According to the 1899 Microcosm, Sara Marvel is the first woman to attend the Dickinson School of Law. She not only attended the law school, but also served as the Junior Class secretary.
The 1899 Microcosm included a poem dedicated to "our co-eds." This poem pokes fun at how the female students have changed the atmosphere at Dickinson, as well as the male students themselves. The poet remarked that the female students came to Dickinson "like the star of Hope...to our legal prison, with their bright and winsome ways." The poem goes on to further praise the co-eds, saying to "let us toast them, swearing ever that, till life for each one ends...shall you want warm-hearted friends."
By 1899, the Harman Literary Society for women had doubled in size. In 1898 there were only 9 women who were apart of the society. By 1899 though, the organization now had 18 women involved.
The 1899 Microcosm showed the first mention of the Phi Alpha Pi Fraternity of female students. Phi Alpha Pi was a local fraternity created in 1898 and consisted of 10 female students. This chapter at Dickinson lasted briefly because it then "died a natural death from want of support." Until 1903, the Phi Alpha Pi remained a local organization when Pi Beta Phi, a national sorority, then absorbed it.
"The Dickinson Dorcas Society" was featured in the 1898 Microcosm that made fun of some of the female students. It included 14 female "members" along with an interpretation of their names, what they are famous for, what committees they are apart of and what their "good work" was. Each category is a satire on the individual, poking fun at their traits, both positives and negatives.
The 1898 Microcosm included a brief history of the women's Harman Literary Society, as well as a list of its active members. Since its creation in October of 1896, the Harman Literary Society showed activity and creativity on campus. Along with the Belles Lettres and the Union Philosophical Societies, the Harman Literary Society participated with them to put on a program in celebration of Washington's birthday.
In the history of the sophomore class in 1898, the historian decided to comment upon the female sophomores. The historian noted that the number of female students had gone down since freshman year, but the "quality of the goods is still away above par." It is further commented upon that the Dickinson College female students are so great that they never faint from dissecting frogs or "never even budge when a mouse gets astray in the classroom." From Microcosms past, these class histories are now writing more about their female "co-ed" students than ever before.
The history of the senior class of 1898 in the Microcosm discussed a social event thrown by the female students at Dickinson. On October 12, 1897 these females students provided an "evening of intense social enjoyment" in their dormitory. All sorts of entertainments ensued, and that the "music was in abundance". It was also noted that the "girls were at their best that night," and that the College President's wife and other notable townspeople graced the event with their prescence.
The 1890 Microcosm shows that there were two woman on the editorial staff of the Microcosm. Both Jessica Longsdorff and Elizabeth Low served as editors for the yearbook.
For the past few years, the Microcosm had published a section with bogus definitions of various words or phrases from the college life. This time they decided to define the word, "co-ed." In the Microcosm they defined a "co-ed" as a "female student at college, so called because most of her beauty is artificial." This statement, of course, would have caused quite a stir on campus, so a side note is included. The "N.B." affirms that, "this meaning has become obsolete since the present ladies have entered college."