Around the Calendar: Washington College in the 1930s

The Washington College Archives recently received a generous donation from Rena Fowler; those funds allowed us to digitize some of our oldest audiovisual materials, including film reels, reel-to-reel audio tapes, audio cassettes, and VHS tapes.

In the 1930s, President Titsworth authorized the college to begin shooting some films of life on campus. Around the Calendar was one of these early films. This twelve-minute silent film shows various vignettes of student life, such as leaving William Smith, walking next door to the old Cain Gym, waiting in line to get into the basement cafeteria for lunch, some of the hazing students had to endure, and sports at the college including football and women’s sports, along with some views of the Chester River.

 

 

This little snippet of college life from the early 30s shows a small campus in a quiet town on the Eastern Shore. The campus and student body have grown since then, but students engaging in activities, clubs, and sports is a constant part of college life.

You can watch “Around the Calendar” on our digital archive and other short films from the 1930s to the 1960s here: https://washcoll.whirlihost.com/Detail/collections/755