World War II

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.

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."

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. 

According to Sara Andrews as explained in her interview, the Metzger Hall council was the established governing body for Metzger House. The council met on a regular basis as a means to address and simultaenously try to resolve any complaints presented by the student body. Dean Meredith often times reached the council in order to receive feedback or help in implementing disciplinatory regulations.

The 1946-1947 Microcosm presented Dickinson's Campus Queens for the academic year. Milton Caniff chose the Campus Queens and signed his photograph, included in the feature, "for the 1947 Microcosm with my very best wishes." Campus beauties included: Mary Elizabeth Derr, Ann Elizabeth Thompson, Sarah Jean Frew, Virginia Rickenbach, and Mary Jean Reynolds.

The 1946-1947 Microcosm bids farewell to Dean Josephine B. Meredith, who served the college as dean of women for 25 years. The Microcosm cites her "philosophy and indefatigable sense of humor, together with her wisdom about youth and its trials" as what made her well-suited to giving female students advice. In this Microcosm, Dean Helen B.

The 1945 Microcosm presented Dickinson's "Varga Girls" in its features section. A photograph of Varga himself, signed "Best Wishes to Microcosm," indicates that the artist selected Dickinson's "Varga Girls." These women included: Ann Gates, Barbara Mulford, Dorothy Nagle, Alma Anderson, and Marion Clowes.

The 1945 Microcosm lists the editor-in-chief of the Dickinsonian as Nancy Person. Similar to 1944, the staff was dominated by female students in 1945 as the World War II continued to place strains on human resources at the college. Marjorie M. Arnold was the Business Manager for 1945.

The 1943 Microcosm added pictures of co-eds in the "Features" section. These women, selected by the Officers of the 32nd College Training Detachment of the Army Air Forces, included: Elizabeth Black, Charlotte Stopford, Barbara Mulford, Lucille Sweet, and Jean Carson.

The features of the 1944 Microcosm presents Dickinson's "Pin-up Girls": students selected the ten "most attractive" females from Dickinson and sent their photographs to a judge in order to determine the top five. For 1944, the top five women selected were: Edith Ann Lingle, Barbara Mulford, Wilma Barkalow, Lucille Sweet, and Ann Gates.