Fridays from the Frontline
Sloan Women in Management (SWIM), an organization at MIT Sloan School of Management that “works to increase opportunities for all women through networking events, speaker series, professional development workshops, and mentorship programs,” recently honored alumna Leslie Clift Hruby, SM ’73.
SWIM paid tribute to Hruby for her pioneering efforts to promote “gender diversity in MBA programs in the mid- 70s by helping Sloan become one of the most gender diverse programs in the United States.” According to Hruby’s Linkedin profile, she “increased the number of women attending the MIT Sloan School of Management from 5 to 20 percent in two year in 1973-75.” Other highlights of Hruby’s distinguished career include her tenure on the John Wiley & Sons Board of Directors from 1987 to 1994 and co-founding/co-owning the Technology Marketing Group, a family marketing consultancy.
Today’s Friday from the Frontline comes to us from second-year MIT Sloan student Sarah O’Malley, part of the SWIM leadership team. She shares the inspiring story of how Hruby helped put MIT Sloan at the forefront of gender diversity in MBA programs.
The following post has been republished in its entirety from its original source, the MIT Sloan Newsroom.
Following in the Footsteps of a Trailblazer: Leslie Clift Hruby, MBA ’73
By Sarah O’Malley, MBA Class of 2019
Sloan Women in Management (SWIM) is the nexus and springboard for each class of MBA women. As presidents, our role is to seek to understand the needs of our members and provide the resources that will help us grow and succeed. These resources include powerful guest speakers, skills-based workshops, off-campus community-building events, intimate small-group discussions on gender and intersectionality, and much more.
We organize our events around several themes, both professional and personal, and today we are highlighting diversity and inclusion. SWIM works both independently and in partnership with other groups on campus to help Sloan be the best and most welcoming community it can be. For example, each year, SWIM matches admitted women with current Sloanies to provide personal outreach, resources, and guidance. We also work in close partnership with Sloan’s Male Allies group to help all our classmates join the discussion on gender inclusion and become more thoughtful managers in the future.
The commitment to focus on gender diversity at MIT Sloan crystallized many years ago via the efforts of one woman in particular of whom we’re very proud.
Read more about Leslie Hruby, MBA ’73, who led the way in promoting gender diversity in MBA programs in the mid-70s by helping Sloan become one of the most gender diverse programs in the United States.
Meet the Woman Who Brought the Women to MIT Sloan, Leslie Clift Hruby, MIT Sloan SM ’73
At a Sloan Master’s Program wine and cheese get together with the faculty in the spring of 1973, I asked Dean Pounds, “Why doesn’t the school have more women? Sloan is a warm, welcoming place. Women would like it here.” The dean replied, “I’m not sure, but can you DO something about it?” I could and I did!
Changing Perceptions
Women would apply, and even get in, but not come. MIT Sloan was perceived as a “scary” place. So I started calling all the women who had been admitted to tell them about Sloan and the opportunities for them here. The program continued calling the newly admitted women each year, and in just two years the percentage of women enrolling went up dramatically from 5 percent to 20 to 25 percent.
Reducing Barriers: Getting to Know the Faculty
Once the women were admitted, we hosted get togethers for them with the faculty and women students each Spring, so they could feel more comfortable and start to develop relationships. We always had a good turnout.
I also visited major colleges in the area and met with the Heads of Placement and Faculty from Math, Economics, and other Departments at sit-down round-table meetings at Wellesley, Tufts, Radcliffe, Bowdoin, and Bates. Professor Lotte Bailyn came with me. I wanted to show the colleges that women at the Sloan School were normal, and we didn’t have slide rules coming out of our pockets – a common perception of MIT at the time. I also wanted to tell them about all the opportunities open to their graduates by coming to Sloan by showing them how my Economics/ Math degree background fit in well here.
Professor Bailyn, Sloan’s first full-time tenure-track woman, comments about the recruiting program from her perspective. “It was my first year as an associate professor without tenure when Leslie took me by the hand and led me around to a number of women’s colleges, urging them to think seriously about Sloan. I had no idea how to contribute to her efforts. I myself had no experience with business and had grown up and lived in a completely academic world. But I was immensely impressed. And the results came fast, showing once again how the dedicated efforts of one person can create real change. I have often used this story as an example of one way to create organizational change.”
Working at MIT Sloan Full Time, Collaborating with the Admissions Committee
After being hired to work for Dean Pounds, I was invited to be part of the Admissions Committee. We were admitting people mostly based on the top GMAT scores, but I thought that looking for high scores AND well-rounded people might be a better combination for success in business. This helped increased the number of women admitted.
“I remember your very successful efforts to recruit female students to Sloan in the ‘70s. We recognized the need to recruit women at about the same time that MIT did and you came along at just the right time. Your success was amazing. You changed the School – for the better,” said Dean Pounds.
Recommended Action
As I approach my 45th Reunion year, my role now is to make sure that MIT Sloan does not forget the time and attention of those who changed this place from an essentially all-male program to one that is now nearly 50-50. This was a paradigm shift and a Sloan innovation! Sloan was a leader and ahead of the curve, and this is an important part of who we are. The women have not only changed the school, but also the enterprises that hired them. We welcome you to attend MIT Sloan and continue the work we started nearly half a century ago.
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Today, SWIM follows in Leslie’s footsteps through our partnership with Admissions. For example, Women’s Week events are conducted to give prospective students the chance to connect with women in our network and learn about the MIT Sloan experience. We want to give applicants a view into Sloan’s transformative atmosphere where women will not only advance their careers, but also forge lifelong friendships. We are honored today to recognize the accomplishments of Leslie Hruby, and SWIM looks forward to continuing to build the network of incoming classes of women who will celebrate each other’s successes and be the brightest leaders of tomorrow.
-Emily, Nikki, Sarah
