schella's blog

The author of this sonnet decided to dedicate it to the female students at Dickinson. Instead of praising their intelligence or hard-work in this sonnet, rather he decides to praise their physical attributes. He comments upon their "fairer brows" and "enchanting movements" rather than their accomplishments as students.

The Y. W. C. A. was founded in 1895, and after two years of running, the organization is still going strong. To keep this organization afloat, they have sent their delegates to State Conventions and attend regular meetings with the Y. M. C. A. of the College. At this point, the membership was still increasing and it was generally felt that it "insures a pleasantness" the college life.

Around the time that the Harman Literary Society was being created at the college, the Preparatory School also formed their own literary society. The society, named Sigma Epsilon Literary Society, included all female students. The officers were President M. Lou Sheets, Vice-President Ruth D. Barrett, Secretary Emma S. Liggett, Treasurer Mary C. Gerber, and Critic E. Maud Soper. The other members include Emma Frances Reeme, Mary C. Love, Helen Whiting, Emma F. Leidigh, Gertrude L. Super, Edith M. Super, and Dora M. Bell.

The Harman Literary Society was first conceptualized on October 21, 1896 by the ladies of Dickinson College. The female students first met in Denny Hall for the purpose of organizing a literary society and were allowed to make a temporary one. The society is named after Dr. Henry Harman, a professor of Greek and Hebrew who was also a member of the Class of 1848. Dr. Harman was known as a staunch opponent of coeducation, but the Professor did give his approval for use of his name. On November 11, 1896 the committee was formed and their constitution formally adopted.

The 1897 Microcosm shows that even more women are being initiated in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Based on their scholarly merits, Mary L. Billings, Mary A. Wilcox, and Anna E. Isenberg were inducted into the society.

The 1897 Microcosm displays another women's sorority on campus, Gamma Zeta. It was a local sorority founded in 1896 and this is the only time it appears in Dickinson College's records. Its members are as follows: Anna M. Geiger and Helen R. Horn from the class of 1897, Marie E. Lloyd from the class of 1898, Bertha Clough and Lucia C. Hargis from the class of 1899, and finally Jessie W. Hargis from the class of 1900.

In the History of the Sophomore Class of 1899, they mention their fellow female students as adding a certain quality to the class. The class of '99 felt that theirs would be the class to surpass "all previous ones in number, strength and manliness." Remembering the "co-eds," they then realized that they should "change that quality to womanliness." The writer remarks that about one-third of the sophomore class is comprised of women and they had even "taken possession" of the class.

The 1896 Microcosm tried to predict what the future would be like in 1921, even though these predictions are not without some teasing of the co-eds. Among the "advancements of the college during the past year" apparently the female students will have outnumbered the male students. The essay pokes further fun at the females by declaring, "Who would have dreamed of this twenty-five years ago?

In the 1896 Microcosm, a student writes a poem about what is the Dickinson co-ed. This poem pokes fun at the women who study at Dickinson, and about how much they study. The author teases that the co-eds are well-versed in about every single type of subject imaginable, and yet those subjects are only a taste of everything they study at Dickinson.

In the 1896 Microcosm two women from the class of 1895 were initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Emma V. Harry and Amy Fisher were two of the first women initiated in this fraternity based on overall academic excellence. Membership to this fraternity was determined by the resident members of the chapter.

In 1896 the first Y.W.C.A. was formed in Carlisle in addition to the Y.M.C.A. Mary S. Dunn, the State Secretary of the Y.W.C.A., visited Carlisle in 1895 and began organizing the association. The Y.W.C.A. included in its membership all the ladies of the college and preparatory school, as well as some of the alumnae. Ladies from the school that were chosen to run it were Mary Thompson as president, Frances Logan as Vice-President, Anna Isenberg as Corresponding Secretary, Grace Vale as Treasurer, and Helen R. Horn as Recording Secretary.

Amy Fisher, an 1895 graduate of Dickinson College, was the first woman to teach at the Preparatory School. In 1896 she is included in the Preparatory School faculty, noted as "In Charge of Study Hall". While teaching at the school, she was also earning her Master of Arts degree in 1897. After obtaining her degree, she became the assistant principal of a high school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania until 1904. She resumed her employment at Dickinson College in 1932 as curator of the Dickinsoniana collection.

Emma V. Harry writes a memorium in honor of another sister of hers, Lydia Celestia Harry, who died May 2, 1895 in Carlisle. She had entered Dickinson's preparatory school in 1893 and would have graduated with the class of 1897. Angella Harry was another sister of Emma Harry who had died in 1893 at Carlisle.

    On one of the first pages of the 1896 Microcosm is a picture of the Ladies' Hall, located somewhere on West Pomfret Street in Carlisle. It was purchased by President George E. Reed on May 16, 1893 for $5,000 from Samuel M. Hepburn . Originally it was used to house a local fraternity, Alpha Zeta Phi, but then in 1895 it was turned into a residence for women. The building was called "Ladies' Hall" until February 7, 1905, when it was renamed in honor of John Zacharias Lloyd. He was a recently deceased Methodist clergyman and trustee who bequeathed $10,000 to the College.

