Longsdorff, Persis

In a letter to Dickinson College Historian Charles Coleman Sellers, Persis Longsdorff Sipple described the beginnings of coeducation. According to Persis, her father went to President McCauley and told him that he had "four daughters, who soon be ready to enter college somewhere. He finally prevailed upon him to make the decision to allow girls to be included in the student body." Thus, Persis and her sister Zatae entered the College in 1884.

Taken from the George Edward Reed scrapbook, this newspaper clipping announces the marriage of Zatae Longsdorff (Class of 1997) to A. Gale Straw of New Hampshire. They married at 105 West Louther St., Carlisle, PA, and all of the Dickinson faculty were present. The article goes on to describe the wedding party, dressed in blue with chrysanthemums as well as cream silk dresses for the bridesmaids. Zatae wore a white silk dress with a veil. The Dickinson College Glee Club provided entertainment at the reception.