Wofford College - From The Archives

Student Body 1891-92

Student Body 1891-92
Originally uploaded by Wofford Archives

This photo from the winter of 1891-92 shows the students in front of Main Building. Notice how many of them are wearing hats. You can see a few students sitting on the steps or in one of the doors to the building.

Click on the image to see a larger view over on my Flickr page.  When you get over to Flickr, click on the "all sizes" button, just above the photo, to see a larger version of the image.

Student Body 1897-98

Student Body 1897-98
Originally uploaded by Wofford Archives

We're doing a lot of photo digitizing this summer in the archives, and today, I'm sharing a picture of the student body during the 1897-1898 school year. Notice the women students in the front row. In 1897, the college embarked on what proved to be a short-lived experiment in coeducation.
I hope you'll check out a larger version of this photo on my flickr page. Click on the image to go there.  

Baseball pictures

Just about everyone who visits the archives or looks in one of our display cases enjoys looking at our old photos.  I like to pass these around when student groups come in for classes because often, the subjects are things with which students today can relate.  Yesterday, I gave a presentation to two sections of the history research methods class, a course required of all history majors at Wofford.  I took it myself about 17 years ago.  (Now I feel old.)  I passed around a photo of the student body from 1899 as an example of how photographs can be viewed as evidence.  In this case, the photograph is evidence that we had women students at Wofford during those years.  Here's a link to that photo.  

I also showed them some photos of baseball teams.  Since we are nearing the end of college baseball season, and I've neglected to talk very much about baseball this spring, here are pictures of two of our older teams - one from 1895, the other from 1914.  During this era, baseball was arguably more popular on campus than football, which was banned by many colleges, including Wofford, for many years because of the violent nature of the game.  The 1895 team was especially good, with the likes of A. M. Chreitzberg, the left-most player on the first row, who was one of the college's first pitchers to throw a curve ball.  He allegedly learned to throw a curve by milking the family cow.  He was a fairly recent inductee into the Wofford athletic hall of fame.  

Here's the 1914 team below:

This summer, my student assistants and I will be working on digitizing many of these older college photos - sports teams, literary societies, class photos - so that we'll be able to make them more widely available on the web.  Stay tuned!  (Yes, we librarians and archivists stick around for the summer while our faculty colleagues undertake other projects!)  

Advice to the Class of 1959

We're moving into Commencement season, and preparations are already well underway for that happy time of the year when we send our newest graduates out into the world.  Last year I wrote a series of posts about Commencement traditions, and I invite you to check some of those out again if you are interested.  

One of the newer traditions that we've established in the past five years is to invite the 50-year class, in this case the class of 1959, to attend and participate in Commencement weekend.  They'll have their official reunion after the Baccalaureate service on Saturday night, May 16, and they'll lead the Class of 2009 into the Commencement exercises on Sunday morning, May 17.  

I've looked through a lot of material about the years from 1955-59 at Wofford recently (more about that in the next few weeks as well) and on a few occasions this year, I've talked about things that happened around here during their senior year.  Continuing that trend, here are some words of advide to the freshmen of 1955 (that is, the class of 1959) from the student handbook from their freshman year.  

Books and Supplies

You'll find the college book store in the canteen in the basement of Greene Hall.  In addition to scholastic supplies you can find drugs and sundries, stationery, Wofford shirts, pennants, and of course Rat Caps.  

Campus Dress

While the college was once referred to as "the Oxford of the South" (By whom, I do not know!), remember that formal wear is not the ordered dress as you will soon see.  Dress comfortably, neatly, but suits and ties are not required.  

Chapel

All students are required to attend chapel exercises.  Four absences for which no accounting is required are permitted in any one semester, but if a student's unexcused absences reach five during any one semester, HE SHALL BE EXCLUDED FROM COLLEGE.  

Dropping Class

You can not drop a class by merely ceasing to attend.  (Actually, this advice needs to be repeated today!)   

