The Dickinson College administration set out rules and regulations for social conduct on campus for students attending the College during the academic year of 1933-1934. Some of these gudelies are written in the Report of Faculty Committee on Social Affairs 1932-1933 and 1933-1934.
    Approximately 250 people attended the 34th annual Doll Show.¹ The evening's program was set to begin at eight o'clock and was open to the entire campus.² The Doll Show was given by the Young Women's Christian Association of Dickinson on Dec15 of 1933.³ Hazelle Allen and Bertha Lynch were in charge of the arrangements for the dance and providing the charismas tree.⁴ Over 180 dolls were donated by students and friends of Dickinson College to be given to the children of prisoners in New York City.₅ Katherine Loder and Ruth Poyer were in charge of solicitingtheDolls.⁶ About 85 dollars were received from the sale of tickets, which was as announced by Elizabeth Hess, president of the YMCA.⁷ This amount was less than is usually received for this annual event.⁸ Tickets went on sale for thirty-five cents, instead of the usual fifty cents.⁹ Professor Cornelius W. Prettyman spoke to the audience which preceded the dancing, and Edward First was the master of ceremonies.¹⁰ The program also featured a Bavarian dance preformed by Karl Ringer, a German charismas carol sung by Juergen van Oerten, a dance by Helen Carl and Donald Rust, and stunts preformed by Donald Rust.¹¹ The music for dancing was provided by Ted Browagle and his band.¹² The dance was set to begin at nine thirty and end at one o'clock.¹³ "Dancing lasted until One o'clock [in the morning], which was an unusually feature"¹⁴
The All College Social Committee was appointed by the men's and Women's Senate and was composed of four men and two women from the junior and senior classes. The members of the committee were William Woodward, the committee chair, Elizabeth Billow, Priscilla McConnell, Robert Wayne, and Hyman Markowitz.¹⁵ The committee, "worked according to student demand and formed a connecting link between student and faculty in relation to social affairs"¹⁶ The All Campus Social committee the idea of 'open house' the result of which were the dances held after the basketball games.¹⁷ The first 'open house' was scheduled for the evening of January 11, 1934 after the Basketball game against Juniata.¹⁸ Three fraternities offered their houses as social space, inviting all students and faculty to attend.¹⁹ The purpose of the 'open houses' was to provide a suitable occasion for informal self-entertainment for students attending after the basketball games.²⁰ The fraternity houses were chosen to host the 'open houses' because they afford the most covenant and congenial place for informal dancing, card placing and conversation.²¹ Fraternities cooperated with the College, and all but one the 12 fraternities on Campus agreed to host 'open houses'.²² The 'open houses were set to run until 11:45.²³ A letter was written to the all campus Social Committee by the president of the IFC asking for 'open houses' to run later, until 12:00.²⁴ In the Dickinsonian it was written that the plan for the 'open houses was, "the result of much student agitation for a more adequate All-College social program."²⁵ The recommendation for the 'open house' was made in the spring of 1933 by the All Campus Social Committee. The program that was passed was a compromise between students and faculty.²⁶ The committee also present the idea that student dance be allowed to run later, the result of which was the Doll Show dance and other dances running until one o'clock.²⁷ In the Dickinsonian it was said that, "the Social Committee worked in perfect harmony with the faculty and many things were accomplished by this committee which were logged discussed in group meeting but never acted upon."²⁸ The All Campus Social Committee was dissolved by the administration in February 0f 1934.²⁹ In April President Morgan Appointed a new committee to replace the committee; members of this new committee were Dean Meredith, Chairman Dean Vuilleumer; the president of the Men's senate, William Groves; the president of the Women's senate, Ruth Shawfield; the president of the Inter-fraternity Council, Benjamin James and the president of the Pan-Hellic Council, Ruth Sharp.³⁰ In regards to the members of the newly formed committee, president Morgan stated that, "these students are officers of important bodies of the College, and I hope will be representative of the College sentiment."³¹ There was an article published in the Dickinsonian of March 15, 1934 about president Morgan's decision to dissolve the All Campus Social Committee.
    The administration also brought musicians to Dickinson to entertaining the campus. In the November 23 edition of the Dickinsonian it was written that, " in bringing Quinto Maganini and his Chamber orchestra to Carlisle the administration is providing the students and townspeople with an unusual opportunity to hear good music rendered by a group of artist of superior ability. This opportunity should not be missed."³² The New York "Sinfonietta" orchestra was also secluded to perform on November 24, 1933.³³ The first dance of the academic school year was held on Friday evening October 13, 1933, in the Alumni gymnasium for the freshmen and began at 8:30.³⁴ Admission was set at 50 cents and were to be sold at the door or through he All Campus Social committee before the dance. The Dance was planned as an, "an informal cut-in dance".³⁵ The reason for the dance was to, "get the new men aquatinted with the rest of the campus".³⁶ Hollander's orchestra provided the music for the dance.³⁷ There was debate among student whether or not all-campus dances were a good thing or not. Aside from the annual Doll Show, there were other all campus dances held. The Skull and Key honorary junior society held an all-campus dance on January 6, 1934. Music for the dance was provided by the Blue Moon orchestra.³⁸ The Halloween party was held by the female residents of Metzer. The affair was held from 10 to 11 and was a masked party.³⁹ The spring letter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity give some added insist into the social actives of the 13933-34 school year, "several informal dances have been held during the course of the year, helping to break the monotony of Saturday night, when time hangs heavily on the brothers hands, and mischievous thoughts run through their minds".⁴⁰

