Sheila Strow Yale ’61, recognized as a trailblazer at Dean England Day

 

When Sheila Strow Yale entered Culver Military Academy (CMA) in 1957, she stepped into an educational experiment at Culver and was the first girl to attend Culver all four years and graduate. There were only nine girls among roughly 850 boys.

“I was one of the youngest. I started in ninth grade,” she said, explaining that there were a total of nine girls with six of them being upperclassmen.

At the time, Culver had not yet added Culver Girls Academy (CGA). That addition would not

occur until 1971. Yale attended CMA, and she described a school still testing whether girls belonged there at all.

“It was totally different because there were only nine of us and they were just trying us out,” she said. “We didn’t go through the Iron Gate there was none of that set up for us. Our graduation was held in the Eppley Auditorium.”

Yale was recognized at the Dean England Day ceremony on Sunday as a CGA trailblazer. She sat during the ceremony with Savannah Izell of Choctaw, Oklahoma, the youngest member of CGA.

“Together, Savannah and Sheila, symbolize the strength of connection between generations of women leaders,” said senior Ella Turgut, CGA Council chair. “For 55 years, CGA graduates have nurtured and instilled Dean England’s vision in younger students; now it is the younger generation’s responsibility to innovate and lead while holding fast to the traditions of CGA.”

Yale said in an interview that she arrived at Culver not by choice, but through a family decision shaped by national uncertainty surrounding the Vietnam War.

“My father came home and said, ‘I want to talk to you,’” she said. “He said, ‘Well, you know, there’s a war starting in Vietnam, and a lot of families are thinking maybe they wouldn’t want to send their boys to a military academy, so they think they should try girls.’”

When she hesitated, she recalled her father’s response plainly: “You don’t have a choice.”

 

 

The transition from a local town school to a military academy was abrupt. Yale described herself as “really immature and really shy,” and said she initially struggled to adjust.

“I had only gone to the town school, downtown Culver, and all of a sudden I was leaving all my friends,” she said. “I hardly ever spoke. I sat in the back row of the class.”

Socially, the shift was just as difficult. Despite the isolation of being in a boarding environment, Yale said the academic environment was strong.

“I knew I was getting a very good education,” she said. “I

knew it was much better than the town high school.”

Life for the first female students at CMA was highly unstructured by modern standards. There were no established leadership systems for girls, no dormitory placements, and no uniforms.

“We didn’t live in a dorm either,” she said. “We lived at home. And we didn’t wear a uniform either. We just had to wear sort of modest clothes—the skirts couldn’t be real short.”

There was also no formal system of roles or ranks for female students.

“We didn’t get any badges and there was one counselor for all of us,” Yale said. “There wasn’t any of that because they were just formulating everything.”

In place of traditional athletics, Yale and the other girls were only offered a limited number of activities.

“There were no sports for us, really. Guess what we did? We did fencing. And dance. Those were our sports,” she said.

Dance, in particular, became central to her early identity at Culver. She participated in performances and training linked to the start of the dance program at Culver, founded by Virginia Bays, her neighbor and a modern dancer trained with the Martha Graham company.

“She was my next-door neighbor,” Yale said. “My mother said, ‘Why don’t you start teaching dance?’”

Yale also performed in school productions, something she credits with helping her break out of her early shyness.

“We were all in the plays because they needed girls,” she said. “So I was in all the plays… I slightly came out of my shyness because of that.”

 

 

Over time, the already small group of girls became even smaller.

“After two years, the other two dropped out,” Yale said. “And there I was. I graduated by myself.”

She described the experience as both isolating and formative.

“It taught me to be much stronger than I was,” she said. “It taught me to grow up relatively quickly.”

Looking back, Yale said she recognizes how unusual her experience was in Culver’s history.

“People today still can’t believe it,” she said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen but I knew I was getting a very good education.”

After Culver, Yale built a career that spanned interior design, the airline industry and real estate. She worked as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines beginning at age 45 and later became a licensed real estate agent and international property specialist. She has lived in New Haven, Connecticut, New York City and now Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“I love to travel,” she said. “I’ve been around the world many times.”

Today, she remains closely connected to Culver through alumni networks, including her leadership of the Southeast Florida Culver Club.

“I co-chair the Southeast Florida Culver Club, and have for almost 20 years,” she said, “I'm very organized and very into Culver, too. After all, no

no matter what age the Alum is who joins us, we have so much in common.”

At 82, Yale said she continues to stay active.

“I do crossword puzzles every morning and I just got back from yoga class,” she said. “I feel it’s necessary to stay busy.”

Reflecting on Culver’s evolution, from a nine-girl experiment to a fully established girls’ academy, Yale expressed admiration.

“I’m very proud of the school,” she said. “And I’m really proud of you girls and what you’re doing today, how it’s evolved.”