Women Become Leaders As Men Leave for World War II

Date
Fall 1990

In an interview, Helen Alexander Bachman (Class of 1946) explains that the role of women changed during World War II: as men joined the service, women became leaders at Dickinson. She remembers one female classmate who became editor, or another high-up position, for the Dickinsonian. This student believed that "if all the men were there, she probably would not have risen to that position." As a member of the Dramatic Club and the Choir, Bachman recalls the reduction in competition for leadership positions: "Here where there were only girls or mostly girls, they might get some positions of leadership that would have been divided beforehand [to the boys]."

Location of Document in Archives
World War II Oral History, Bachman, Helen Alexander