"No Girls: Library Research 1950s/'60s"

            Since I was a little girl, I would wonder what life was like for my mother while she was growing up, why she could not always understand the latest fads, or why her attitudes upon certain issues were so unshakeable. I had thought that she must have grown up in a completely different world than mine, and to some extent, she had. The 1950's and the 1960's were a time of change, of advancement, of redefining social expectations and standards. Often, we forget that the times we live in now are severely different from the time that many of our parents were born. After looking at various editions of Newsweek Magazine from the 1950's and 1960's, however, I have a new understanding of my mother.

            The feature article that quickly caught my attention in the April 7, 1958 publication of Newsweek was titled "Yale's 'Devils'". The caption for the photo next to the article read, "Boy meets girl at Harvard, but not at Princeton." This was odd, I thought, as I began to read into the article further. The article discussed how Yale University invited Smith and Vassar undergraduate students to study with the male students at Yale. I am under the assumption that Smith and Vassar were all-women universities, while Yale at the time was not yet co-ed, but perhaps on the long journey to becoming one. Shockingly, however, the Princeton media was not pleased with this new form of integration. It was quoted that the Daily Princetonian stated, "'The President of Yale University was in league with Devil Woman...the presidents of Smith and Vassar promptly snuck across the borders...had tea with President Griswold, and then announced the odious decision,'".

            As the article continued, my disbelief only grew. The article discussed how coeducation was implemented in all of the Ivy League schools, except for Dartmouth and Princeton. Princeton's official reasoning for their anti-coeducation stance was, "'We just don't have the money for such things as a women's dormitory,'". The most beautiful aspect of this article, though, was the following final statement, "At Yale, a women's dormitory was going up."

            This article was an excellent depiction of what the coming-of-age experience was like in the 1950's and 60's, and the need for equal educational opportunities. For us today, leaving home and going to college is a major coming-of-age experience; for women during those times, however, getting into college was the ultimate challenge, the test of determination, maturity, and the desire to learn. Being "banned" from attending some of the top universities based upon gender is not a relevant concern of ours today, but in the 1950's, it meant everything to a woman pursuing a higher education. Their coming-of-age experience was undoubtedly different from mine. It is amazing to see how far our nation has come, but also humbling to realize how hard people worked for us to be here now-- having the ability to make our dreams a reality.

            Additionally, this period placed emphasis on women's rights and the development of technology. In terms of women's rights, there were articles discussing how women should begin to wait until they are older for marriage, due to increased rates of abortions, divorces, and pregnancies. To see the magazine advocating for women's rights (especially their rights for their body) was surreal, as two years after this magazine edition was published, the Food and Drug Administration approved birth control pills. Lastly, there were ads upon ads discussing technology, such as the newest versions of automobiles, moon and space travel, and planes. One article even discussed that by the year 2000 we would have flying automobiles! Reading the magazines from this time is inspirational, eye opening, and comical. It is amazing to realize all that all we have today is thanks to what has been dreamed of and accomplished then. I must say, I have a new understanding of my mother, and a new respect for the people of her time.