Elizabeth G. Bell was the first female professor at Colorado State University, hired by President Ingersoll in August of 1885 to teach English, history, and modern languages at the annual salary of $1200. She also lived in Spruce Hall and acted as matron of the all-female dormitory. President Ingersoll felt it was important to finally hire a female faculty member, as the college now had nearly 50 women enrolled. Other women had worked and studied at the college, but Bell was the first hired as faculty.

Elizabeth G. Bell fell ill only a few short years after she was hired, in the spring of 1887, and was replaced by her sister. Maude Bell taught at CSU for the next ten years. “The Bell sisters advanced the educational experience of women at CSU and paved the way for other female faculty. Now, the College of Liberal Arts continues to hire faculty and staff with diversity in mind and we are leading the campus in bringing issues of diversity into our classrooms,” (Celebrating the traditions of the College of Liberal Arts).