In a letter dated November 12, 1919, a Professor of Forestry at Penn State College (now Penn State University) wrote to Dean Josephine Meredith in reference to her letter regarding trees for the Women's Dorm. The Penn State College offered to donate the trees and deliver them in the spring.
In a letter dated November 4, 1919, President Morgan writes to Dean Meredith regarding the rules of conduct for women at Metzger Hall after viewing them in a copy of the yearbook. Morgan argues that the present system of self-governance among the women is most desireable. However, he is concernd that the rules in place are lax and "too loosely drawn." This is particularly evident in reference to the rules regarding Hall absences.
In a letter dated August 16, 1919, President Morgan urges Dean Meredith to come to campus as soon as she can. He writes that he hopes "that you can arrange to come to us pretty soon - not intendeing this to hurry you, but saying what I think you yourself also feel, that the sooner you can get here and in touch with the various elements of the situation, the better it will be." According to Morgan, there is much to do to prepare for her position.
In her letter to President Morgan dated August 12, 1919, Dean Meredith formally accepts the position of Dean of Women after being freed from her contract at the Woodbury School. She immediately begins to discuss the changes she hopes to make at Dickinson College as the new Dean of Women. Her plans include turning an old chapel into a gymnasium for women and turning a room into her office so she can watch the women come and go. She also discusses supplies for the women's dorm as well as the staff at Metzger Hall.
This pamphlet highlights the many rules governing Dickinson students regarding attendance, including special rules and penalties. Class could only be missed for chapel or medical necessities, either due to illness or prearranged for appointments. Demerits were received for skipped classes and being late, even for Physical Education classes. Every unexcused absense was worth 5 demerits, but that was doubled if it was the day before or following a holiday break.
The report of the Student Senate Committee on Social Rules to the Faculty Committee on Social Rules was published in The Dickinsonian. The report addresses social rules that pertained to drinking downstairs in fraternities while female students were upstairs, privacy (or, as the reported defined it, the the separation of two persons of the opposite sexes from others), and what other college policies were regarding visiting hours for women. The report listed rules at other colleges, including Swarthmore, Stanford, Reed, Oberlin, Yale, and Haverford.
An article in The Dickinsonian explained that construction on the new women's dormitory was ahead of schedule and was expected to be ready for the next year's class. Ground-breaking for the new dormitory took place on February 8, 1962, and the administration chalked up the early completion to good summer weather and the work of the construction company. The residence hall would have 125 rooms, suites for two house mothers, an air-conditioned recreation room, and a dining hall for 250 people. A federal loan and college funds would pay for the project.
According to an article in The Dickinsonian, Josephine B. Meredith will retire from Dickinson's faculty after serving the college for 29 years. The former dean had graduated from Dickinson in 1901, received a masters in English, and married Arthur Meredith. She became the dean of women of the college in 1919 and served as an English professor as well. Meredith's interests included knitting, chatting with friends, and studying John Wesley. She also travelled to England, Canada, and the European continent.
Josephine Brunyate who graduated from Dickinson with the class of 1901 later became Josephine B. Meredith, Dean of Women of the College.
At the time this issue of the Dickinson Alumnus was released, Dean Meredith planned to spend the summer of 1927 in Europe. She hoped to sail after the 144th Commencement.
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.