Mail

You have been assigned a mailbox in the post office in the north end of Carlisle Hall.  It is your responsibility to keep it dust free.  Write a letter and you'll get one.  Mail enters the college once daily at 8 am.  

Some things change, some things don't.  

Admissions, the 1909 version

Some months ago, I posted information on how one got admitted to Wofford in 1854.  Today, I've got the catalog information from 1909.  South Carolina had more public schools by then, and schools had started offering credits, or units, in various subjects.  Many colleges in the state began accepting students without examination if they could provide a certificate from a reputable high school that they had taken a certain number of "units" and students then were as concerned about having the correct number of units as students today are about standardized test scores, AP exams, and such other measures.  

Here's the text of the 1909 catalog relative to admissions requirements.  After that, I'm including the glowing language about the healthfulness and intellectual climate of the campus and community.  

Admissions Requirements, 1909-10

Students applying for admission to the Freshman class must furnish satisfactory evidence of their fitness to do the work either by examination or by certificates from approved schools and teachers. All certificates must be specific as to the subjects studied, the amount of work completed, and the time devoted to it.

In estimating the applicant's attainments the "unit" system will be used, in which each unit of credit represents a course of one high school year of thirty-six weeks, five periods a week, in any particular study. Applicants for admission must present fourteen units from the list described below. Ten and one-half units must be English Grammar, Composition and Rhetoric, and Literature (3), Algebra through Quadratics (1 1/2), Plane Geometry (1), United States History (1), and foreign language or languages (4). If Latin is offered for admission not less than three (3) units will be accepted.

Not more than four (4) units of conditions will be allowed to entering students, and these conditions must be worked off by the end of the second year. All conditioned students will be registered in the college catalogue as "conditioned students" until they have worked off their conditions. All students who are pursuing a regular degree course and have not more than one study behind will be registered in the college catalogue as "regular"; those who have more than one study behind or are not pursuing a degree course will be registered as "irregular."

Situation and Surroundings

situation.—No better climate can be found anywhere for intellectual work than that of the high Piedmont region of upper Carolina. It is salubrious and bracing, and stimulates mind and body to do their best.

health.—There is perhaps no healthier place in the South than Spartanburg.  The Wofford College campus, upon which the students live, is a high, well drained hill, removed from the dust and smoke and noise of the city. Students thus have within reach all the conveniences of the city, together with the healthful benefits of the country. Besides these natural surroundings, so conducive to health, oversight is taken, as far as possible, of the exercise and sports of students. A thoroughly equipped Gymnasium, under the care of a competent director, has been found of inestimable value, not only in preserving health, but in aiding the growing bodies of young men to a state of vigorous natural development.

social and intellectual surroundings.—Spartanburg furnishes an excellent social and intellectual atmosphere. The best entertainments—entertainments that make for the highest refinement—are constantly within reach of the student. Music by famous musicians, lectures by men of world-wide reputa­tion, readings by authors who are making the literature of the day, are all means of general culture that help to educate in the best sense the students of Wofford

Wofford Songs and Yells

Today I'm going to share a new acquisition, something that literally arrived in the mail this morning.  This document belonged to a member of the class of 1910 named George Craig, and it was sent to me today by someone who was going through some of his papers.  It's a list of Wofford songs or cheers.  

Now, I'm no expert on college songs from the early 20th century, but many of these look to have been borrowed and altered from other schools.  Number 4 below, for example, seems very similar to one that students at the University of North Carolina use.  

Certain elements of number 5 below resemble lines from Georgia Tech's famous "I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech"  

Of course, the use of the tune to John Brown's Body - or the Battle Hymn of the Republic - at a southern college in the Jim Crow South is also ironic.  

The other interesting thing, of course, is that several songs make fairly obvious references to alcohol.  It just goes to show that not all of our college student ancestors from the late 19th and early 20th century were teetotalers.  And of course, the song that ends with "Hang the Faculty" expresses a sentiment that is perhaps unviersal among college students, no matter the day.  

