from its Presbyterian Church roots.
The college has had one female president.
=== Kirkland College ===
In the second half of the 20th century, Hamilton established a women's college, Kirkland College, on college land on the other side of College Hill Road. Though it ultimately resulted in Hamilton becoming coeducational, it lasted only about 10 years. It was perceived as less rigorous than Hamilton, although this was disputed and much discussed. The merger of the two schools, or rather the takeover by Hamilton, took place along with feelings of betrayal and lack of support from Kirkland students. On the other hand, it has been noted that Hamilton's transition to coeducation took place "more equitably" than at other men's schools, as a result of Kirkland. In the same work, "women students' interests" were deemed well represented in the modern Hamilton, which the author found "quite remarkable."
The campus today is divided into the "light side" or "north side" (former Hamilton campus) and the "dark side" or …
