Dear Readers,

Two months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health marked the end of a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. That 6-3 vote overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, leaving the legality of abortion to be determined by individual states and sending shockwaves across the globe. In the wake of this new United States, one where not all women will have the right to choose whether to have a child, we combed through our archives to learn how previous Bates reporters covered the issue. And, what we found was a fascinating historical record in the form of articles, ads and letters to the editor. We hope this special issue, cataloging the Batesies’ perspective on Roe v. Wade and abortion over the past six decades, will inform, guide and inspire our readers to engage actively in our democratic process. 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

The Bates Student

Ellie Wolfe ’23, Editor-in-Chief

Christina Leonard ’23, Executive Managing Editor