Under the "rooms" section of the student handbook of 1949-50, is a description of material items provided by the college to female and male students. Female students were supplied with "the necessary furniture, and rugs, curtains, bureau covers, waste baskets, and lamp." Male students were supplied with "all the necessary heavy furniture, such as, beds, study table, dressers, waste basket, a study light, and chairs." Female students were cautioned not to bring electrical items nor post pictures to the walls.

 

An advertisement for the Fashion House in The Dickinsonian shows a small illustration of a senior woman holding what we presume to be a checklist. She reads off the list to a sophomore woman: "Villager shirt...check...garland sweater...check...knee skirt...check...." The advertisement indicates that students can purchase these items at the Fashion House with the words "These status symbol clothes at..."

In a humorous column that doubles as a cigarette advertisement, Max Shulman writes about "The Dating Season" and how to treat a girl. In order to treat a girl with respect, he jokes, a gentleman should offer a Marlboro "with its fine flavor and exclusive selectrate filter." He should also listen carefully, take her to nice places like the Bureau of Weights and Measures, and show that he is well-informed. Below the article are the words, "To the list of things girls like, add the king-size, unfiltered Philip Morris Commander."

The editorial staff of The Dickinsonian apologizes to the "Freshman women" for their lack of space in the last issue of the newspaper. According to the note, the Freshman men revolt "overshadowed the frequent and successful efforts of the women to show unity and spirit."

Included in the 1949-50 student handbook is a list of nine rules freshman students were required to adhere to. The rules went in to effect at 8am September 26, 1949.

A report released by Dickinson on June 10, 1961 showed the distribution of grades by class, gender, and greek organization.  According to the report, the 348 women on campus maintained an overall average of 2.81, while the 721 men had an grade average of 2.35.  Seniors maintained the highest average with a 2.82, while freshman had the lowest, a 2.21.  Sui Generis was the greek organization with the highest average, a 3.0, and they were closely by Phi Mu and Pi Beta Phi with 2.97 and 2.89 respectively.

Independent Women was a group of women unaffiliated with any women's social fraternity. Included in the 1948 student handbook is a description of the organization as well as a their location on campus.  Patricia Beetlestone served as President; Estelle Bernard as Vice-president; June Lovell as secretary and Jennie Baner as Treasurer. 50 women were affiliated with Independent Women during the 1948-49 academic year.

Included in the 1948-49 student handbook is a list of seven rules freshman students were required to adhere to.

The pivotal events of the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as that of Robert Kennedy, was the foreground to the world events that welcomed the lives of Dickinson students during the decade of the 1960's. Having been an era of social, sexual and civil revolution, did not hinder the development and the rise of women as leaders on this campus. On the contrary the grand majority of women surveyed by Martha C.

Included in the 1947 student handbook is a list of seven rules freshman students were required to adhere to. Freshman women were expected to wear armbands, rise when the Dean of Women or any other college official entered the room, women were required to speak to all professors and their wives, "give the right of precedence to the women of the upper classes," and were required to know "something of the college history." Added in 1947, the seventh rule stated, "sole power to interpret any of the foregoing rules shall be vested in the Women's Committee on Freshman Orientation."

An advertisement in The Dickinsonian for the Fashion House on Pitt Street reads "lucky linda pearsall...you, you lucky doll,  have won our Dalton cashmere cardigan...pop in anytime and pick it up." The advertisement implies that a female Dickinson student won the cardigan.

An article in The Dickinsonian, "New Social Rules Changes Result from SREC Efforts," explained some of the changes adopted that the Social Rules Evaluation Committee proposed, including unchaperoned visiting hours for women in fraternity houses as well as more permissive visiting policies for men in sorority houses. The SREC's proposals also resulted in increased late hours and car privileges for upperclass women with a minimum grade point average.

An article in The Dickinsonian reported that the college planned to build another new dormitory for women over the next two years, beginning in February.  The financial vice-president, Dr. Shuman, explained that the building was made possible by a $675,000 government loan.

In her memoir recounting her experiences as an early female student at Dickinson College, Low discusses the relationships between early female students of the college and the prep school affiliated with Dickinson. She explained that "these girls made no distinction because I was in Preparatory School. We read together, sometimes Browning which I had been taught to consider strictly highbrow." Throughout her memoir, Low speaks of the close relationship shared between female college and prep students.

An advertisement in The Dickinsonian for the Fashion House, a store on Pitt Street in Carlisle, offered clothing for men and women. It advertises men's clothing with "For the button-down men: Plaid madras button-down pullover shirt...." For women's clothing, on the other hand, it reads, "For the gals they look at: knee-length madras kitties...."

According to an article in The Dickinsonian, the Social Rules Evaluation Committee, formed to address the potential change to social rules, chose to evaluate women's regulations and sorority social regulations. The committee adopted this philosophy for procedure: "The work of this committee is predicted [sic] on the belief that college students are mature, responsible people capable of setting up a sound, acceptable social code of their own and also of enforcing this code upon themselves...."

The Dickinsonian reports on the issue of campus rules and surveys student opinions. One fraternity man described the social rules as puritannical. Bill Jones disagreed with the rule regarding women visitors in fraternity houses. According to the article, many students expressed disatisfaction over the "lack of places for couples or mixed groups to meet informally...." Shirley Bahrs complained of the lack of activities on campus, and Betsy Kraft bemoaned the fact that Drayer Hall, a women's dormitory, had no recreation room.

A poem by Carla Russ (Class of 1964) in The Dickinsonian addressed the lack of activities for female students. Entitled A Pertinent Poem, it begins "Mary, Mary quite contrary, what did you do tonight?" The poem uses four names as inspiration for rhyme schemes (Mary, Jeanie, Pammy, Joanie), posing a question to each character. Their responses are all variations on the same theme, and the last section, which addresses Joanie, complains, "What's legal doesn't meet our needs,/ What's fun is tagged taboo!"

An editorial in The Dickinsonian criticizes campus social rules, especially those that pertain to women. The author insists that students are capable of behaving well and gives the example of the faculty allowing women visitors upstairs in fraternities, which "did not result in an upsurge of pregnancies." The editorial calls upon the Women's Interdormitory Council to extend these curfews on weekends to bring Dickinson's policies in line with comparable schools. The author also believes that the college should allow drinking upstairs in the fraternity when women are not present.

A cartoon in The Dickinsonian humorously depicts curfew rules for co-ed students. With "Modern-Day Cinderella" at the bottom, the cartoon shows a befuddled-looking prince who watches as a young woman steps into a pumpkin carriage with only one shoe. The clock tower in the background appears to strike eleven o' clock with the words "Bong, Bong" next to it.