1940s Student Handbook

1940s Student Handbook

Madison College, students, handbook, residence hall, curfew

The Student Handbook was, and still is, a major reference for students to find information about school. Dormitory regulations and dating rules are particularly interesting in this handbook from 1941. All students had to register with the Dean of Women if they were to be off campus after 6:00 p.m. and curfew for freshmen and sophomores was set at 10:15 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., depending on the day. Older students were allowed to be out until 11:00. At 11:00 p.m., it was time for lights out; this meant no reading or studying--just “absolute quiet.” Juniors and seniors had slightly different rules, to allow them to study longer as fitting their more rigorous class load.

While dormitory rooms were more private than public areas like the parlors or reception rooms, even these still had strict guidelines and etiquette. Requiring all lights to be extinguished by a certain time was a way of ensuring order. Quiet hours still remain today at James Madison University, but the “lights out” policy has been abolished [Quote from: Student Handbook, 1941-1942, Madison College, p. 109.]

Madison College

Iris Alina Ruiz Collection, SC#5051

James Madison University Libraries and Educational Technologies

1941-1942

For information on publishing or citation of an item in a non-educational, fair use context, please contact Special Collections.

300 dpi jpg

Still Image