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1905

In her essay "The Educated Woman in Domestic Life," Carolyn Baer Eppley argued that women must be college educated so as to better fulfill their roles as wives, mothers, and citizens. She contended that women need to be educated in order to better instruct their children, encourage their husband's thinking, contribute to society, and maintain strong relationships with their spouses.

1905

This image depicts a female Dickinsonian enjoying an athletic event. The image was found in the 1906 yearbook and was printed with color.

1905

In her essay titled "The Mission of a Trained Nurse," Kathleen Moore Gooding described the importance and progression of nursing in the United States. According to Gooding, prior to the nursing profession, monks and uneducated people cared for the sick. This led to much pain, sickness, and even death. However, it was not until Florence Nightingale that women became nurses and the profession took off. In closing, she highlighted the work of the Red Cross as proof of the success of the nursing profession.

1905

In her 1905 oration "Dickinson's New Era," Florence Hensel Bursk argues for improved conditions for female students at Dickinson College. Following the Denny Hall fire of 1905, alumnea and friends of the college began donating to the restoration of the hall and the overall insitution. Bursk asserted that such contributions engendered the "birth of a new era" at Dickinson College. Despite the great strides being made by Dickinson during this period, Bursk argued that conditions for female students were lacking.

1905

The Co-eds from the class of 1905 were captured in this photograph. The ladies shown (from left to right) are Gertrude Heller, Kathleen Gooding, Mabel Kirk, and Anna Spears.

1905

A comic strip published in the Microcosm depicts a man's lament at the complications of dating at Dickinson. The 4 scenes show the man getting ready to visit his lover and how he wants to be close to her, but because of formal rules they have to be chaperoned by a Mrs. Love and have to distance themselves.

1905

The 1905 Microcosm included a picture of an interior shot of Lloyd or Ladies' Hall.

1905

The Microcosm writes a list of the top 16 reasons why parents should send their sons to Dickinson. One of the reasons is because of the co-eds on campus for "all lovers of beauty can find ample chance for gratification...at the co-ed house, situated very close to the campus." And because women are "admitted to all privileges of the college" it means that good society is "thus insured."

1905

The Microcosm has a section where they document some of the great and humorous quotes classmates have heard in the classroom. One of the quotes printed dealt with co-education. The one male student had inquired about the reason why people come to college, that they are to "be made men of, of course?" The second male then answers him, "How about the co-eds?"

February 7, 1905

In remembrance of Reverend J. R. Lloyd, Mary R. Burton donated $5,000 to Dickinson College in 1905. Burton requested that a portion of her donation go to the establishment of the first women's dormitory at Dickinson College. Moreover, she asked that the dormitory be named in honor of Reverend Lloyd.

September 1905

The 1905-06 student handbook, produced by the Young Men's Christian
Association contains parts of the constitution from the Young Women's
Christian Association (YWCA). Included in the handbook is the YWCA's
mission as well as information on membership, officers, and committees.
Officers included are, President Mary Ranck, Vice-president Georgia Cranston,
Secretary Mary Leinbach, and Treasurer Mary Mosser.

1906

In his essay "American Motherhood," Samuel W. MacDowell argued that motherhood is one of the most important position a woman can hold. He contended that it was through motherhood, not the vote, that women were able to assert their influence within American society. He referenced Washington's, Adams', Lincoln's and McKinley's mothers to illustrate his point.

1906

A 'Miscellany' section of the Microcosm included a story about a "night prowler" at Lloyd Hall. Apparently one night, one of the female students saw a man peering in a window at her. This of course caused quite a stir amongst the females staying in Lloyd Hall. To calm the women down, a man was asked to sleep in the Hall until the excitement was over. A Dr. Gooding explained the event in syllogistic form stating, "Man helpful in emergency. Emergency at Lloyd Hall. Man helpful at Lloyd Hall."

1906

"After the Exam" is a poem about a male student being taken by a female student's charms after class one day. On this particular day they had taken an exam and the female student tells the male one that she had flunked the exam today. The male student cannot believe what kind of Professor would "flunk such a winsome lass? Her smile would be worth an "A" to me." He further states that he would have passed her in an instant, if he were the Professor, even if she had only given him the slightest nod.

1906

7 years after Sara Marvel entered the Dickinson School of Law in 1899, Dolly O'dea is the next woman to go to law school in 1906. As a Junior Class Officer, Dolly is the secretary. Nothing further is mentioned about her in the 1906 Microcosm.

September 1906

The 1906-07 student handbook, produced by the Young Men's Christian
Association contains parts of the constitution from the Young Women's
Christian Association (YWCA). Included in the handbook is the YWCA's
mission as well as information on membership, officers, and committees.
Officers included are, President Mary E. Rank, Vice-president Annie R. O'Brien,
Secretary Lillian O. Brown, and Treasurer Cornelia B. White.

1907

In 1907, the Omega Psi Sorority was adopted into the Delta Chapter of the Chi Omega Sorority. The Omega Psi Sorority was started in 1899 at Dickinson College.

