Oral history

Nancy Watkins Lucas reports in an interview that female students corresponded with soliders and sailors during the World War II period. Lucas, who smoked at the time, recalls that cigarettes were difficult to obtain. In fact, the brand Lucky Strike Green, whose cigarette packaging was green, started a campaign during the war, "Lucky Strike Green - Gone to War." Lucas claims that "the servicemen could always get you cigarettes." Lucas dated a sailor who brought her cigarettes during the war.

According to Maragaret McAdoo's experience while on Dickinson as recorded on her interview, she observed that there always seem to be 200 more men than women on the Dickinson campus. She further elaborated by stating that a quota was implemented that the male female ratio could not be more than 3 to 1. Thus, out of a total enrollment of 600, women only made up 150 out of the total student body population. This trend, she said, continued even as the Second World War persisted.

As explained by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, due to the College's lack of a widespread social ambiance fellow Dickinsonians had to rely on the Fraternities and Sororities on campus to hold social events for their entertainment. At the time women joined sororities just for the simple reason that there was nothing else to do. According to Margaret McAdoo "there were no parties... So it was...just left up to the group of fraternities and sororities"

The "New Gym", as it was referred to at that time, was the locale of which all soon to be graduating women of Dickinson rushed to, weeks before graduation in order to complete their physical education requirement. As reminisced by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, this regulation implemented by the college required that all women learn how to swim in order to graduate. (Ironically it is important to note that Dickinson did not have a womens swim team at the time).

As explained by Margaret McAdoo in her interwview, Josephine Brunyate Meredith also known as "Dean Meredith", was Dean of Women from 1919 - 1948. She goes on to describe that due to  her ominous presence, partly as a result of her somber appearence, Dean Meridith was regarded as being "very, very strict" when it came to dating, (Margaret McAdoo stated that Dean Meredith suggested that girls should always carry with them a newspaper of some sort of stacked paper just it case the girls needed to sit on a boys lap), school dances, as well as womens everyday wear.

In her interview, Margaret McAdoo explained that Metzger Hall, located six blocks away from the main campus, housed all the women of Dickinson College. Situated on North Hannover St., she stated that it offered its female residents dinning services, exercising facilities as well as one of their only sources of entertainment.For females on the Dickinson campus Metzger Hall was the only place they could and ever lived in.

Mary Snyder Hertzler describes social and dating life at Dickinson during World War II in an interview. Women could not wear slacks during that period. Mary VanAuken was the only exception as she took flying lessons. During the winter, women wore heavy socks to stay warm as they walked from Metzger Hall, located off-campus, to their classes. Men lived on campus. Hertzler, her beau, and two other couples were once caught by Dean Josephine Brunyate Meredith at Snyder's Drug Store in Mount Holly.

Marguerite W. Gale (Class of 1943) reflects on changes in the status of women and in her life during World War II in a 1990 interview. Due to the absence of men, Gale coached a boys' basketball team. When the war began, she and her husband, Bill, were pinned. Bill left for the service and did not return until 1946, which postponed their marriage.

Kathryn Thomas Daugherty (Class of 1946) describes her experience as a commuter student in an interview. She chose to complete two years of study at the college before taking courses in Harrisburg to become a medical technician. Although she had planned to become a doctor, finances prevented this course of action. In order to pay for school, she worked in the library as an assistant to the librarian, shelving books and helping library users. In order to commute to Dickinson from Harrisburg everyday, she and three or four other students paid a Dickinson professor to drive them to school.

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.