Metzger Hall

This candid shot of women singing at Metzger Hall was taken in September of 1950. The women in this photograph are as follows, from left to right, Jean McAnally (Class of 1954), Rebecca Simmons (Class of 1954), Ann Barnard (Class of 1954), Suzanne Ritter (Class of 1954), Barbara Winey (Class of 1954), Alice Hamer (Class of 54), Elizabeth Tivney (Class of 1954), Jean Rowe (Class of 1952), and Mary Shelley (Class of 1954).

Photograph of the 1923 Young Women's Christian Association on the Metzger Hall Porch. Featured in the photograph: Elizabeth DeMaris (Class of 1923), Louetta Green (Class of 1922), Erma Porteus (Class of 1926), Isabel Ward (Class of 1926), & Mary Elizabeth Chambers (Class of 1924).

In her "Women as Leaders" survey, a female member of the class of 1961 describes the living conditions for the women while she studied at Dickinson. She felt they were "excellent, with variety available." The women had meals served to them, along with tablecloths, proper "dressing" for meals, etc. She called mealtime "an oasis with close friends twice a day."

Dickinson College planned to replace Metzger Hall, former home of the co-eds, with the new women's dormitory at the start of the Fall quarter. The building could house 168 women and would have 77 double rooms, 8 single rooms, and two triples. The dormitory had a center core of bathrooms and laundry facilities; rooms were equipped with built-in desks and bulletin boards along the side wall.

Another reprinted article from November 12, 1936 in The Dickinsonian's celebration of the college's 90th anniversary discussed the need co-eds had for telephones. The author, rhetorically asking if his readers have ever tried to call a co-ed, says that anyone who has succeeded in doing so has "the makings of a genius or magician."

The Dickinsonian observed Dickinson's 90th Birthday by reprinting old pictures and articles, trying to capture the history of Dickinson as it related to the students of the '60s.

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.

According to Metzger Hall government document, women were punished with a Saturday afternoon campus (students were forced to remain in a room without callers from 1:30pm to 5pm) for violating quiet and study hours. Violations included, boisterousness, banging doors, whistling, washing, baths, hair drying, and ironing.

As the year of 1925-1926 came to an end, most of the women on the Co-Ed Varsity squad graduated. There were only two women left: Jessie Poticher and Leona Barkalow. Their positions in the team were forwards. The rest of the team for that year would consist mostly of underclasswomen.

Coach Jeanette R. Packard, Director of Physical Education for women at the College, remained positive about the season, for as many as 35 girls expressed interest and attended tryouts.