Women of FAU

This article announces Dr. Helen Popovich as the next president of Florida Atlantic University. The article also mentions how in addition to being the first female president at Florida Atlantic University, Dr. Popovich was “the first woman to serve as president in the Florida State University system” (Daley, Atlantic Sun p.1). By having the previous positions she held at universities listed, Dr. Popovich established her credibility and experience early on. Student Body President Tony Raitano expressed his opinion by stating, “I think it's going to move the university in a totally new direction, having Popovich as the first woman president in the State University System. It’ll give FAU a different look which I think will benefit both the university and the community.” Raitano’s quote is one of many that represents the excitement the students felt at the announcement of Dr. Popovich’s presidency. This primary source represents the ideology of that time that having a female president would be beneficial and pivotal for the school.

This is a photograph of Dr. Helen Popovich at her inauguration on February 10, 1984. In addition to being the third president of Florida Atlantic University, Helen Popovich was also the first female president the university has had. To this day, Dr. Popovich is the only female to serve as president of FAU so far. In order to understand how Florida Atlantic University had  many developments during her term, such as an increase in enrollment and the “creation of  the Women’s Studies certificate program” (FAU). Therefore, these developments, along with many more, add to how monumental it was when the school elected a female president for the first time. This image serves as a success story and reminder that hard work and dedication to one’s passions in life can be historic. By including this photo as a primary source, this represents how Florida Atlantic University reached a turning point when Dr. Helen Popovich became president.

This article details Dr. Helen Popovich’s announcement that she would be ending her term as president of Florida Atlantic University. The article explains how she was going to become the next president of Ferris State University on August 1, 1989. While it is unknown if her presidency at Ferris State University is the only reason Dr. Popovich decided to leave Florida Atlantic University, it is interesting to read that she was a presidential candidate for two other schools in New Jersey, Kean College and Montclair State College. The article also compares the benefits Dr. Popovich would receive at Ferris State University versus what she received at Florida Atlantic University. Since she would be receiving a slightly lower salary, it adds to the question of why Dr. Popovich would choose to leave Florida Atlantic University. Shortly after this article was written, another one was published on June 14, pointing out potential reasons of why Popovich would be ending her term, such as being “enticed to leave by… the Board of Regents” and simply stating, “she just can’t do her job here” (Atlantic Sun). This shows a side of the student body that was not as pleased with Popovich’s actions during her time as president

This is a photo of Helen Popovich at a graduation ceremony in 1988. At the time of commencement, it had already been announced that Dr. Popovich was ending her term as president and leaving Florida Atlantic University to become president at Ferris State University. This photo is significant because throughout Dr. Popovich’s time as president, enrollment rates grew substantially, as highlighted by the summary of her term on the FAU website. By the time she left Florida Atlantic University in 1989, 11,743 students were enrolled at the school. The photo can provide additional context of how Dr. Popovich was influential to the history of the school. There were definitely times where students disagreed with decisions Dr. Popovich made. Another article written on February 24, 1988, appears to be in support of Dr. Popovich, describing her as “a lady of high intellect and iron constitution,”  and saying that “we might still be blessed with the same President next year” (Pathmanathan, Atlantic Sun). At the same time, the article highlights the issue FAU had faced at the time with some staff appointed by Popovich. However, seeing her smiling face at the graduation ceremony is a way of ending her presidency on a high note.