#TBT in the Archives 9/10/15

On Tuesday, we asked our Facebook followers if they knew when Ship began to undergo massive expansion in order to keep up with increasing student enrollment--and why. By the early 1960s the Baby Boomer generation began entering colleges and universities and this was one factor that contributed to the dramatic increase in enrollment. Here at Ship, the 1964-1965 academic year topped 2150 students with a 19% increase the following school year (2600 students).

On January 8, 1964, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for three new buildings--Reisner Dining Hall, and Naugle and Harley Halls. In the fall of that year Lackhove, Harley, and Kieffer Halls opened for the influx of first year students, with Naugle and Reisner opening in fall 1965.

Lackhove Hall under construction, 1963

Lackhove Hall after competion

Naugle Hall under construction, circa 1964-1965

Naugle Hall after completion

A campus utility plant was also built in 1964 and construction began in 1966 on the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, which was opened in 1968. Student and faculty volunteers helped transport books from the old library to the new in what was known as Shippensburg's "Book Walk," which you can read about here.

1968 Book Walk after completion of Ezra Lehman Memorial Library

Female students walking out of Kieffer Hall, circa 1964

Aside from the first of the Baby Boomers reaching adulthood, many other factors such as changing social norms, the Women's movement, and the Civil Rights movement contributed to an increase in college enrollment across the country. More women began to aspire to hold professional positions and entered into colleges and universities to earn the necessary degrees for employment. The first year student population for the 1965-1966 school year was 52% women and 48% men. Kieffer was a new residence hall built to house Ship's increasing female student population. Campuses also became more racially diverse during this time as more minority students enrolled in colleges across the nation after the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Ship's campus today continues to keep up with the demands for modern residence halls to meet the needs of 21st century students.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.


Secondary Sources Consulted:
Brock, Thomas. "Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success." The Future of Children 20, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 109-132.