Indiana University women’s residence hall scrapbooks, 1925-1959
A Guide to the Collection at the Indiana University Archives
Finding aid prepared by Julia Kilgore and Mary
Mellon
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana
University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Indiana University, Bloomington.
University Archives (2016- )
TitleIndiana University women’s residence hall
scrapbooks, 1925-1959
Collection No.
C631
Extent
82 volumes
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This collection consists of 82 scrapbooks
produced by the residents of Forest Hall, Memorial Hall East, Memorial Hall West,
Morrison Hall, Sycamore Hall, and Walnut Hall, most of which were women’s residence halls located in
the Agnes E. Wells Quadrangle on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington, Indiana.
The scrapbooks were created between 1925 and 1959 and contain photographs of dormitory
residents, residential counselors, and various locations on the Bloomington campus. Many
scrapbooks also contain memorabilia and ephemera such as dance cards, invitations,
correspondence, event programs, sports schedules, newspaper clippings and other items
related to campus events and activities that were either sponsored or hosted by the
dormitories or attended by the women residing there.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Administrative History
Indiana Unversity admitted its first female student in 1867. In 1922 Indiana University
put forward a plan to raise money to build the first dormitory for women as part of the
Memorial Fund campaign. The building was named Memorial hall and opened for students in
1925. Additional women’s dormitories were built in the subsequent decades including
Forest Hall (1937), Beech Hall (1940), and Sycamore Hall (1940), forming the Agnes E.
Wells Quadrangle. In 1942, Beech Hall was renamed Morrison Hall in honor of Sarah Parke
Morrison, the first female to graduate from Indiana University. Forest Hall was
converted to a men’s residence hall sometime after 1953 and was renamed Goodbody Hall in
1964.
Due to a shortage of classroom space on campus, the Wells Quadrangle buildings were
converted to academic buildings during the 1960s: Forest/Goodbody in 1963, Morrison in
1965, Sycamore in 1968, and Memorial Hall from 1969-1970. In 2016, plans were announced
to convert Goodbody and Morrison Halls back to residence centers. The two dormitories
reopened to students in Fall 2017 as the Wells Quadrangle Residence Hall.
University entities overseeing residential policies for women's dormitories from the
1920s through the 1950s included resident counselors, the IU Halls of Residence
Committee, and the Dean of Women's Office. Each dormitory also had a house council
elected by its residents, as well as representation in the IU Women's Residence Hall
Association.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into six series of volumes: Forest Hall, Memorial Hall
East, Memorial Hall West, Morrison Hall, Sycamore Hall, and Walnut Hall. Volumes are arranged
chronologically within each series.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of 82 scrapbooks produced by the residents of Forest Hall,
Memorial Hall East, Memorial Hall West, Morrison Hall, and Sycamore Hall, all of which
were women’s residence halls located in the Agnes E. Wells Quadrangle on the Indiana
University campus in Bloomington, Indiana. It also includes one scrapbook from Walnut Hall. The volumes date from 1925 to
1959 and are
grouped into five series according to the name of the dormitory from which they
originated.
These scrapbooks typically contain individual and group photographs of dormitory
residents and residential counselors, usually with accompanying textual information.
They also often contain interior or exterior photographs of the buildings of Wells
Quadrangle, as well as other sites on campus, such as the Indiana Memorial Union and the
Student Building. Besides formal photographs, there are images of everyday dormitory
life, such as students studying, dining, or participating in athletics and other
activities.
Many scrapbooks also contain memorabilia and ephemera such as dance cards, invitations,
correspondence, event programs, sports schedules, newspaper clippings and similar items
related to campus events and activities that were either sponsored or hosted by the
dormitories or attended by their residents. Events frequently represented in these
volumes include Homecoming, the Little 500, seasonal formals, and celebrations of
holidays such as May Day and Christmas.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online
catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the
catalog using these terms.
Related Material
Some photographs from this collection have been digitized and are available in the
Indiana University
Archives Photograph Collection (APC). Related images digitized from other
sources may also be available through the APC.
Other collections held by the Indiana University Archives that document life in women's
residence halls include the
Indiana University Halls of Residence Committee minutes, 1939-1971
(Collection C310) and the
Indiana University Dean of Women's Office records, 1876-1951 (Collection
C165).
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accession: 0076, 1226-1238, 1240-1300, 1302-1307
Usage Restrictions
Copyright interests for this collection have not been transferred to the Trustees of
Indiana University. For more information, contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[item], Indiana University Women's residence hall scrapbooks, Collection C631,
Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Provenance
Transferred to the Indiana University Archives at an unknown date.
Processing InformationProcessed by Julia Kilgore and Mary Mellon.
Completed in September 2017.
