Women's suffrage

The activities and speeches during the 1888 Commencement week at Dickinson College were recording in the 1888 July issue of the Dickinsonian. On Thursday of that week, there was a speech given on "Some Questions for the Twentieth Century." Among these questions, the speaker comments briefly on women in the future. He states that in the Twentieth Century "woman will have more voice in great questions than now."

The July 1888 Dickinsonian discusses the occurrences and speeches given at the 105th commencement of the senior class. One of the speeches includes humorous and bogus gifts for each of the members of the senior class. For the women, such as Hildegarde Longsdorff, she would receive the gift of a ballot box for her "strong opinions on Woman's Suffrage." Another female classmate, Elizabeth Bender, would receive a marriage certificate because of what is in store for her future.

Alice Kronenberg is featured in the April 1888 Dickinsonian as discussing the benefits of women's suffrage. She speaks out against the evils of gossip, blaming women's inability to participate in politics for the reason why she participates in gossip. If she was engaging in politics, her mind would be "occupied with the weighty affairs of state [and] would further elevate her race." She hopes that once the positive results from allowing women into politics is realized, they will "move the passage of a woman's suffrage bill without delay."

In the senior class history in the 1911 Microcosm, there is a short paragraph written on the fear amongst the college that their women would turn into suffragettes. From this fear, the college held a meeting only for the females about their decision. A joint meeting was then held and "negotiations [were] entered into, and a treaty formed."

"The Night Before Prayer Day" is a humorous poem about the women's decision not to have male escorts to the Prayer Day event, causing quite an uproar on campus. In support of the Women's Suffrage Movement, the co-eds of the class of 1910 decided to escort themselves to Prayer Day, which is scandalous to not be escorted to the church by a male. The male students were trying to force the women to be escorted by them, but instead the women declared that, "We'll leave for the church at half-past ten, but walk with those brutes? O, never again!"

"Lest We Forget, the Suffragette" is a satirical piece written for the Microcosm about the Women's Suffrage Movement. The piece begins with all of the women are trying to decide which man they will use as an escort for Prayer Day. After much deliberation and defeat, the women then resolve to go to the Prayer Day event together, leaving the men to go alone.

In an editorial piece dated February 26, 1965, Joann Hansen expresses her concern witht he state of the women's powder room in Denny Hall. According to Hansen, the room is poorly lit, cold, the pipes dripp, and the women could hear rats crawling in the walls. Moroever, Hansen asserted that males often visit the powder room which does not allow the women a sense of privacy. Thus, Hansen argues that like the rest of Denny, the women's powder room should also be remodeled.

Netta May Hoffman Hakes, class of 1900, passed away on Sunday July 29 at St. Vincent's Hospital, where she resided after an operation. Hoffman Hakes had been an active woman throughout her life. After graduation she became an active member of Dickinson Alumnae Club and the Pi Beta Phi Alumanae Club in New York. An active suffrage movement worker, she later canvassed for Liberty Bonds and other forms of work to aid the World War cause.

Her burial took place on August 2, 1923 at Cherry Hilly in Maryland.