Combined Class Histories for Classes ’52 and ‘77
Class of 1952
When the Class of 1952 arrived in September 1948, we became another class to be referred to as “the silent fifties.” We conformed and followed the rules: we didn’t question parents or administration, attended chapel twice a week, dressed up for “gracious living” on Wednesdays and Sundays, abided by curfews on weekdays and weekends, and, with parental permission, signed out for a limited number of weekends each semester!
Class of 1977:
When the Class of 1977 arrived in September 1973, we were following our rebellious sisters of the late ‘60’s. We challenged everything, including the grading system, the need to complete a “comprehensive” in order to graduate, and even the social norms of the day. Sandy Jones reminds us that in 1973 our gay sisters were nearly invisible on Campus, but during the Fall of our junior year, a letter in the Choragos by a woman who used the pseudonym, the Astrologer, spoke of the pain and loneliness she felt as a lesbian on our campus. This caused many frank discussions around the Campus, and we started to mature and learn tolerance. For many of us, the lessons of sisterhood we were learning at the College made it easier to know how we should act…Our Mount Holyoke had to be a safe space for everyone.
Class of 1952
Our world consisted of housemothers, no locks on our dorms or rooms, no men above the first floor, no TVs, and manual typewriters on which to type our papers. We started with gym classes in Blanchard, and we were thrilled to christen the new and modern Kendall Hall as juniors. Traditions were important: the big sister/little sister friendship and hazing day, when we dressed up cleverly as a deck of cards for the seniors and obediently “shuffled” everywhere. We adopted Professor Peter Viereck as a class honorary, and he was a colorful participant at all of our reunions. He will be missed this year.
Class of 1977:
But we still enjoyed many of the traditions of Mount Holyoke, like our Sisters of the Class of ‘52, including waitressed dinners in our houses, and departmental Friday afternoon teas (or, in the Chemistry Department, Friday afternoon frozen daiquiris, courtesy of Marge Wasko and yours truly… ).
Our world consisted of housemothers too (or sometimes house parents), as well as temp doubles freshman year, but we pretty much came and went as we pleased, whether it was to the library for studying, Chanticleer for delicious cookies, or hanging out at the CI with our own personal Class of 1977ed mug. We even filled bathtubs with “slow, comfortable, screws”, or went over the Notch for lots of fun at the Frats. But even as we were enjoying our college years, the world around us was changing, and we learned about it first hand in our Poly Sci, Sociology and Philosophy classes. Roe v. Wade was being heard in the Supreme Court, President Nixon resigned and was pardoned, the Bicentennial was celebrated, and gas was 40 and 50 cents per gallon, when you could find it, which was either on odd or even days, depending upon your license plate. And while we wrote in our blue books, and typed our papers, Bill Gates was patenting the name Microsoft, and Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak formed the Apple Computer Company.
When we graduated, our class was one of the first to have choices…whether we wanted to marry or not, whether we wanted to have a family or not, whether we wanted to stay home to raise our children or become pioneers in our chosen fields (or try to do both). But much of our thinking resulted from late night dormitory conversations with friends who shared their view of both Mount Holyoke and the world, through their unique lens… Our eyes were certainly opened as a result of our four years at Mt. Holyoke College. Known for our enthusiasm and questioning spirit, the Class of 1977 is thrilled to be celebrating our 35th reunion.
Class of 1977 Liz Lewis Gershon
Class President