The "Yells" probably were led at various athletic events by student cheerleaders.  Some of them are kind of funny, others are just strange.  

I trust all of you will print these off and bring them to football games in the fall.  Rah! Rah! Sis Boom Bah!

World News, 1932-style

Every now and then I enjoy looking through old student newspapers and literary magazines to see what issues students were talking about in times past.  Consideringt he current economic situation, I was looking through some Depression-era Old Gold and Blacks to see if I could find student commentary on the Great Depression.  Instead, I found an article about the International Relations Club meeting of February 1, 1932 where the students discussed the situation in India.  At the time, India was still a British possession, but the Indians were struggling for independence.  The IRC was a high-level group of specifically-selected students - you had to be invited to join, my predecessor, Herbert Hucks used to tell me.  The article jumped out at me for another reason, as it mentions Mahatma Ghandi, who was in the news recently as some of his personal artifacts were just sold at an auction.  Here's some excerpts from the story.  

The International Relations Club held its regular bi-weekly meeting in the club room Monday night, February 1, at 8:30.  The topic for discussion was "India's Move Toward Independence."  It was ably presented by C. H. Watson.  H. S. Ackerman enlightened the group by giving a brief resume of current events.  After the scheduled program there was a round table discussion of the Japanese conflict and America's attitude toward war. 

In his discussion of the affairs as they now stand in India, Mr. Watson began by stating that, "The present time finds India in a state of passive resistance.  Mahatma Ghandi and several others are in jail due to their recommendation to their people to resist passvely the British government.  The followers of Ghandi have fallen back upon the idea of a peaceful picketing to harass the British police, and have indulged in many acts of non-violence to irritate the growing wound in relations with India.  In spite of the fact that England has passed a law providing for a heavy penalty for peaceful picketing, AP dispatches from Bombay declare that India women continue to station themselves outside stores and shops and try to keep the public from buying British goods.  The dispatch goes on to say that scores have been arrested but there seems to be an unending line ready to take their places.  The financial situation of the government seemed to be growing worse, due to the added expense caused by execution of new measures, wholesale arrests, and great expenditures entailed by other activities.  "It is not unlikely that the whole of Britain will soon awake to the fact that Ghandi is much more influential in a Bombay prison than he is on the outside."  

The article concludes with this assessment: "Indian affairs are darker than they have been for some time.  The constitution of 1919, under which India is ruled, was to have been revived after ten years.  The two countries can come to no understanding.  India is too disunited to force her desires on England, and England deems India entirely too disunited for home rule such as Ireland and Canada have, much less complete independence.  She is torn by internal strife and tantalized by British rule from without.  India's hopes lie only in the brilliant mind and simple personality of Mahatma Ghandi."  

The meeting concluded with discussion of Japanese incursions into China and American protests against those events.  A few domestic issues were discussed - floods in Louisiana and the agreement by railroad workers to wage cuts.  

It's a treat to find discussions of world events in these old student newspapers and to see that students had formed a club to share ideas about the world.  I wouldn't mind seeing something like this revived on the campus today.  

The Student Body, circa 1900

It might be difficult, if not impossible, to get Wofford's entire student body on the front steps of Main Building today.  Senior class photos most always happen there, but many of the early student body pictures were also taken in front of Old Main.  These photos of the student body come from 1897, 1898, and 1900 and are part of the archives collection. 

In the late 1890s, the student body usually numbered about 200, with about 10 professors.
 
Of course, old photographs fascinate us for many reasons, and students, alumni, and friends alike always pause as they quietly examine these old artifacts.  They are much more than just objects of antiquarian or sentimental interest, however,  There's much we can learn from these documents.  For example, when I pass one of these photos around a group of students, I ask them to look carefully and tell me if they spot something they aren't used to seeing.  Invariably, someone spots the women.  These photos document the presence of women in the student body well before the 1970s. 

