Lake Forest College - Forester Yearbook (Lake Forest, IL)

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Lake Forest and apparently the woman coed was not very well thought of in many places. President Harlan's statement in 1906 reveals the degrading influences coeds were apparently having in other schools, but he shows that this is not true at Lake Forest: At Lake Forest, we haven't any specimen of that awful creature called the 'coed' who is a very poor, unattractive, hoydenish imitation of the man student-instead we are blessed by the presence of a group of delightfully feminine women . Since the early 1900's Lake Forest has continued to grow and expand and has increased its prestige in every phase of its development. It has become a member of the athletic association, has increased its music and art departments as well as promoting larger departments in other fields. Lake Forest has attracted more students each year, but with the outbreak of World War Iadecline was noticed for the first time. However, after the Armistice and the return of veterans Lake Forest was once more able to continue in its expansion and in 1942 it was necessary to take over the old nurses' home as a new girls' dormitory. In that same year Lake Forest was again influenced by another war and by the fo ,Q ,J 'nf 'lg 'A 4 . . .E in E2 -u 'I v, 'ki l -Qi z LS Q - 1 , . .,-a- M-, 1 W1-ff jf, sm 1-1. pwi - lan.. A3 2 74' 1, 1 :M-:-,' ' ii' ,igsfl zgazazegissgesseell' f. -LJ -',. ' 4 4 an 4--la' 4 '-, xl. ': ' ' XZQ., I 'iiix 'L I , ,.. 'X ' ,I -'A if , ,p -1 , -. r if 1. ' UWT T1 'Q' :yy E I' J .ge - ' fl 1 ' ' Ifiv af' , -- I if iq Q Ag' I, 1 'GQTQ' .' ,r , , pl , L lg .-N. C. V ' S-.A .1 52,-2 1.2-2- Freshman orientation by the upper- classmen. end of the school year, 1942-1943, many men had left to join the armed forces. It was a sad experience in the history of the college as the young men left their studies to fight for their country. The next year a different school was found by those who returned for the ASTP had installed a unit and had taken over the fraternity houses and North Hall for their quarters. The sound of marching and drilling now echoed over the campus and the students soon became accustomed to the presence of servicemen pervading the school atmosphere. Again, the following year, 1944-1945, more changes were in store for Lake Forest. The ASTP had left the campus and a huge enrollment of women filled the college. Alice Home Hospital was taken over for a girls' dormitory, as well as North Hall. Only Harlan Hall was open to men and Blackstone was closed entirely. Life functioned in the usual way although social activities were seriously impeded. Service men were imported from nearby camps for social functions and frequent entertainments were given by the girls for their benefit. This situation continued throughout the year 1944-1945 and on into 1946. The fraternities were closed during this period and many responsible positions were relegated to the women. Finally the war was over and gradually the veterans began coming back to school. At the semester in 1945-1946 a large number returned and social and other ac- tivities once more took on a pre-war look. Progress was started on the reorganiza- tion of the fraternities and many other campus traditions which had been impos- sible during the war years were revived. During the past summer two new men's dormitories were constructed and houses were furnished for married couples in Farwell Field. The fall of 1946 saw an even greater return of veterans so that the day school enrollment was boosted to over six hundred. Lake Forest's tradition of men and women ratio was once more on 13

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of Arts, and Bachelor of Science. Here again the emphasis placed upon the indi- vidual attention afforded each student was stressed. A curriculum revision came about in 1893 which resulted in the subjects being placed in ten groups and work offered on a two-semester basis. The use of major and minor requirements also was set up for the first time and the rule passed that each graduate would receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Our first yearbook was published in 1892. The students were very enthusiastic for its success and the city departments of law, medicine, and dentistry welcomed the enterprise as a means of bringing together all of the departments and introduc- ing a real university spirit. Since then, there - N h i - H, s-, ri has been a yearbook published almost every - 'L - ' 3 'S M year with only a few occasional exceptions. 1 - X it K? - In 1903 the trustees decided to give up Q ' I' , ,rg the university idea and concentrate solely , -J., '- 2 W1 4,1 on a college at Lake Forest. The name 2 9' if T ' fin Q- ' fs University is in the charter and must el - remain there, but stress is laid on the 7, , gf, g xgql f . character of the institution as a college and ' - ills suchl-jslseparated from the Academy and an 7 , fsygfil. -,L -. , p 2 erry a . - -'X 1905 marked the beginning of what is 5' ' fjfjf! U95 ff ff jf I A ,f 1 now one of our yearly activities. The tradi- A ' A ' tional junior bench ceremony began with Christmas holidays prove very wintry for these the presentatlon of two Wooden b?nCheS to boys in 1891- the school by that year's graduating class. These wooden benches were later replaced by the stone benches which are now standing south of College Hall and which are the scene of the junior bench ceremony each year. Also in 1905 began a custom which was practiced for a long time and later discontinued. The seniors took matters into their own hands in March 1905 by marching into the chapel services wearing caps and gowns. They announced their intention that thereafter they would wear them at Vespers on Sunday and at daily chapels. These two incidents are only a portion of the history behind many of the Lake Forest traditions, and in the old annuals and papers are found one amusing incident after another of early college life. For example, in one place the lowly status of the college freshman is seen in the treatment given them. They were always the source of fun for the upper class- 5: men and many of them had their heads doused in the pump that stood in front of College Hall. When the pump was removed the scene was changed to the pond , KV' west of the gymnasium. The freshmen were constantly warned of their lowly place in life and the consequences L dp' resulting if they outstepped that place. 1906 marked the erection of the final building on campus down to the present time. Mrs. Timothy Black- 1 stone donated funds for the erection ofBlackstone and Harlan Hallsg Calvin Durand for Calvin Durand ' Commonsg and Mr. Andrew Carnegie for Carnegie f ' ' Science Hall. By this time many schools were co-educational as was esgayg, and dgdamation, if Dli'lll:l,'j l ill. , 'fi l'g'lvwll4.7f ' y.lill M.fll ili l li Q s Y v l ' An annual award made to oratory, 12

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its way to being upheld. The return of a football team was welcomed, and Lake Forest was once more able tojoin in athletic conferences in football, basketball, and baseball. Greater facilities were needed for the increased enrollment and the coffee shop was doubled in size and a dining room in Lois Hall for women was opened. Through this surge of enlargement, the campus beautiful has remained the same friendly and warm place that it has been noted for ever since its founding. As we look back on the glorious history of our college here on our ninetieth anniversary, it is hard to believe that this progress has all taken place in what is actually such a short space of time. Lake Forest has successfully weathered three wartime crises and each time has come through a little stronger and better than before. As we look aroun dus and see the many great opportunities which are here waiting for us, many are already looking toward the future and visualizing an even better college. Numerous plans have been made for more building and ex- pansion and it will be with great pride that we, the present students, watch this growth in the years to come. I UF l 14