1920-1929

Dean Meredith writes to the Parents of Women Day Students about some suggestions for their daughter's benefit, as well as some strictly enforced regulations. She proclaims that during the first six weeks of college, "no freshman woman...is allowed to attend social functions in Carlisle and thereafter only when her work is of passing grade" If a woman is to attend a social function, it must be approved by the Dean of Women, Dean Meredith and be chaperoned by college chaperons.

An unsigned letter, dated February 18, 1920, to Dean Meredith comments on her communication with Dean Filler about the decision to allow, or not, the female students to go to the public dance. The unnamed writer criticizes Dean Meredith on her decision to possibly allow the ladies to go on the fact that the girls had in the past been allowed to go to such dances.

A letter between the Dean of Women, Josephine Meredith, and Dean Filler discusses the allowance, or denial, of female students requesting to go to certain local dances. Gertrude Chrisman was noted as requesting to go to a dance in Harrisburg with a Mr. Duffy, but is to be denied by Dean Meredith because "no men in that Fraternity are regular callers at this house." Another dance that Dean Meredith makes mention of is Mrs. Parker's dance, where about eighteen of the female students were invited.

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).

The Dickinsonian staff reprinted an article from February 25, 1922 in honor of the college's 90th anniversary. Entitled "Women Debaters Get Briefs Torn in 'Sweat Box'," this article explains that women on the debate team did not "hold themselves above using methods employed by the opposite sex when it comes to winning honor for Dickinson." They adopted the "sweat box" method of the men's debate team in order to prepare for competition and have withstood gulling at the hands of faculty coaches.

An article in The Dickinsonian's celebration of the college's 90th anniversary described the "Species Dickinsonienses" as presented in the October 1, 1920 issue of the newspaper. Writes the author, "Those students having skirts, wavy hair, and an athletic stride are co-eds."

A reprinted article from February 11, 1922 in The Dickinsonian's celebration of the college's 90th anniversary described the "love code" of galoshes, saying that many women at the college indicated their stages of "fastenedness" or "unfastenedness" based upon the number of buckles they left open or closed.

No buckles open = married

One buckle open = I am not looking for a sweetheart

Two buckles open = Engaged to be married

Three buckles open = Not engaged to be married

Four buckles open = Have a sweetheart, but not engaged

An article from October 25, 1928, reprinted in The Dickinsonian's celebration of the college's 90th anniversary, claims that two freshman co-eds were found "almost perfect." Otherwise, physical examinations revealed that the rest of the freshmen women had more than two defects. These defects included being overweight or underweight, having round shoulders or falt feet, "showing" head forward, or having lateral curvature of the spine.

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.