#TBT in the Archives 4/7/16: Dorm Rooms

Despite all the changes that take place at a university over the years, dorm rooms remain a constant! More than just a place to sleep, study, and socialize with friends, a dorm room serves as a student's home away from home. Read on to see how Ship students have decorated and used their dorm rooms over the last 50 years.

In the 1950s, dorms were segregated by gender. There were separate dorms for men and women, and there were strict regulations regarding access to the opposite gender's living spaces.

In these photos from 1951, students hang out in their dorm rooms and get ready for the day.

No matter the decade, studying can be exhausting. Perhaps what made studying in the 1960s most different from today was the lack of computers. However, students still personalized their dorm rooms by decorating their walls, and of course piling their desks with study materials.

Though the walls of this dorm room (from 1968) have Peanuts characters on them, the room looks like a dorm of today--dresser, desk, books, and posters!

This student, who was studying hard, shows what a dorm room's best function is--sleep!

In the 1970s, technology similar to what we would see in dorms today began to appear. Students had smaller TVs and different devices for playing back music. Their time would be spent reading and studying in their rooms. Their desks, like today, were rarely clean and quickly became overwhelmed with books, papers, and food.

Studying, 1976

A desk cluttered with books, food, and drinks, 1976

Students have always brought belongings to school which remind them of home and make them feel more comfortable in their dorm.

This student's room shows her books and trinkets from home! (1988)

Dorm rooms from a decade ago most closely resemble the dorms of today. But again, we see how quickly technology changes. Check out the large square computer monitor in the room pictured below.

A computer monitor adorns a student's desk alongside pictures of friends and family (2005)

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.