6 minute read
The Female Tradition
By Josh Duke
Florida State University is steeped in rich history and tradition, bringing together generations of students throughout the years. Whether it’s wearing garnet and gold colors, singing the school song, attending a football game or jumping into Legacy Fountain, everyone has a favorite tradition that recalls memories of FSU and defines at least to some degree what it means to be a part of the university.
But the history of FSU extends back much further than some people realize. What is now recognized as one of the best universities in the country traces its history back to the 19th century, when the state legislature designated two sites of learning to be located to the west and east of the Suwannee River. Over the next few years, the school would undergo a number of changes, eventually becoming the Florida Military and Collegiate Institute, and then Florida State College following the Civil War. 1905 would mark a major turning point for the entire Florida educational system. Of the six state institutions of higher education that had popped up around Florida, the state legislature pared that number down to two: an all-male university which would be located in Gainesville and an all-female institution in Tallahassee. The latter became known as the Florida State College for Women (FSCW), and it was this institution that truly set the groundwork for modern-day FSU.
WHO RUNS THE WORLD?
For the next 42 years, the Florida State College for Women flourished, becoming the third-largest women’s institute in the United States at its height. During this time, many symbols and traditions emerged that still define FSU. For example, a version of the university seal appeared with the words “Vires, Artes, Mores” around the torches, but it also included the words “Femina Perfecta.” At FSCW, the “complete woman” was expected to embody the traits of vires (strength), artes (skill) and mores (character) represented by the torches in that seal.
The Florida State College for Women seal The legacy of FSCW even extends to the physical orientation and construction of campus. While FSU has undergone a number of renovations over the years, visitors to campus can still spot buildings that feature covered archways. These were originally intended to provide women cover from the weather as they went to the dining halls for meals. The Odds and Evens event also can trace its start to FSCW. What was one of the most exciting events of the school year, the Thanksgiving basketball game saw the “Odds”—post-graduates, juniors, and freshmen—compete against the “Evens”—seniors, sophomores, and “sub-freshmen.” The latter group created a team banner of green and gold with “SSS” emblazoned on it, while the Odds used red, white and purple. From these colors, FSU eventually got its garnet and gold school colors—garnet from a combination of red and purple from the Odds and gold from the Evens. The competition between the Odds and Evens was one of the biggest social activities of the year, but as much as the women enjoyed athletic competition, they also paid plenty of attention to their education. The Florida State College for Women focused on a true liberal arts education, which bucked the norm of women’s colleges in the South. While other all-female institutions largely focused on vocational training (by and large, teaching women to be teachers), FSCW offered women a well-rounded education, all for free tuition if they were state residents.
HISTORY OF FEMALE EDUCATION
The history of education for women in America is uneven at best. Robert Schwartz, professor of higher education at FSU, studies the history of higher education as well as issues concerning women and minorities in higher education. “Prior to the 1860s, more or less, women didn’t have access to college, to higher education,” he said. “At best, they would attend maybe finishing schools or institutions that taught them some specific skill set. The need for women to learn anything beyond elementary or maybe postsecondary education was not seen as significant.” After the Civil War, more opportunities arose, fueled in part by private entrepreneurs and religious groups. For instance, Matthew Vassar, who Schwartz likens to modern-day billionaires, used part of his fortunes from a successful brewing business to start Vassar College. “He believed that women should get an education, because they’re capable,” said Schwartz. “The question then became what were [women] going to do with this education, which was another issue down the road, but at least access to higher education in some form was available to some women.”
Eppes Hall, formerly known as the Education Building
As the country moved from an agrarian society to industrial products, demand increased for more skilled workers, but women by and large were still confined to traditional occupations, like nursing and teaching. “It wasn’t until much later in the 20th century that we really see women’s push for acceptance in other areas,” said Schwartz. As women began working other jobs, demand for women’s college increased. At the height, there were nearly 300 women’s colleges in the U.S. Today, there is a fraction of women’s colleges left. The decline started after World War II, when soldiers returning from Europe and the Pacific took advantage of the G.I. Bill, which offered college education to meet the increasing demands of skilled labor after the war. The 70s and 80s marked an even faster decline in women’s colleges, as more and more students decided they didn’t want to go to a single sex institution.
LEGACY OF WOMEN’S COLLEGES
Schwartz, who has a daughter that attended a women’s college, points out that a number of successful female role models are graduates of all-women institutions, including important activists like Gloria Steinem, Gloria Johnson-Powell; writers like Ursula K. Le Guin and Margaret Atwood; and politicians like Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Elaine Chao, to name a few. While coeducational institutions are the norm and are successful, Schwartz believes that women’s colleges are still as important as ever. Institutions like Spelman College, which Schwartz visits with his students, focus on providing education not only to women, but to African American women, and “their graduation rates are phenomenal,” Schwartz says. He believes that is in part because of the opportunities available there and the high expectations they have for their students. “Their students meet or exceed those expectations, and I think part of it is that they place the focus on being there to succeed.” Historically speaking, opportunities typically come last to women, particularly women of minority groups. All-female institutions of higher education ensure that women can get the education they need by removing some of the bias towards male—and particularly white male—students.
Case in point: despite the love for sport established at the Florida State College for Women, when the institution became coeducational after World War II, women were largely relegated to being cheerleaders rather than being players on the field. Even today, a greater emphasis is placed on men’s sports, despite FSU having more nationally ranked women’s teams, Schwartz points out. Schwartz also notes that the core liberal arts education that helped the Florida State College for Women also became sidelined after World War II, when the focus moved away from subjects like English, theater and teaching and towards science and mathematics. “The men came back [from World War II], and FSU hired a group of new male teachers,” which greatly skewed the gender disparity of faculty at FSU. “The whole culture of the institution changed dramatically.” It’s been the better part of a century since men returned to Florida State University, and the future of FSU will undoubtedly see exceptional students, regardless of gender, uphold the values of vires, artes, and mores. While the years to come look bright for the university, it is important to remember the legacy and the importance of the Florida State College for Women. Without the success of the FSCW, Florida State might look like an incredibly different place.
