McAdoo, Margaret

According to Maragaret McAdoo's experience while on Dickinson as recorded on her interview, she observed that there always seem to be 200 more men than women on the Dickinson campus. She further elaborated by stating that a quota was implemented that the male female ratio could not be more than 3 to 1. Thus, out of a total enrollment of 600, women only made up 150 out of the total student body population. This trend, she said, continued even as the Second World War persisted.

As explained by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, due to the College's lack of a widespread social ambiance fellow Dickinsonians had to rely on the Fraternities and Sororities on campus to hold social events for their entertainment. At the time women joined sororities just for the simple reason that there was nothing else to do. According to Margaret McAdoo "there were no parties... So it was...just left up to the group of fraternities and sororities"

The "New Gym", as it was referred to at that time, was the locale of which all soon to be graduating women of Dickinson rushed to, weeks before graduation in order to complete their physical education requirement. As reminisced by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, this regulation implemented by the college required that all women learn how to swim in order to graduate. (Ironically it is important to note that Dickinson did not have a womens swim team at the time).

As explained by Margaret McAdoo in her interwview, Josephine Brunyate Meredith also known as "Dean Meredith", was Dean of Women from 1919 - 1948. She goes on to describe that due to  her ominous presence, partly as a result of her somber appearence, Dean Meridith was regarded as being "very, very strict" when it came to dating, (Margaret McAdoo stated that Dean Meredith suggested that girls should always carry with them a newspaper of some sort of stacked paper just it case the girls needed to sit on a boys lap), school dances, as well as womens everyday wear.

In her interview, Margaret McAdoo explained that Metzger Hall, located six blocks away from the main campus, housed all the women of Dickinson College. Situated on North Hannover St., she stated that it offered its female residents dinning services, exercising facilities as well as one of their only sources of entertainment.For females on the Dickinson campus Metzger Hall was the only place they could and ever lived in.