Enrollment quota

The context of why this essay was written remains unknown; however, it provides an in-depth account of college life for women during the time Josephine Meredith was Dean of Women.
The introductory part of her essay is entitled "Historical." In it she briefly accounts for the reasons women had not been admitted into Dickinson College up until 1884 and outlines the various developments that arose from that year on. Developments addressed include: additions to faculty and trends in enrollment.

This Progress Reports includes changes and plans to change College policy regarding female students. Most notably is the mention of the 1973 Spring semester and the success of the movements to "rescind the 'sex quota,' by action of the Board of Trustees, so that henceforth Dickinson College will strive for an approximate ratio of 1:1 in admissions of male and female students; and to omit singing at College functions the last verse of the Alma Mater, with its references to 'men' and 'sons.'"

In a report to the Board of Trustees, President William W. Edel recommended the removal of the restrictions in existence at the college on the percentage of women students allowed to enroll. His report on faculty reductions suggests that college enrollment had declined significantly and that the college's finances were in danger. The Board of Trustees, however, approved the recommendation with the stipulation that the "present restrictions on the percentage of women students be removed for the present emergency" [emphasis added].

In response to President Prettyman's call for coeducation "in the true sense of the term," the Board of Trustees did not take any action. They considered the recommendation to change the ratio of male and female students but chose to do nothing because "action had already been taken sufficient to cover the case." The minutes do not explain to which action this statement refers.

President Cornelius William Prettyman argues in a letter to the Board of Trustees that Dickinson College should become "a coeducational college in the true sense of the term." He points out that 163 of the 253 students at the college were women and that, in the future, this number would only continue to grow. He adds that women "are entering college in ever greater numbers." Thus, he recommends that Dickinson College educate both male and female students in equal numbers and wishes to enforce a 50-50 ratio of female to male students.

On December 9, 1944, an Executive Committee meeting for the Board of Trustees voted to pass on President Boyd Lee Spahr's recommendations on the admission of women to Dickinson College to the entire Board of Trustees. They do not specify exactly which recommendation they adopted.

President Fred Pierce Corson reported to the Board of Trustees that the college would have a full enrollment of female students. However, he cautioned that increasing the number of women students would also increase costs for the college due to the need for new facilities and other additions. The college would lose money in the process unless it changed the quota policy for women. There is no indication in the minutes that this suggestion was accepted by the Board.

On June 4, 1923, the Board of Trustees discussed the number of applicants they received. As opposed to further limiting the number of women at Dickinson College, the Trustees decided to stick by their quota and instead limit the number of both men and women admitted to the school.

On June 4, 1923, Trustee Boyd Lee Spahr asked that the Board of Trustees return to the 1917 discussion on a quota on female students. He argued that the number of female students should be limited to 125 beginning in the 1924-25 school year. Disagreeing with Spahr, Trustee Walter Sounders contended that the number of female students should be capped at 25% of total enrollment. The Board agreed with Sounders and the amended motion was carried.

On June 21, 1919, Trustee Boyd Lee Spahr moved that, "beginning with the academic year 1919-1920, the number of women students admitted to each incoming Freshman Class shall not exceed 25% of the total number of Freshman of the preceding year." Trustess L.W. Johnson and E.M. Biddle Jr. moved to amend the motion by waiting until the 1920-1921 school year. James H Morgan and Frank. B. Lynch moved to table the whole matter. After a vote, the resolution was tabled.

In an interview, Phoebe Jane Dixon (Class of 1940) comments on the quota system for women. When asked how women felt about the quota system, she answered that she did not know because they never talked about such topics.

On February 25, 1909 convened to discuss the system of coeducation and whether or not coeducation should be continued at Dickinson College. According to the committee, though men were ardently against coeducation at its onset in 1884, many male students are no longer "irritated" by the presence of women at Dickinson College. However, many male students and alumni were concerned that female students, "have won an altogether disproportionate share of College honors and prizes.

Dorothy F. Nagle (Class of 1946) describes the night before the servicemen left and the subsequent changes at Dickinson in an interview. In 1943, Dickinson hosted a large dance the night before "the fellows were going to be leaving" from the Carlisle Railroad Station. Students were permitted to remain out an hour later than normal curfew (twelve o' clock instead of eleven o' clock) and to rise early the next morning to see the men off.

The enrollments for the academic year following 1923 were expected to be large both for the College and Law school. It was expected that there would be 520 students at the College and that a large number of prospective students would be turned away.
Hence, early in July, an edict was issued stating that " NO more women students would be admitted to the college" (emphasis added). Nonetheless, applications from women aspiring to be admitted continued to arrive.

The Board of Trustees held their annual meeting every June. In 1923 they agreed to increase professors salaries very slightly and to endorse The Alumnus publication. Moreover, they approved the student body's request for the collection of a fee
from incoming students, which would be directed at supporting
activities such as the Athletic Association and Glee Clubs. This would
be of further use since it would reduce the number of people that
failed to show up when they were expected.