Low, Elizabeth A.

Elizabeth Anna Low Agrees to write her Personal Account of Early Coeducation at Dickinson College

Date
January 19, 1951

In a letter to Dickinson College Historian Charles Coleman Sellers, Elizabeth Anna Low agrees to write her account of early coeducation at Dickinson College. However, she asked Sellers to be more clear on what he expected. In the letter, Low begins describing early coeducation at Dickinson. She explains that "there was undoubtedly some feeling about the admission of women, but much of it had disappeared by the time I reached there." Despite this statement, Low recalls an election in which her name was removed due to her gender and not being admitted to the literary societies.

Elizabeth Anna Low Writes her Memoir "I was a Coed"

Date
January 28, 1952

In a letter to College Historian Charles Coleman Sellers, Elizabeth Anna Low enclosed a copy of her memoir "I Was a Coed." Low describes her acount as "a sketch on the early days of coeducation at Dickinson College."

A Toast from Elizabeth Anna Low

Date
May 24, 1961

In a letter to the class of 1891, Elizabeth Anna Low toasts her class and wrote, "A toast to the days at Dickinson, manhood and womanhood developed on principles so sound that they have served a lifetime." Low goes on to mention Zatae Longsdorff and what interesting experiences she must have had.

It is unclear for what occasion Low wrote this letter.

The 1908 Annual Banquet of Graduate and Undergraduate Women of Dickinson College

Date
June 9, 1908

Anna M. Bacon's scrapbook from 1906-1908 displayed a copy of the program from the "Annual Banquet of Graduate and Undergraduate Women of Dickinson College." The event included toasts on different aspects of the college life, from Lloyd Hall to Civic Duties. The program shows that the committee for this event included these women: Elizabeth Low (Class of 1891), May Hull (Class of 1903), Mary Thompson (Class of 1896), Isabel Goldsmith (Class of 1904), Anna C.

The Dickinsonian Documents the Whereabouts of the Class of 1891

Date
October, 1891

The whereabouts of the graduated class of 1891 is documented by the October 1891 issue of the Dickinsonian. Three of the female students are among the other graduates mentioned. Elizabeth Low is mentioned as a teacher in the public schools in Berwick, Pennsylvania, Jessica Longsdorff is studying at the Woman's Medical College in Philadelphia and Lenora Whiting is staying at her home in Carlisle.

Photograph Circa 1887 of Early Co-Eds at Dickinson College and Preparatory School

Date
c. 1887

This photograph is a group picture of early female students of both Dickinson College and the Preparatory School from circa 1887. The women included in this picture are Zatae Longsdorff '87, Mary Curran '88, Hildegarde Longsdorff '88, Elizabeth Bender '88, Mary Evans '89, Alice Kronenberg '89, Mary Himes '89, Jennie Taylor '89, Jessica Longsdorff '91, Elizabeth Low '91, Lenora Whiting '91, Wilhemina Scarborough '91, and Sarah Yocum '91.

Two Out of the Three Co-eds Elected to Editors

Date
November, 1889

The 1889 Dickinsonian comments upon the Junior class's selection of editors to write for the Microcosm. Both Elizabeth Low and Jessica Longsdorff were selected for editors of the yearbook. The Dickinsonian believed that "the usual sound judgment of this class must have been temporarily obscured by some sudden streak of gallantry" to let two of the three co-eds participate.

"I was a Co-ed": President Reed Advises Early Female Students

Date
1951

In her memoir recounting her time at Dickinson, Elizabeth Low remembers President Reed advising female students not to pursue certain careers. According to Low, after reading her oration, President Reed, "using my manuscript as a foundation, he read and refuted, telling me some of the fundamental truths of life. I still thanked him. Today, the idea of a woman entering other profession than teaching would pass without comment."