University of South Carolina Columbia - Garnet and Black Yearbook (Columbia, SC)

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special classes, the trustees did little to encourage women to attend SCC and women did not enter the college scene in 1894. Favoring coeducation much more than Tillman himself, successor john Gary Evans announced in his inaugu- ral address that the legislature amend a statute to allow women to enter below the junior class. In December, 1894, the matter was hastily changed to read the trustees shall provide for admitting young women qualified to enter the College. But barriers still existed - no dean of women, no women faculty mem- bers, no dormitory spaces for girls, not even an adequate restroom. These were the conditions when Francis Guignard Gibbes received permission on Sept. 24, 1895 to take a special course. Coeducation had begun. A week later five more females entered to study special courses and by November, SCC had a total enroll- ment of 13 females, all taking special courses. The first girl to graduate was Mat- tie jean Adams of Newberry who, according to classmates, possessed an almost passionate fondness for books. Receiving her A.B. in 1898, she said she came to SCC because she needed a better education than the one provided by Southern female col- leges. The 1898 USC catalogue first fea- tures its decision to admit women explaining, in accordance with the act of the General Assembly 118945, women are admitted to any course, regular or special for which they may be qualified. No other information is given concerning women. In 1903, another woman became a first by becoming the first female on campus to receive a master's degree. She was jaqueline Segar Epes of Blackston, Va. Women had already invaded the law school in 1897 when Ellen Rebecca Norris entered the jun- ior class. The event was almost too much for a law professor to take and he questioned her right to receive a degree. Norris, however, did not fin- ish the course and there were no women law graduates until 1918. The female enrollment increased slowly from 13 in 1895-96, 14 in 1896- 97, to 18 in 1897-98. While more did inquire about the college, few applied because of lack of dormitory space. Room and board in private Columbia homes cost about 5515 more than the cost for a male student living on cam- pus. Evans was the first to point out that the college's dormitories were only half full and urged that DeSaussure be converted into a dor- mitory for girls. This action did not go through. Scholastically girls were much like the boys - a mixture of both good and bad with a few needing admon- ishment for poor work. In 1899, Anne Fayssoux Davis of Winnsboro became the first woman to graduate with honors. President Frank Wood- ward complained that women sought only light and easy courses and over- indulged in the social pleasures dis- rupting the progress of the male stu- dents. On Dec. 1, 1896, several females received permission to give a dance at the home of Mrs. Louis LeConte on Pendleton Street. This was the first officially recognized coed social func- tion. Coeds became reluctant to pursue active roles on campus. Laura Annie Bateman, president of the 1891 fresh- man class, resigned because of popu- lar disapproval. Afterward, young ladies had a tendency to avoid campus politics. And, it was not until 1973 that the University elected its first woman student body president, Rita McKinney. In 1895 fear of female take-over caused the Clariosophic and Euphra- dian societies to amend their constitu- tions to prevent the entrance of In 1913, this coed reigned as one af the first Queens of Eafter Week. women in their meetings. But the coeds formed the Parthenian Society in 1900 to promote academic culture, sociability, friendship, and a spirit of loyalty to the school. One brave member of the newly formed organi- zation moved that all boys be banned Wommk tennis was quitepapulaf in the earb' twentieth century, agbecialbqnf the skirt set. 23

