Meredith, Josephine B.

The introductory part of her report is entitled "Historical." In it she briefly accounts for the reasons women had not been admitted into Dickinson College up until 1884 and outlines the various developments that arose from that year on. Developments addressed include: additions to faculty and trends in enrollment.

Trustees deemed admission of women prior to 1884 inadvisable due to the saturation of recitation rooms, but co-education for Dickinson had been discussed for some time before housing conditions allowed women to
be admitted.

After three years of being dormant, the Harman Literary Society was revived once again in the 1900s. In the Harman Literary Society Minutes, it documents the beginning of the society again in September 1900. The minutes list Josephine Brunyate (Meredith) as being the President of the organization, Ethelyn Hardesty as Vice-President, Helen Schaeffer as Secretary and Georgia Cranston as Treasurer. The society decided to meet every week at ten o'clock on a Saturday morning in Denny Hall.

This dinner program honors Miss May Morris in Morgan Hall on November 2, 1956, the year of her returement. Born in June 29, 1886, May Morris, Class of 1909, became Dickinson College's librarian in 1927 and revitalized its collection, budget, and general organization. She received her Ph. B. from Dickinson and a degree from the Pratt Institute of Library Science in Brooklyn, NY. When Miss Morris became Dickinson's librarian, there was only one librarian, one assistant, 52,000 volumes and a budget of $6,050.

This card was created for women who needed or wished to leave campus for a certain period of time. It required information about the trip: the day and hour of departure and arrival back on campus, whom was to be visited, how the student would be traveling, and a disclaimer and signature signed by her parents agreeing that should an accident take place, the College would not be held accountable once the student left campus. Dean Meredith collected and approved these notices.

The February 18, 1924 minutes for the Women's Senate documents the case of a female student brought before the senate to be reprimanded. The student in question was reprimanded by the President for "improper dancing at the last Kappa Sigma dance." Dean of Women, Josephine Meredith, was consulted about the proper punishment for the student's improper behavior. The Women's Senate "expressed themselves as against any improper dancing among Dickinson girls." Any punishments for the student's behavior were not mentioned in the minutes from this meeting.

Compiled by the Dean of Women, Josephine Meredith, the Physical Director of the Y.W.C.A, Catharine Shaefer, and the Chairman of the Health Education Committee of the Y.W.C.A, Kathryn Riley. this pamphlet gives advice regarding the "Five Enemies of Health"- "Constipation, Colds, Cramps, Indigestion, and Worry" along with their causes and treatment.

A small pamphlet compiled by Dean Meredith, the Dean of Women, contains prayers and Biblical selections for: "My Neighborly Duty," "The Right Use of Time," "Loyalty," "Essential Beliefs," Profitable Troubles," "Self Discipline," "Prayer," "Enduring Happiness," and "Good Health as a Duty." Miss Margaret Eslinger  kept this little book to remember her membership in the Young Women's Christian Association.

On November 7, 1921 the minutes for the Women's Student Senate were documented and the idea of a joint Senate was brought forth. Margaret Eslinger was appointed the chairman of a committee that would talk to President Morgan about joining the women's Student Senate with the men's. No conclusion to the joint senate idea was mentioned in these minutes.

On April 4th, 1921, a special meeting was called for the resignation of the president of the Student Senate and was documented in the Women's Student Senate minutes. At this special meeting, the Dean of Women, Josephine Meredith, attended and explained that "certain matters of discipline [were] under consideration" for the president of the Student Senate. The president of the Student Senate's resignation letter was read at the meeting in order to make the resignation finalized.

Because of a recent tragic death of a female student at a nearby college, Dean Meredith and the College crack down on the rules regarding the female students' travel plans. Women are now required to get an "Absence from Metzger" card every time the student wishes to go on a trip overnight or late at night. This card supplies information both to the college and at home of where the student will be staying, with whom, who will be driving and when they will return.