July 30, 2006
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Mercy Maud, what a blast from the past! Mom had found one of the photos taken of my roommate at Gulf Park, Marcia, who was my best friend through our teen years, and one of our suitemates, Lila. I'm on the left in yellow (though it's possible y'all could figure it out all by yourselves), and Marcia's on the right:
We used to have to "dress" for dinner, meaning dresses and stockings. To leave campus (save for crossing the street to the beach which we could do, though not enter the water due to the stuff in it left by Camille) one was to be dressed properly, though the year I went they permitted pants suits, which had come into style four or five years before. For ages students had to be decked out complete with hats and gloves when going out in public; I forget when the dress code was loosened, though.
Turns out the year I was there the board of directors was facing up to the fact the school would have to close, being unable to survive both the dwindling number of applicants (the "Gulf Parks" of the country were closing like clams at the time, being part of a bygone era) and the financial charge because of the hurricane. It's a pity it couldn't have remained open one more year, so it had run a full fifty years, opening in 1922 and closing in 1972.
Closing in 1971 completely destroyed the symmetry.
It was a lot of fun, though, and a great experience. Wouldn't have missed it for the world! Thanks, Mom and Dad.
Comments (5)
Whoa, weren't YOU a cutie!
Perhaps relevant, Lehigh University first opened its doors to women in 1971. I believe a lot of formerly all-male schools were going co-ed about that time, which had to hurt the "Gulf Parks" of the world. My sil was in that first class of women at Lehigh University, and that's where she met my brother.
I'm somewhat surprised that as late as 1971, schools were still requiring women to dress a down to the hats and gloves on as well as off-campus. I thought that that sort of thing had gone by the wayside a decade earlier. I suppose being in the south made a difference.
That's an exceedingly good point, Jane, and I daresay you're right...the opening of so many formerly men's-only colleges to women hurt the Gulf Parks.
And I promise you being in the South made a difference!
Got to say Anne, you were a hot chili mama in that dress! Great pic, and , I knew it was you! ~K.
Look at you!! (I knew which one was you too). You know I still have one glove from two different pairs from when I was in middle school (mid 70's), I must remember to ask my mom if she has a mismatched pair too...
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