1 Dickinsonian “Coeds Arrange For Doll Show” November 23 1933 vol. LXII num. 9 and Dickinsonian Show Features Novelty Dance January 11,1934 vol. LXII num. 12
2 Dickinsonian “Coeds Arrange For Doll Show” November 23 1933 vol. LXII num. 9
3 Dickinsonian “Show Features Novelty Dance” January 11,1934 vol. LXII num. 12
4 Dickinsonian “Coeds Arrange For Doll Show” November 23 1933 vol. LXII num. 9
5Dickinsonian “Show Features Novelty Dance” January 11,1934 vol. LXII num. 12
6 Dickinsonian “Coeds Arrange For Doll Show” November 23 1933 vol. LXII num. 9
7 Ibid
8 Ibid
9 Dickinsonian “Arranged Plans For Doll Show” December 7, 1933 vol. LXII num. 10
10 Dickinsonian “Show Features Novelty Dance” January 11,1934 vol. LXII num. 12
11 Ibid
12 Ibid
13 Dickinsonian “Arranged Plans For Doll Show” December 7, 1933 vol. LXII num. 10
14 Dickinsonian “Show Features Novelty Dance” January 11,1934 vol. LXII num. 12
15 Dickinson Microcosm 1934, page 49
16 Ibid
17 Ibid
18 Dickinsonian "Progress In Entertainment" January 11, 1934 vol. LXII nom.12
19 Ibid
20 Ibid
21 Ibid
22 Ibid
23 Ibid
24 Dickinsonian “Council Asks For New Dance” December 14, 1933 vol. LXII nom. 11
25Ibid
26 Ibid
27Dickinson Microcosm 1934, page 49
28 Ibid
29 Ibid
30 Ibid
31 Ibid
32 Dickinsonian "Good Entertainment" November 16, 1933 vol. LXII num.8
33 Dickinsonian “Honor Frosh With Dance” October 10, 1933 vol. LXII num.3
34 Dickinsonian “Freshies Hold Dance In Gym” October 5, 1934 vol. LXII num.2
35 Ibid
36 Ibid
37 Dickinsonian “Honor Frosh With Dance” October 10, 1933 vol. LXII num.3
38 Dickinsonian “The Dance Situation” March 1, 1934 vol. LXII num.16
39 Dickinsonian “Mertz Coeds Throw Party” November 2, 1933 vol. LXII num.6
40 Spring Letters Beta Pi of Kappa Sigma, 1934, found in the Dickinson archives and special collections.
 

                                                                                                                                                                        Eli Spector
 
 
 

Class of 1934     Chronicles Dickinson College

Dickinson 1934 is a project of Prof. Osborne's History 204 Class, Fall Semester 2000.