This Tuesday I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Holley, the woman who I am basing my project on. Barbara Holley donated a personal collection of scrapbooks to Special Collections. These scrapbooks document the years she attended Gettysburg College (1950-1954). It was interesting to hear what could not be gathered from her scrapbooks, personal stories, and thoughts. We chatted about the college customs freshmen had to follow. She told me that the customs lasted the whole first semester. One thing she distinctly remembers is not daring to walk on the grass, even though the upperclassmen would try to trick the freshmen into stepping on the grass. I asked her what she thought of the freshmen customs. I thought she would tell me that she thought they were unnecessary but she actually replied that they were a lot of fun.
We also talked about the changing geography of the college. Most of her classes were in Glatfelter Hall since there were not as many buildings on campus. Huber Hall served as the student’s dining hall. Ms. Holley then went on to tell us how awful the food was and how their one saving grace was the neighborhood food truck that came around to deliver sandwiches. This is a little bit different from today’s love of Servo.
I am happy to have met Ms. Holley and hope to see more of her in the future.
Glad you had the opportunity to meet her!