Container List
Series:
Forest Hall, 1936-1953, bulk
1940-1949
Scope and Content
This series contains thirteen scrapbooks, titled the
Forest
Folio
, from Indiana University's Forest Hall dating from 1936-1953.
Individual scrapbooks dating from the academic years of 1943-1944, 1944-1945,
1947-1948, 1950-1951, and 1951-1952 are either missing or were never created.
Forest Folio,
v. 1
1936-1937
v. 2
1937-1938
v. 3
1938-1939
Includes images of the Sunken Garden, Student Building, Maxwell Hall,
Kirkwood Hall, the Rose Well House, Franklin Hall, the old Assembly Hall, a
trip to McCormick's Creek State Park, Foundation Day, Herman B Wells, and
Paul Barker and his orchestra.
v. 4
1939-1940
v. 5
1940-1941
Includes images of the Winter Formal and Senior Banquet.
v. 6
1941-1942
Includes images of the Student Building, the Indiana Memorial Union, the
Sunken Garden, and students "boressing."
v. 7
1942-1943
Includes flyer from the Coronation Ball and an image of the Sunken
Garden.
v. 8
1945-1946
v. 9
1946-1947
v. 10
1948-1949
(1 of 2)
Includes images of May Day festivities and the Indiana Memorial Union.
v. 11
1948-1949
(2 of 2)
Includes images of May Day festivities, a fall carnival, and spring
festival.
v. 12
1949?-1950?
Includes inages of The Gables restaurant, Senior Walk-Out, a quarry,
carnival scenes, and Christmas caroling.
v. 13
1952-1953
Series:
Memorial Hall East, 1925-1959
Scope and Content
This series contains 30 volumes of The
Towers,
which were annual scrapbooks created by the residents of the east wing of Memorial
Hall, known as Memorial Hall East. Seven of these volumes are additional copies of
Volumes 1-4 that vary slightly from each other in terms of content.
The
Towers,
v. 14
1925-1926
(3 copies)
Copies vary slightly in terms of images included. The bound copy is the most
complete and includes images of The Towers editorial staff and residence
officers and a description of the Memorial Hall Dedication, November 20,
1925.
v. 15
1926-1927
(3 copies)
Copies vary slightly in terms of images included.
v. 16
1927-1928
(3 copies)
Copies vary slightly in terms of images included. Copies 1 and 2 include
images of May Day festivities and intramural athletes. Copy 3 does not
contain images.
v. 17
1928-1929
(2 copies)
Copies vary slightly in terms of images included. Both include images of May
Day festivites and the Martha Washington party.
v. 18
1929-1930
Includes images of the Senior-Junior banner battle, May Day festivities,
intramural athletes, men working, and the Sunken Garden.
v. 19
1930-1931
Includes images of May Day festivities, and intramural athletes.
v. 20
1931-1932
Includes images of May Day festivities and the Martha Washington party.
v. 21
1932-1933
v. 22
1933-1934
Includes images of May Day festivities.
v. 23
1935-1936
Includes images of May Day festivities, Memorial Hall construction, trips to
Brown County and McCormick's Creek State Park, and the Sunken Garden. Also
includes clippings from 1935-36 school year, dance cards, and programs.
v. 24
1936-1937
Includes images of residents at Spring Mill Park, May Day Festivities,
McCormick's Creek outing, workers building a sidewalk (?), and residents on
horseback. Also includes dance cards, invitations, and programs.
v. 25
1937-1938
Includes Disney and Snow White stickers and a program from a faculty
dinner.
v. 26
1938-1939
Includes images of the interior of the IU Bookstore, residents with their
boyfriends, and building construction.
v. 27
1940-1941
v. 28
1941-1942
v. 29
1942-1943
v. 30
1944-1945
Does not contain photographs. Includes dance cards, invitations, ticket
stubs, and other material related to campus life.
v. 31
1946-1947
v. 32
1947-1948
v. 33
1950-1951
Includes images of Homecoming queen candidates, the Indiana-Notre Dame
football game, Homecoming parade, Christmas party, the Med-Law Boress, the
Memorial Hall basketball team, the Spring Festival, Mother's Weekend, and
the Little 500.
v. 34
1951-1952
Includes images of an Indiana football game, Homecoming decorations and
parade, Phi Psi house, and Christmas and birthday parties.
v. 35
1957-1958
Includes images of Homecoming decorations, a fall carnival, and Little 500
festivities.
v. 36
Girls of Memorial 1958, 1958-1959
Includes images of the fall carnival, Little 500, Homecoming festivities, and a
Christmas party.
Series:
Memorial Hall West, 1926-1946
Scope and Content
This series contains 16 volumes and 1 duplicate of The
Castle Chronicles, which were annual scrapbooks created by the
residents of the west wing of Memorial Hall, known as Memorial Hall West.