More than that, photographs help us put a face on the past.  How many times a day do we who work and study here pass those front steps without truly thinking of how long that building has stood on that site, or remembering how many people have gone before us to build up this college.   

Top: The student body in 1897. 
Middle: The student body and faculty in 1898
Bottom: The student body and faculty in 1900

Fraternity Lodges

An article in the Wofford College Journal in the fall of 1955 describes the new fraternity lodges, which were scheduled to open in the spring of 1956.  Here's the article and some of the drawings, entitled "Horseshoe of Fortune"

A much hoped for but little expected dream is at last becoming a reality! Fraternity men and rushees alike entered the just completed rush season with a new enthusiasm springing in large part from the tangible evidence of the realization of a hopeful vision long nurtured in the minds of Green badge bearers.

The dream in question is a satisfactory answer to Wofford's fraternity lodging problem.  The evidence is the hum of building activity going on behind the science halls and the library.  Preliminary clearing and surveying activity has been completed on what will be a horseshoe of seven lodges.  Two different floor plans (above) will be used, and there will be four different fronts.  Both lodges on the ends will have the [first] front and the left floor plan.  The remaining five lodges will have the right floor plan.  These lodges will have one of the other front designs. 

There will be no driveway built, the lodges being readily accessible from Memorial Drive, Wofford Drive, Greene Hall, and auditorium parking lot.  A cement walk will encircle the inside of the horseshoe, however.  All lodges will face into the horseshoe.  Completion of the project is expected by April, and the lodges will be ready for occupancy at that time.  The assignment of houses to the individual fraternities will be determined by drawing lots. 

Photos of two of the four designs and the two floorplans. 

Snyder Hall memories

For much of the 20th century, Wofford students lived in one of three dormitories: Carlisle Hall, Hugh S. Black Hall, and Snyder Hall.  While Black Hall was the oldest, and Carlisle was the first one built specifically as a college dormitory, Snyder played a special role in the lives of college and fitting school students. 

After a fire damaged the upper floors of alumni hall (as the Hugh S. Black Building was initially known) the college decided to build a second building for the Fitting School.  This building contained both classrooms and dormitory rooms and was simply known as the fitting school dormitory.  (The Fitting School was the college's preparatory school, designed to prepare students for admission to Wofford's freshman class.)  From 1901 to 1905, the building housed sleeping rooms for students and instructors as well as classrooms.  A large dining room on the first floor served its residents, and an assembly hall on the second floor, just above the dining hall, served as the meeting place for the campus YMCA.  In 1905, another classroom building opened, and the dormitory became simply a dormitory.  The assembly hall was converted into sleeping space as were the classrooms. 

When the Fitting School closed in 1924, the building's name was changed to Snyder Hall, in honor of the college's president.  It was used as a college dormitory until 1943, when the Army took over the campus for use as a college training detachment center.  With the return of the student body after the war, the dining hall was converted to another use and students took their meals in Carlisle Hall.  About 80 students lived in Snyder Hall. 

Even in the late 1940s, Snyder Hall had become inadequate.  A capital campaign to replace several outdated facilities fizzled, and Snyder Hall remained in use until the 1960s.  Renovations in 1957 added a few more years to Snyder's life. 

One student in the late 1960s published "A Snyder Hall Resident's Prayer" in the OG&B.  It read as follows:

Dear God, it scares me to see how this College can ignore a place as filthy as this, but yet feel it is doing well to preserve its unique atmosphere.  Help the maintenance department to realize that soap and water goes further than plywood and tacks.  Oh God, grant me tolerance and forgive my futile complaints.  Amen. 

Snyder had reached the end of its usefulness as a dorm, and without any other purpose, the college decided to demolish the building in 1969. 

Photos: Snyder Hall at various stages, alumni with some faculty and President Paul Hardin standing in front of Snyder Hall as it was being demolished, 1969.