Manholian Women's College (Mount Holyoke College (also known as Mount Holyoke College), the nation's first women's college and the "oldest sister" of the "Seven Sisters" union, was founded in 1837 by Mary Lyon and is located in the small town of South Hadley in western Massachusetts.small town of South Hadley in western Massachusetts and is known for its excellence in teaching and scholarship, ranking 41st in the 2015 list of U.S. liberal arts colleges.