In the "Minutes of the Faculty Meeting of November 11, 1940," the Board of Deans reviewed a case of discipline in which the Phi Delta Theta house hosted a party "without proper chaperonage" followed by a jaunt in an automobile. The two female students who left Carlisle in the automobile received probation for the rest of academic year 1940-41 and were placed under "special regulations" in Metzger Hall. Another student, who did not leave in the automobile, only received probation "until Christmas."
On May 31, 1886, Zatae Longsdorff went before the faculty to ask, "whether the Pierson Prize Medal Contest was open to all members of the Junior class without distinction of sex." The faculty decided that, as a member of the class, Zatae had the right to participate.
Rules concerning balconies of residence halls are detailed in "Red Tape," a guidebook for women. Residents of Drayer, Adams, and Stellar halls were allowed to sunbathe on the balconies while non-residents were limited to the balconies of Drayer and Adams. Yelling from sun porches was not permitted and female students were prohibited from holding conversations with men through residence hall windows from the balconies as well as fire escapes.
'Serenades' is a section included in "Red Tape" a guidebook published by the Women's Student Government Association. According to the guidebook, "no serenades will take place after midnight" and any girls "being serenaded may go outside with the permission of the house director."
"Red Tape" is a guidebook published by the Women's Student Government in 1963 that contains general information on dormitory regulations and campus procedures for women. Tests were given to female students their first fall semester covering the material in Red Tape.
The 1963 Microcosm staff continued to place the Miss Microcosm feature in the front half of the yearbook like it did in 1962. Unlike in 1962, however, the staff does not divulge how it made the selection. Miss Microcosm Barbara Duvall "will be married in June" and "represents the model of beauty, charm, and personality of the Dickinson coed." Her maid of honor and runners up included Brenda Sadler, Linda Goodridge, Carnie Green, Joanne Harris, Ginny Krueger, Cheryl Livingston, and Ginny Sutton.
The 1962 Microcosm presents the year's Miss Microcosm at the front of the yearbook rather than the end, as was the case prior to this date. The Microcosm claims that this year is the first in which students' votes elected Miss Microcosm and her court. The 1962 Miss Microcosm was Chi Omega Sweetheart and married student Gwen Steege, who the Microcosm listed as having "fair features, feminine grace, and charm of personality...." The runners-up included Brenda Sadler, Barbara Duvall, Carnie Green, Lynn Davis, Barbara Geyer, Ginny Sutton, and Ginny Krueger.
In 1956 a women's government organization was organized through the establishment of the President's Council. The council was established with the purpose of creating uniformity in rules for all of the dormitories and to act as a link between women students and the administration. According to the Microcosm, in its first year, the President's Council "made great progress in realizing its duties and responsibilities," which included meeting weekly with the Dean of Women.
The Beta Beta Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha participated in and sponsored a number of different campus activities, including the annual song fest, which raised money for cerebral palsy. In coordination with the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Zeta Tau Alpha held a Christmas party for underprivileged children. Their social activities included chapter dinners and teas, formals, and a Founder's Day Luncheon with the Alumnae. The officers of Zeta Tau Alpha in 1956 were Ingrid Reinhold, President; Nancy Schreiber, Vice-President; Lorraine Appleyard, Secretary; and Nancy Kelley, Treasurer.
In 1956, the officers of Phi Mu were Mary Ann Walter, President; Jan Westcott, Vice-President; Elizabeth Baird, Secretary; and Joan Howell, Treasurer. Phi Mu supported its philanthropies at the Children's Home in Carlisle and the Carlisle Hospital with a variety of activities including selling stationary, cookies, and cowbells at football games. They also hosted Halloween and Christmas parties at the Children's Home. Their social calendar included informal pizza or spaghetti dinners, as well as the pledge and spring formals.
In 1956 Chi Omega was led by President Sally Anderson, Vice-President Barbara Boffemmeyer, Secretary Sue Thoenenbe, and Treasurer Jean Hampton. Their annual activities included, as in years past, a fashion show and various rummage sales to benefit worthy causes, informal dinners and Sunday morning breakfasts, faculty gatherings, dances, and an alumnae banquet.
Biology Professor Barbara McDonald, who began to work in Dickinson during the Fall of 1956, in her interview reiterated that she was a member of the AAUP as well as an active member of the reppraisal committee. The American Association of University Professors who upholds academic freedom and tenure for College or University professors, played a pivotal role in the "Le Vallee Affair" during the Spring of 1956.
In 1896 the first Y.W.C.A. was formed in Carlisle in addition to the Y.M.C.A. Mary S. Dunn, the State Secretary of the Y.W.C.A., visited Carlisle in 1895 and began organizing the association. The Y.W.C.A. included in its membership all the ladies of the college and preparatory school, as well as some of the alumnae. Ladies from the school that were chosen to run it were Mary Thompson as president, Frances Logan as Vice-President, Anna Isenberg as Corresponding Secretary, Grace Vale as Treasurer, and Helen R. Horn as Recording Secretary.
Amy Fisher, an 1895 graduate of Dickinson College, was the first woman to teach at the Preparatory School. In 1896 she is included in the Preparatory School faculty, noted as "In Charge of Study Hall". While teaching at the school, she was also earning her Master of Arts degree in 1897. After obtaining her degree, she became the assistant principal of a high school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania until 1904. She resumed her employment at Dickinson College in 1932 as curator of the Dickinsoniana collection.
Emma V. Harry writes a memorium in honor of another sister of hers, Lydia Celestia Harry, who died May 2, 1895 in Carlisle. She had entered Dickinson's preparatory school in 1893 and would have graduated with the class of 1897. Angella Harry was another sister of Emma Harry who had died in 1893 at Carlisle.
As explained in her interview, Professor Barbara McDonald, who began teaching at Dickinson during the Fall of 1956, described the atmosphere of the campus post the "La Vallee Affair" as being one of widespread conflicting feelings. At the time, being one of the few female faculty members at Dickinson, Professor McDonald did not become conscious of the predominance of men for "it just seemed to be the way it was." Even though there were a large amount of female students enrolled in general biology classes "there were very few women on the faculty."
According to the Microcosm, the Aquacades was the largest women's organization on campus in 1960. The Aquacades prepared Dickinson's annual water ballet under the direction of Dotti Lee Gayner.
The 1960 Microcosm recruited two judges to select the year's Miss Microcosm. They chose Paula Shedd from among Dickinson's "prettiest girls." Her court included: Shirley Bahrs, Mary Fox, Sonja Gohn, Dottie Gayner, Susan McDowell, Joan Spire, Judith Simoni, and Mary L. Thomson. According to the Microcosm, Paula represents "the ultimate of beauty of Dickinson."
While the majority of the male population lived in fraternity houses on and off campus, their female counterparts resided in primarily off-campus establishements like Metzger Hall, which were located some blocks away from Dickinson. Due to the lack of housing and the influx of female students, the College began to house its female students in places such as Old West. Such was the case that was described by Sarah Andrews in her interview. Also, at the time there was no Sorority Housing in which they could have meetings and hold social events like the fraternities did.Â
As an annual tradition for five years, the Microcosm selected one female student--based "strictly on beauty"--as the 1959 Miss Microcosm. Unlike 1958, the Microcosm outsourced the selection of Miss Microcosm to James "Maverick" Garner in California. James Garner chose Anne Briner.