Marriage

In her 1979 Women as Leaders Survey sent out by Dickinson College, a graduate of 1923 remembers her days at Dickinson. When asked about the issues of the day, the alum remembers, "our topic of debate was the Equal Rights Amendment."

She goes on to recall the anger at there being two senates: a women's and a school senate run by men. To protest the issue, a group of women attended the men's senate.

In her 1909 essay "The Education of Woman in America", S. Margaret Gruber traced the history of women's education and argued that women's higher education was essential. She began her essay by discussing the history of women's education from "household drudgery" to women's higher education. She argued that women's higher education did not impare women's health but made them more vigorous. Moreover, she asserted that women who attended institutions of higher education did still marry and bear children.

In his essay "Is Woman Suffrage Necessary or Conducive to Good Government?," Edward B. Burkey argued against women's suffrage.

In his essay "American Motherhood," Samuel W. MacDowell argued that motherhood is one of the most important position a woman can hold. He contended that it was through motherhood, not the vote, that women were able to assert their influence within American society. He referenced Washington's, Adams', Lincoln's and McKinley's mothers to illustrate his point.

In her essay "The Educated Woman in Domestic Life," Carolyn Baer Eppley argued that women must be college educated so as to better fulfill their roles as wives, mothers, and citizens. She contended that women need to be educated in order to better instruct their children, encourage their husband's thinking, contribute to society, and maintain strong relationships with their spouses.

In a previous letter dated April 7, 1922, Eleanore Robinson, a reporter from Chicago, wrote President Morgan in reference to the marriage and divorce rates of female Dickinson Graduates. Robinson argued that college-educated women make better wives and mothers than women who do not attend college. On April 13, 1922, President Morgan responded to Robinson's letter. He agreed that educated women make better wives and mothers.

In a letter dated April 7, 1922, Eleanor Robinson (Illinois Women's Press Association) wrote to President James H. Morgan in reference to the marriage and divorce rates of female graduates of Dickinson College. Robinson explained that she knew many college women who were married and did not know a single college woman who was a divorcee. She argued, "Judging then from my own acquaintance, it seems to me that college women make more successful wives and mothers than less educated women."She then went on to explain her argument.

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.

The November 1891 Dickinsonian declares in its pages about the prospective wedding of Zatae Longsdorff. She is to be married to a Dr. A Gale Straw on the fourteenth of November, 1891. Zatae's maids of honor were Lenora Whiting (Class of 1891) and Jessica Longsdorff (Class of 1891), her sister. The Dickinsonian "sends congratulations and well wishes after the happy couple."

A section of the 1907 Microcosm included cartoons of various organizations and the types of fictitious contests they would be involved with. One window of the cartoon depicts the Harman Literary Society in a heated debate over the question of "Is Marriage a Failure."