Writers in the 1895 Microcosm make fun of various students in a humorous section titled "Appropriate Gift Books". In this section they "recommend" certain book titles appropriate to each person. Two female students are included in this jesting, a Miss Root, who was recommended to be gifted 'Little Women' and a Miss Horn, who was recommended 'Between Two Loves'. Some of the other book titles given to the male students poke fun at women and relationships.

The men of the class of 1898 humorously lament in their class history about the lack of co-eds. The Microcosm states that the men were worried greatly because "'98 had no co-eds. The mere thought was at first unbearable." The male students continue on their lament of co-eds that "what would a class do without any of the dear ones to keep order in class meetings, fill the undesirable offices, soften the hearts of the Profs. by those bewitching smiles of which only Dickinson co-eds are capable or guilty (which ?), and the various other trifles which only the girls can do."

In the 1896 class history there is an included section to remember some of their fellow classmates, including a few women. The loss of Angella E. Harry is mentioned right away. They speak kindly of her presence on campus stating that "she still abides in our memories as a true lady and a model student. Her worth while among us could not but impress us all." Then they also mention two female students gone on to other colleges. The section states that an "A. R.

A picture of the junior class of 1896 is shown in the 1895 Microcosm. In the photograph it includes the images of the five women of the class, Mary L. Billings, Anna E. Isenberg, Frances C. Logan, Mary Thompson and Mary Wilcox. Under the class officers, Mary Thompson is listed as being the class poetess. There is also a section included in the Microcosm that lists some fun facts about the junior class. For Mary Billings it lists that she is only 16, her favorite pastime is rowing and that in the future she wants to become a teacher.

The Class of 1896 writes in their class history about the death of their fellow female classmate, Angella E. Harry. The classmates kindly remember Angella as "one of our brightest and most faithful members...her quiet enthusiasm and love of learning were shown in her persistent efforts to do her work in spite of physical weakness and depressing influences."

The graduating class of 1895 included a picture alongside the usual class history page. This picture includes the images of the five women of the class who are Emma V. Harry, Lulu F. Allabach, Elizabeth Root, Amy Fisher, and Margaret A. Line. As class officers, Elizabeth T. Root was the secretary, Lulu F. Allabach was the treasurer and Emma V. Harry was the class poet.

A year after the death of Emma V. Harry's sister, Angela Harry, she writes a poem about her sister in the Microcosm. Titled "The Vale of Rest", Emma describes the place "where our fair Angella sleeps" as well as her speculations on what heaven must be like. This is also the second poem Emma has printed in the 1894 Microcosm.

Emma V. Harry was one of the first women to have their literary works printed in the Microcosm. Her poem, "The Old College Bell", is printed amongst fellow male classmates' works.

In the 1894 Microcosm, the class of 1895 shares its experiences from the year, including co-education. The page states from the perspective of the male students that, "conscious of the strength of our thirty-five stalwart men, toned by the graces of our five co-eds, we determined to live according to our own ideals and the edicts of the Faculty." This brief statement showed that the women's presence at the college influenced some of the behavior of the male students in a positive way.

In the 1894 Microcosm, more women are listed as being apart of the Microcosm staff. Emma V. Harry is listed as an Assistant Editor and Elizabeth Root is listed as an Assistant Manager. Both women are from the junior class of 1895.

The Class of 1894 in the 1894 Microcosm wrote about their history. This included a paragraph on the women who attend Dickinson College. It states, "Our especial pride is in the loveliness of our ladies, not only of '94, but of Carlisle as well." The paragraph also discussed the appeal of female classmates that if "the young men of our Class do not fall in love with them, they will be a dishonor to their sex and to the grand old College which they represent."

"To Whom It May Concern" is a poem written in the 1892 Microcosm about co-ed romance. The poem talks about a male student who has reformed all his devious ways for his "darling Archibald," a Sophomore. The poem concludes that the girl he is in love with is a co-ed, and that their romance is unknown to their parents.  

The 1892 Microcosm was the first yearbook to show class pictures of the 1893 students, which included female classmates. The women shown are Eurania Ruth Mapes, Laura Spenser, and Mary Ann Humrich. It also documents that Laura Spenser was the class Vice-President.

The first mention of a sorority is documented in the 1893 Microcosm amidst the pages of fraternities. All that is stated is the initials A.H.L. as well as their colors, gold and lavender. The members include Mary A. Humrich, Eurania R. Mapes, Margaret A. B. Line, Elizabeth Root, Charlotte B. Gardner, and Margaret S. Maxwell. No further explanation is given about the chapter and it is never mentioned again in any subsequent yearbooks.

Written in the 1893 Microcosm is a memorium to Angela E. Harry, who would have graduated in 1896. The poem inserted was written by her sister, Emma V. Harry, who also attended Dickinson College and was in the class of 1895. Further documentation states that Angela died in Carlisle, but the cause of her death is not documented. Her death was also unmentioned in a following account of the class of 1896's events that year.

The 1893 Microcosm was the first one to display advertisements of colleges for women.There are two colleges being advertised, both Irving College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.