb College, Inc., (TFoNC) wish to express their gratitude for donations from loyal supporters, both past and new contributors. Please view our growing list of contributors, click “donors” on the left of this page.

It’s not too late to add your financial assistance to this legal effort. Donation information is on the righthand side of this page.

For additional information about getting to the hearing and to the reception afterward, or for answers to other questions, please contact us at news@newcomblives.com.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors of TFoNC

The Louisiana Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Howard v. Tulane, the Newcomb College case, on

Tuesday May 20, 2008, at 9:30 a.m.

The hearing is open to the public, and all are welcome. The Louisiana Supreme Court is at 400 Royal St. in New Orleans. Click here for more detailed contact information for the LASC.

Three weeks ago The Future of Newcomb College (TFoNC) sent a mass mailing to 18,000 alumnae updating them on the Newcomb heirs’ lawsuit. Responses and donations have been pouring in, and additional Information about this will be sent later. If you did not receive a mailer, please let us know at news@newcomblives.com.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so generously and in myriad ways to TFoNC! Also, we welcome all of you who have recently requested to receive Newcomb Lives newsletters.

Our cause is certainly gaining momentum and we can feel your enthusiasm!
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“I am crying for the lack of an environment I didn’t even know was taken from me.” This is excerpted from a letter received by TFoNC from sophomore Caity Beaudoin.

Caity transferred to Tulane in 2007 and, after seeing “Save Newcomb College!” signs near campus, decided to investigate. An online search led her to the transcript of the Task Force Open Forum of January 27, 2006. She says the undergraduate testimonies moved her to tears.

Newcomb College is longed for, even by a student who only read about it, but who identified with its high ideals. She was able to hear through the voices of others that Newcomb represented a community that supported women, one that fostered leadership, independence, and progression in a world in which Newcomb women feel that that is still all too rare. “…That unified network of support has indeed dissolved into a homogenized and impersonal undergraduate experience.”

Caroline Kappers, N’03, posted a message on the TFoNC Facebook page: “Newcomb really set me up to succeed — I was surrounded by such a wonderful group of people who nurtured and pushed me to succeed. My little sister, Michelle, attended Berkeley and our experiences were such polar opposites; no one had the time of day for her. It’s really heartbreaking to see Tulane go downhill without Newcomb College. Hopefully we can do something to change that.”

Current students–young women–are mourning the loss of a women’s college, a distinct institution promising a unique experience. Its absence is palpable in their lives, the acute experience of its loss symbolizing the need for Newcomb College, one that is unable to be met by an institute embedded within a university. As Caity Beaudoin told us, “…Far more important than preserving it (as one does an ancient relic or uneaten vegetables at the end of the summer) is the ongoing cultivation of that spirit, …creating the same support structure for the future women of Tulane.”

By Conner McClure, N ‘03.