1907

The 1907 Microcosm records this fictitious event of the Sophomore class hazing the Freshman, both male and female. The Freshman co-eds had thrown a reception for the male Freshman earlier in the night. When the Freshman, both male and female collectively, had returned to their dorms, they were greeted by the Sophomores upon return. At Lloyd Hall, the Sophomore co-eds had bought fly paper and rough-housed with the girls in general. The entire Sophomore class was then brought before the "Faculty Committee on Discipline" for their actions.

1907

"To Mrs. McAnney" is a poem published in the 1907 Microcosm about the woman who watches over the females in their housing. According to the poet, these co-eds are "seldom happy, unless they're with a boy." In order to see these co-eds though, the men have to keep Mrs. McAnney happy when they are at the "Hen Roost" for she will always "treat them square."

1907

"Queenie's Balm for Lovers" is a whimsical piece about dating questions fellow Dickinsonians might have. One of the questions is about a man who has fallen in love with a fellow co-ed student that is in all of his classes, but does not know how to approach her. Another question is about co-ed romance, except this time the man has too many co-eds that like him. In total, he has 8 co-eds that are after his affections and is confused on how to choose the right one for him. These and other questions on such "tangled love affairs" are answered by a said "Queenie".

1907

A section of the 1907 Microcosm included cartoons of various organizations and the types of fictitious contests they would be involved with. One window of the cartoon depicts the Harman Literary Society in a heated debate over the question of "Is Marriage a Failure."

1907

The 1908 Microcosm notes that two fellow junior classmates, Chalmers Stuart and Ethel Prouse were married on April 2, 1907. Ethel Prouse had been a "co-ed at the institution for the past three years" and had classes with Chalmers Stuart. The couple had "met about three years ago as classmates" and now has married. On a different subject, the short paragraph on the couple mentions how Stuart used to be the night watchman for Lloyd Hall and had "gained glory for himself on the memorable night of attempted burglary, when he quieted the panic-stricken girls."

1907

In 1902 the officers of the organization were: Mary Ranck, Georgia Cranston, Laura Dix and Mary Mosser.

September 1907

This photo depicts a group of female students watching a class scrap between male sophomores and freshman in 1907. A scrap was often a physical competition between two opposing classes.

September 1907

The 1907-08 student handbook, produced by the Young Men's Christian
Association contains parts of the constitution from the Young Women's
Christian Association (YWCA). Included in the handbook is the YWCA's
mission as well as information on membership, officers, and committees.
Officers included are: President Lillian O. Brown, Vice-president Laura Dix,
Secretary Ethel Deatrick, and Treasurer Lidda Ebbert.

September 25, 1907

In the first issue of the 1907 school year, The Dickinsonian notes news about the women of Lloyd Hall.

September 25, 1907

An excerpt from The Dickinsonian's article titled "Rules and Regulations for Underclassmen." The rules were created by a committee of upperclassmen and underclassmen are required to follow them. This section contains those rules which apply specifically to women during the 1907 school year.

1908

"Sting, Stang, Stung" is a comical piece written about the senior ladies discussing what male students are available for them for the ball. Each of the senior girls is mentioned, each singularly discussing who they would like to take to the ball and who is unavailable. The discussion soon turns to what faculty members the girls would take to the ball. After two hours of debating, the girls finally head off to bed. As an "N.B." the piece states that on the next day, the "boys came to the rescue...better late than never."

1908

In her essay "Frances Willard's True Place as Social Reformer," Ruth W. Rinker analyzed the life and work of Frances Willard. She argued that "In Frances Willard our age has lost one of its nobelest daughters, whose achievements for God and home and native land were such as to rank her as one of the most famous women of this century." Throughout her essay, she cited Willard's reform work in the women's ritghts and temperance movements.

1908

In the alternative periodaical The Onion, male Dickinsonians reported on the activities at Lloyd Hall (the women's dormitory). In an 1908 issue, the "Lloyd Hall correspondent" reported that, "Mr. Phares, '11 visited Lloyd Hall under peculiar circumstances. The Freshman rang the bell and inquired if ANY of the girls were home. Mrs.

1908

In her essay titled "The Influence of Uncle Tom's Cabin," Lida Mildred Ebbert explored the great importance of the novel upon nineteenth- and twentieth-century Americans. She argued that "It is probable that no other book, except the Bible, has had such world-wide popularity and impact." Ebbert went on to discuss the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the time in which the book was written.

1908

In his essay "Is Woman Suffrage Necessary or Conducive to Good Government?," Edward B. Burkey argued against women's suffrage.

1908

The Sophomore Band's publication The Onion mocks the Harman Literary Society's publication in 1908. According to the Sophomore Band, the Salmagundi is becoming a rival of The Onion. The writer goes on and congratulates the Harman Literary Society on mock articles he claims were in their paper.

