In honor of Women’s History Month, it’s important to remember the amazing women who make Moravian what it is today. From 1742 to 2025, let’s acknowledge these fantastic pioneers of education.
Henrietta Benigna Justine Zinzendorf von Watteville (1725 – 1789), better known by students as Benigna Zinzendorf, immigrated to America in 1741 from Germany with her family. At 16, Benigna founded Moravian College (now University) and Moravian Academy. Benigna had a dream of educating women.
In 1742, she opened the first boarding school for girls in the British American colonies, located in Germantown, PA. Eventually, in 1749, the school would move to Bethlehem, where it has remained ever since. Fun fact: Benigna had a passion for singing.
Anna Nitschmann (1715 – 1760), whose full name and title is Anna Caritas Nitschmann, Countess von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, was the second wife of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Both names should sound familiar to you as they are the namesakes for the Anna Nitschmann dormitory and Zinzendorf Hall. Nitschmann was incredibly involved in the Moravian Church. From the age of 14, she served as the Chief Eldress of the Renewed Moravian Church, a role she would serve for most of her life. Her legacy is preserved not only through the dormitory but through the Anna Nitschmann Society.
According to the Moravian website, Nitschmann played a pivotal role in securing funds to establish the original Girls’ School and was passionate about making education accessible to women at a time when opportunities were scarce. The society is dedicated to fostering a supportive community for philanthropic women. If you are interested in joining, click the link above for more details.
Priscilla Payne Hurd (1919 – 2013) is another name you should recognize. Despite not graduating from Moravian, Hurd made her impact on the school when, in 1974, she was elected to be on Moravian College’s Board of Trustees, making her the first woman to be inducted.
Years later, in 1999, she was elected as the first female Chair of the Board of Trustees. Her influence does not stop there; Hurd offered endless educational and financial support to the college. She created the Priscilla Payne Hurd Center for Music and Art, the Frank E. and Seba B. Payne Gallery, and established the Priscilla Payne Hurd Chair in the Arts and Humanities.
If it wasn’t already clear, Hurd was a pillar of the Moravian community and the Lehigh Valley at large. She was passionate about education and serving her community, so when she provided financial support towards the construction of the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, more commonly referred to by students as PPHAC, nobody was surprised.
In 2006, Moravian presented Hurd with an honorary degree, a recognition she was given by not only Moravian College, but by Lehigh University and DeSales University. In 2012, the Priscilla Payne Hurd Club was established, honoring all her hard work.
Zora Martin Felton (1930 – 2022) was a local student who received her high school diploma at Liberty before starting at Moravian College. Felton was the first Black woman to graduate from Moravian College (and with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences). Felton was very involved on campus. She played for the field hockey and basketball teams, wrote poetry (which she submitted to The Manuscript), and was the recipient of the President’s Prize for Outstanding Senior.
After graduating, Felton continued her education at Howard University, where she received her master’s degree in education. In 1958, the Smithsonian Institution asked Felton if she would conduct research on historic Anacostia, a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Nine years later, the Anacostia Community Museum would open with Felton as the director of the education department. She would hold this position for 30 years. In addition to her countless accomplishments, Felton has authored three books.
Janine Jagger ‘72 studied psychology during her undergraduate years at Moravian College before continuing her education. At the University of Pittsburgh, she received her master’s degree in public health and later earned her doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Virginia. In 1978, she became a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia Health System, where she has worked ever since. Jagger was named one of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation MacArthur Fellows in 2002 for her exceptional work in health care.
In 2004, Jagger became a recipient of The Comenius Award, which, according to the Moravian website, recognizes an alumnus’ outstanding achievement or service in their field of work. It is considered the Alumni Association’s lifetime achievement award. Jagger is passionate about health care; she even founded the Familial Mediterranean Fever Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), a rare genetic inflammatory disorder. Years of research have gone into decreasing the number of undiagnosed individuals. You can read her full biography on the Moravian website.
Sally Miksiewicz ‘84 was a graduate of Moravian College who received a bachelor’s degree in business management and sociology. Her name may sound familiar, especially if you are a nursing student. In 2017, the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences building officially opened its doors. Sally is a legacy student, the second in her family to enroll in the college. Years later, all four of her children graduated from Moravian.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Carol Traupman-Carr graduated from Moravian in 1986 with a B.A. in social science and a B.MUS. in music. She returned to Moravian in 1992 as a full-time professor of the music department and has served in many other positions within the university before being promoted to Provost in 2022. She is the university’s second provost, succeeding Cynthia Kosso. Traupman-Carr is a first-generation, female student, exemplifying the people that Moravian works to serve, support, and educate.
As provost, Traupman-Carr created the Advance Into Moravian program and Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha), the U.S.’s first and only first-generation honor society that now has chapters in nearly all 50 states.
Dr. Paula Zerkle came to Moravian College in 1994. She is an associate professor of music and the director of vocal music. Her commitment to the music program is seen in everything she touches. During her time at Moravian, Zerkle has arranged over 175 individual Vespers vocal performances. She also conducts the Moravian University Choir, Moravian Chorale, Women’s Chorus (Blue Stars), Men’s Chorus (Grey Hounds), and Vocalis, a small a cappella vocal ensemble. Furthermore, Zerkle teaches conducting and musicianship courses on South campus.
Belinda Waller-Peterson is an associate professor and chair of the English department. She began working at Moravian in 2016. She teaches courses on African American literature, Black Feminist Theory, and culture and the Health Humanities. Waller-Peterson is also a registered nurse in Pennsylvania, and her skills in both areas allow her to focus on Health Humanities; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality; and Africana Studies. She mostly teaches courses on African American literature, Black Feminist Theory, and culture and the Health Humanities.
