This week we would like to explore the history of women's social organizations on campus as women's groups played a vital role in fostering students' academic and social lives. The photograph above depicts the Women's Day Council from the 1931 Cumberland yearbook. This group addressed the concerns of women who commuted to campus. Other groups that operated on campus during this time period were the Women's Student Government Association and WYCA. While other women's organizations existed on campus that encompassed the interests of athletes, professionals, and intellectuals, these groups in particular were responsible for developing and maintaining the social character that was expected of women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Throughout the early part of the twentieth century, the roles and expectations of female students in higher education were based upon Victorian ideals that viewed women as less capable than men. Even as more women entered the work force, many of them worked in fields that reinforced societal gender expectations such as teaching. With the emergence of the feminist movement in the 1960s, this started to change. Stay tuned for the next post to find out about the transformations that occurred locally here at Shippensburg and on a national level as well.
Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Visit Archives & Special Collections during our open research hours, or contact us via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.