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,tis folly to be wivesf' Officers included sovereign spinster, assistant bachelor maid, keeper of ashes of love letters and guardian of love affairs of old maids. Establishing a school for scandal, they featured a curriculum of the art of flirting, its uses and abuses, woman suffrageg how to be happy, because unmarried, and a medical course to'explain causes of heart affections. In 1900 the classes. Probably the reason for this was that the college did little to attract coeds or to furnish facilities for them. J However, growth of coeducation did begin in 1924 when the University appointed its first dean of women, Miss Irene Dillard, and opened the Womanls Building, a new dormitory. As first dean of women, Dillard was also the first female faculty member, steadily until 1952 when women were not admitted as full-time students below the junior class. The Board of Trustees would only admit women below the junior class as day students and had the right to charge each day student with any necessary 'additional expenses to the state. These restric- tions were removed by the General Assembly in 1956. From that time on, freshmen and sophomore women were able to live in Co uectish Coed the same dormito- Clgb are-solved to - Q' ?,.f..,-..--- , 2- ries as the upper- do unto the other FH 5 lk MLW .g,,,2.lL, j classmen and no fellow as he'd like ' longer had to pay to do unto you, an' f ,ife ft 3 higher fees than do it fast' ' ntl-2 s -' ' ff'N'X male PC35- Coquettish coeds ' ' ,q'gE,:' 'A-:gpg . 1 l Throughout the occupied such ele- 'ffl h N. ,ho in years the roles of vated positions as .R' 'Y ,L A 4 fl' the University Cruel coquette, not ' . -7' ' A if C, coed has gradually so cruel coquette, if ' V g :f ','1'v . ' 'X ' changed. She has billet doux scrib- ,', l Lf ' gone from a status bler, and merce- ' 'T' 1 , ,fl-U ' ' of being looked nary main. 1 X j if 1-jr he down upon by her Also in 1902, J , , 5 - --rf ei'-eejgif wwf i peers into modern each coed was 'ima' ' I 'fnwxl g i CNW areas where she given the name of , . 2 ' e .. 1 X- competes among either an animal or 7 QQ ,fe qi-.X 'XXX males in the class- a flower by male K' f 'i V, '-1- '7 ' ' 1 '- ' i room, ROTC and members of the ir 1 l I C7 ff' 1 athletics. Game! and Black f-7 i X , During the staff. One noted if jfgpfgf' 1 , ' early days of coed- coed on campus ' - - l.i'31 -J' Y Aluaigjffi 'H A ' 1 ucation and was listed as a pea- ll fy ,KH of-'X if -fi- 1 ,ffl 1 i through the sixties cock because as the 'X' l fjifffi 4 'Z , 2 ' 1 women have most magnificent Pgfffz -' ,H ' ' served as beauty of the coed flock, ., 4 . 1 g af-- 9 - --9 ef-,TJ queens for a vari- her vanity was lj ..,-l nd l .1Tet ety of organiza- overpowering. , . Q j- -- A,--T , tions and groups. Another called the ,QV fjilf Z'Mf'!-l.i',l- trip' , The first football zinnia was the epi- '!l '7' YE: 2 ,iff 1 5' . ' ' sponsor appeared tome of spinster- , ,- .lx , 'jk' ,V+ ff- N , in the 1912 Game! ismM V ' p QNX.. ,a - ,i 1 N, 'p A 1 andbB!af.1f.?er, in 15125 rl n'ya'fdffE , ' fig , j' If 1 2 .A liicfbaillearfd frazitsk ing the Lady-Bird - ,' t-A., , 1 ' teams would have Club, an organiza- ' QQ, ', I 4 Irrou-:.i,Q,.4m'iixwhi.5lM'I. - 5 ' . 45, sponsors as well as tion to allow the ,I 'll ,f ,G-M, tv ' f l.'15Ll','f, 1 l ROTC, Gamer and ladies a little pleas- - ' ' 7' Black and Game- ure. Colors for the group included love sick green, pale blue and pink. The usual occupation of the 1918 coeds was talking and for the 1918 sophomore class the saying was that they came, they saw - and they left. Coeducation was really not to grow very rapidly until after World War I. Prior to that time, there were never more than 25 girls attending full-time ranking 55th in seniority at USC. After its opening, the Womanis Building was described by the 1924 USC Catalogue as fully equipped with all modern conveniences and accommodates about 100 students. Coeducation really grew at the Uni- versity when the female intellectual capacity was proven in 1916 by several female law graduates. After that time the number of University coeds rose cock organizations. Homecoming and Bantam Beauties featured by the Gamecork were other areas of beauty sponsorship. One beauty contest in 1972 is par- ticular evidence of USC's changing women's role. Although the Sexual Object Sweepstakes never came through, it started off with a rather high flown idea. We aren't going to be hypocritic like the Miss America people, and require talent or anything 25