The
Castle Chronicles,
v. 37
1926-1927
v. 38
1927-1928
(2 copies)
Includes picture of the Jordan River.
v. 39
1928-1929
v. 40
1929-1930
v. 41
1933-1934
v. 42
1934-1935
v. 43
1935-1936
Includes picture of the Jordan Grill
v. 44
1936-1937
v. 45
1937-1938
v. 46
1938-1939
v. 47
1939-1940
Includes images of Homecoming decorations and the Bowery Dinner.
v. 48
1940-1941
Includes pictures of the Memorial Hall arch, Senior Ring Dinner, Marching
Hundred, Homecoming decorations, and an Easter egg hunt.
v. 49
1941-1942
Includes images of the plaque outside Memorial Hall, the Rose Well House,
Franklin Hall, Jordan River, the Marching Hundred, the Sunken Garden, and a
tandem bicycle.
v. 50
1942-1943
Includes a picture of the Rose Well House.
v. 51
1944-1945
v. 52
1945-1946
Series:
Morrison Hall, 1941-1946,
1950-1957
Scope and Content
This series contains eight scrapbooks, with various titles, from Indiana
University's Morrison Hall dating from 1941-1943, 1945-1946, 1950-1953, and
1955-1957. The scrapbooks bear various titles, with the 1941-1942 volume being
named for Beech Hall, the original name of the dormitory.
v. 53
Beech Leaves, 1941-1942?
Dedicated to Lorraine Lindsey.
v. 54
Memories of Morrison Hall, 1942-1943
v. 55
Life in Morrison Hall, 1945-1946
Includes issues of the
Morrisonian (Morrison
Hall newsletter).
v. 56
American College Home, Morrison Hall, 1946-1947
Includes images of dorm rooms, study halls, and the cafeteria, as well as some
correspondence.
v. 57
Morrison Hall, 1949-1952
One scrapbook volume covering three academic years. Includes images of the
Spring Sing, the Little 500 race, and depictions of Memorial Hall as the “Happy
Hunting Ground” during sorority rush.
v. 58
Morrison Hall Scrapbook, 1952-1953
Includes IU programs, IU calendar, correspondence, and invitations.
v. 59
Morrison Hall, 1955-1956
Does not contain photographs. Includes newspaper and magazine clippings from
1955‑56 school year, correspondence, and other college life materials.
v. 60
Morrison Memories, 1956-1957
Includes images of Bill Jordan, unidentified residents, and Homecoming
decorations. Also includes correspondence, invitations, and programs.
Series:
Sycamore Hall, 1939-1955
Scope and Content
This series contains 13 volumes of the
Sycamore
Log
, scrapbooks created annually by the residents of Sycamore Hall. Most
of the scrapbooks, which date from 1939 to 1955, include pictures and lists of
names of all the Sycamore residents, their hometowns, and their current academic
level. A special section is often dedicated to graduating seniors in which seniors
write short biographies or impart words of wisdom and general advice to junior
students. One log book includes a song composed by underclassmen describing some
personal aspect about each graduating senior. Others sometimes include a “Last
Will and Testament” in which seniors pass on absurd things to underclassmen within
the dorm such as personality traits and special abilities. .
The
Sycamore Log,
v. 61
1939-1940
Includes images of Arbutus beauty contestants, dorm rooms, and the exterior
of the University School.
v. 62
1940-1941
Includes invitations, dance cards, and newspaper clippings.
v. 63
1942-1943
Includes a dance card and newspaper clippings.
v. 64
1944-1945
Includes newspaper clippings, a dance invitation, and images of Homecoming
decorations, Woodburn Hall, Memorial Hall, and the Indiana Memorial
Union.
v. 65
1945-1946
Includes newspaper clippings, programs, and invitations.
v. 66
1946-1947
Includes images of residents singing, sunbathing, studying, and playing
cards, as well as newspaper clippings.
v. 67
1948-1949
Includes images from University Sing, the Valentine's Day dance, and the
Sadie Hawkins dance, as well as newspaper clippings.
v. 68
1949-1950
Includes images of Homecoming and Arbutus beauty queen candidates and a
Christmas card from Herman B Wells.
v. 69
1950-1951
Includes images of a Christmas party, faculty teas, mixers, Mortar Board
members, the Senior Banquet, various dances, and a group of carollers.
v. 70
1951-1952
Includes images of Herman B Wells, Homecoming queen candidates, the Indiana
Memorial Union, and the North Hall Barons Little 500 team.
v. 71
1952-1953
Includes images of the Little 500 and a Homecoming(?) parade.
v. 72
1953-1954
Includes correspondence and newspaper clippings.
v. 73
1954-1955
Includes images of the Fall Carnival, as well as correspondence and
invitations.
Series:
Walnut Hall, 1947-1948
v. 74
Walnut Hall Log, 1947-1948