Josephine Brunyate who graduated from Dickinson with the class of 1901 later became Josephine B. Meredith, Dean of Women of the College.
At the time this issue of the Dickinson Alumnus was released, Dean Meredith planned to spend the summer of 1927 in Europe. She hoped to sail after the 144th Commencement.
President William W. Edel's annual report to the college recommended the retirement of Josephine Brunyate Meredith and her election as Professor Emerita of English. In response to her retirement and others, the college filled the vacancies with part-time instructors.
President Corson recommended to the Board of Trustees that the college give Josephine Brunyate Meredith "the honor of being the first woman elected to a full professorship at Dickinson College" in the English Department. Meredith had served as Dean of Women and an Associate Professor of English since 1922. The president added that offering the dean this position would not entail raising her salary or giving her a permament appointment as the head of this department.
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.
In a memo on smoking, Dean J.B Meredith states the regulations on smoking for female students. Stating, "smoking by female students on the premises of Dickinson College is stricly forbidden" and "any students found smoking in dormitory rooms will be indefinitely suspended." This was authorized by President Corson of Dickinson College. In a handwritten note added to the document later Dean Meredith notes that smoking rooms were arranged in residence halls starting the fall of 1944.
This document, provided by Dean Josephine Meredith, details the regulations for "automobiling." Regulations were implemented for daytime riding, evening riding, driving to distant places, and finally on maintaining vehicles at Dickinson. Female students were allowed to travel without securing permission during the day, as long as there were a minimum of two female students, and during the evening (as long as it was within city limits). Special permission was needed from the Dean of Women if female students were traveling long distances during the day.
The Harrisburg Dickinson Alumnae Association held its annual banquet at the Penn-Harris Hotel on February 4, 1926. The alumnae committee in charge included Lillian Kell (class of 1919), Mrs. W. A. McCune ( member of the class of 1912 who did not graduate), Roxanna Garman (class of 1920), and Dorothy Buch (member of the class of 1924 who did not graduate).
The alumnae committee hosted Mrs. J. H. Morgan, Dean Josephine B. Meredith, Miss Hazel Bullock (college faculty) and Elva R. Lippi (class of 1918) as speakers and guests of honor at their annual banquet.
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.
Interviewed by the staff of the Dickinsonian, Dean Josephine B. Meredith is quoted as saying that she liked "teaching students who provide me with such a unique response." According to the article, the dean could not analyze the reason for the students' responsiveness. She congratulated the newly-formed Chapel Committee on its chapel programs. She advised the men to organize their own student senate separate from the women's student senate. The dean's interviewer also asked whether or not she would do anything about the "eleven o' clock rule at Metzger," or the women's curfew.
Miriam Riley Weimer (Class of 1940) recalls in an interview that she knew only one student who was thrown out of school: Bes Jones. Weimer calls her "a rebel in her time" who was caught sneaking out of Metzger Hall on multiple occasions. Dean of Women Josephine Brunyate Meredith threw her out of the college. According to Weimer, Jones became a librarian, presumably having finished her education.