1908

In her essay titled "The Civic Movement Among Women," Alice M. Clarkson analyzed women's influence in civic and reform movements of the early twentieth century. She argued that women's position as mothers in the home made them ideal candidates for social reform. She wrote, "They are the natural domestic housekeepers, and what more proper than that they should become civic housekeepers? they abate nuisances in the household. Why not in the city?" Clarkson contended that women's patience and persitence made them ideal reformers.

1908

"The Co-Eds, Et Al." is a humorous poem on how co-education changes education in the law school. These women who are studying to become lawyers alongside the men cause them to study and work hard to impress them. Unfortunately for them, the women there are not striving to win a man, but "rather to have a professional name." The poem then goes on to praise each of the five women who are studying law with them and wishes them the best of luck in the future.

1908

"A Tight Place" is a poem written about what a man will do for a fellow "inmate of Lloyd Hall" that he has feelings for. Wanting to grab her attention, the man asks her if she can make good fudge. The woman agreed to make some, so long as the man bought her all the supplies needed. Unfortunately for the man, he realized that he had no money in his pockets, being that he was in his Sunday clothes. Kindly, a fellow female friend lent him the money needed, rather than one of his male friends. The man successfully bought all the necessary items, and the girl never found out about his plight.

1908

An untitled poem in the 1908 Microcosm discusses how springtime means opportunity for the men of Dickinson College. The springtime turns a young man's fancy to "thoughts of the co-ed hall." Outside of the hall the men will linger "like a bee about the hive, waiting for the honeyed sweetness of the honey-comb inside." These are the "supposed" daily occurrences of the men in springtime at Dickinson College.

February 12, 1908

In 1908, the Board of Trustees established a committee to investigate the "advisability of continuing the Co-education at Dickinson College and whether we should decrease or diminish the facilities accorded to women." Trustee C.H. Zug and H. C. King led the committee and were to present their findings at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees.

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.

September 1908

The 1908-09 student handbook, produced by the Christian
Associations contains parts of the constitution from the Young Women's
Christian Association (YWCA). Included in the handbook is the YWCA's
mission as well as information on membership, officers, and committees.
Officers included are, President Anna M. Bacon, Vice-president Anna M. Galley,

1909

This image depicts the class of 1913 as freshmen.

1909

This postcard depicts a female Dickinsonian ready to play tennis. The caption on the back reads "The Dickinson Coed."

1909

In her essay  "The Value of a Classical Education in Modern Times," Laura M. Sweigert argued for the great importance of classical education in the United States. She asserted that classical education was important for five main reasons:

1909

In her essay "Woman and the Home," Ella P. Davis discussed the ways in which society limited women's opportunities based on their gender. She wrote, "In a country where public life is capable of so much further development, and where civil and political funcations, which in other lands have come to be regarded as the rights of common citizen, are so grudgingly bestowed upon men of even the lightest intelligence, it is no wonder that the position of women is not an ideal one." Throughout her essay, Davis cites the German women's movement's influence on women's education.

1909

In an article published in The Onion (an alternative paper published by the Sophomore Band), the author refers to female Dickinsonians as "Lloyd Hall Skirts." He goes on to desribe a female student being tricked by a male student.

1909

In her 1909 essay "The Education of Woman in America", S. Margaret Gruber traced the history of women's education and argued that women's higher education was essential. She began her essay by discussing the history of women's education from "household drudgery" to women's higher education. She argued that women's higher education did not impare women's health but made them more vigorous. Moreover, she asserted that women who attended institutions of higher education did still marry and bear children.

1909

"The Freshman-Sophomore Co-ed Rush" is a humorous piece in the 1909 Microcosm that pokes fun at the tensions between the Freshman and Sophomore classes. The fight between the two classes broke out because of a Freshman singing and playing a song about their class pride. This causes an outrage amongst the Sophomores and a fight between all the women then ensues. Freshman and Sophomore women are ripping out hairpins and combs, carrying others away and pinning them against the wall. After some time, the Dean of Women, Mrs.

1909

The 1909 Microcosm published a humorous piece, the "Debate on Co-Education: Spirited Riot in Harman Literary Meeting." This piece is about a debate amongst the ladies of the Harman Literary Society on whether co-education is better for women or if it is better for women to study at an all-girl's institution.

February 25, 1909

On February 25, 1909 convened to discuss the system of coeducation and whether or not coeducation should be continued at Dickinson College. According to the committee, though men were ardently against coeducation at its onset in 1884, many male students are no longer "irritated" by the presence of women at Dickinson College. However, many male students and alumni were concerned that female students, "have won an altogether disproportionate share of College honors and prizes.

February 25, 1909

Following their decision not to abolish coeducation but rather to implement a quota on female students, the Board of Trustees discussed living arrangements for women on Dickinson's campus. The president of the College asked the Board of Trustees to turn South College into a dormitory for women. The president argued that Lloyd Hall was too small for the women of the college, many of whom had to find housing elsewhere. Thus, the Board of Trustees agreed and decided to renovate South College with a "moderate outlay of money."