Associated Women Students Handbooks, 1924-1963

By Helena Egbert and Elizabeth Nielsen

Collection Overview

Title: Associated Women Students Handbooks, 1924-1963

ID: PUB 010-23d

Primary Creator: Oregon State College. Associated Women Students.

Extent: 0.35 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Associated Women Students Handbooks are arranged in 4 series: 1. Associated Women Students (AWS) Handbook and Coed Code, 1924-1963; 2. AWS and Administrative Regulations for Women, 1955-1963; 3. Save Your Blushes, 1939-1946; and 4. From the Inside Looking Out, circa 1934.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Associated Women Students Handbooks (commonly known as the Coed Code) consist of guides for women students at Oregon State University regarding regulations and expectations. The first handbook was published in 1924 for the 1924-1925 academic year. The Coed Code ceased publication in 1963 with the 1963-1964 issue. The Associated Women Students was established at Oregon State in 1924 with the purpose of furthering the educational, social, and cultural aims of women.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Scope and Content Notes

The Associated Women Students Handbooks consist of guides and handbooks published by the Associated Women Students as an orientation for women students at Oregon State University. The handbooks (commonly known as the Coed Code) address a full range of topics including housing requirements for women; visitation hours; social regulations and expectations; sports and recreation; and campus organizations for women, including sororities, honor societies, and clubs. The handbooks describe annual events sponsored by the Associated Women Students and campus traditions for women. Many of the handbooks provide guidance about balancing academic work with social and extra-curricular activities as well as information on campus etiquette and social conventions. The handbooks include a greeting and welcome from the Dean of Women.

The handbooks were published as the Associated Women Students (AWS) Handbook from 1924 through 1934. From the Inside Looking Out was the title of the 1935-1936 handbook and Pathways was the handbook for 1936-1937. In 1937, Coed Code became the title of the handbook and remained so until publication ceased with the 1963-1964 Coed Code. The sole exception during this period was the 1950-1951 handbook, Thru the Years – A Mid-Century Edition.

This collection also includes separate publications of the AWS and Administrative Regulations for Women issued in 1955-1963; Save Your Blushes, a guide to campus etiquette published in 1939 and 1946; and From the Inside Looking Out, a guide for first year women students in 1934-1935 prepared by the Rookess Counselors.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.

Biographical / Historical Notes

The Associated Women Students was established at Oregon State in 1924 with the purpose of furthering the educational, social, and cultural aims of women; all women students, alumni, and faculty were members. The organization served as an umbrella organization for all women's living groups, honorary societies, and clubs on campus and sponsored a variety of activities. The Dean of Women served as an advisor and administrative liaison with the organization. The Associated Women Students became inactive in June 1970.

Author: Elizabeth Nielsen

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 1 box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These publications were acquired by the former University Archives in multiple transfers from the 1960s through 1990s.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center holds numerous collections documenting the experiences of women students at Oregon State, including many scrapbooks and the records of women’s clubs and organizations. Included among these are the Associated Women Students Scrapbook (MSS AWS) and the Dean of Women’s Office Records (RG 057). The Associated Women Student Handbooks are also available in the History of Oregon State University (HistOSU) book collection with call numbers LD 4346.2 .A3; LD 4346.2 .A32; and LD 4346 .A3. Social and academic regulations for both women and men are available in the Student Regulations (PUB 012-13c).

Preferred Citation: Associated Women Students Handbooks (PUB 010-23d), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Processing Information: Several separate publication groups were combined to form this collection of handbooks for women. Formerly, the AWS Handbooks and Regulations (PUB 010-23e), Coed Code (PUB 010-23d), Save Your Blushes (PUB 010-23h), and From the Inside Looking Out (PUB 010-23f) were individual collections. All are now described as the Associated Women Students Handbooks (PUB 010-23d) and the former collections have been closed.

Creators

Oregon State College. Associated Women Students.
Oregon Agricultural College. Associated Women Students.
Oregon State Agricultural College. Associated Women Students.
Oregon State University. Associated Women Students

People, Places, and Topics

College students--Conduct of life
College students--Oregon--Corvallis--Social life and customs.
College students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Deans of women--Oregon--Corvallis.
Oregon Agricultural College--Regulations
Oregon Agricultural College. Associated Women Students
Oregon State Agricultural College--Regulations
Oregon State Agricultural College. Associated Women Students
Oregon State College--Regulations
Oregon State College. Associated Women Students.
Oregon State College. Dean of Women
Oregon State University--Regulations
Oregon State University. Associated Women Students
Oregon State University. Dean of Women
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
Women--Education (Higher)--Oregon--Corvallis.
Women--Oregon--Corvallis--Societies and clubs.
Women--Recreation--Oregon--Corvallis.
Women--Social conditions.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Associated Women Students (AWS) Handbook and Coed Code, 1924-1963

Series 1 comprises the bulk of this collection and consists of handbooks for the 1924-1925 thru 1963-1964 academic years. The AWS Handbook was not published for the 1931-1932 and 1933-1934 academic years.

Box-Folder 1.1: 1924-1929

Item 1: AWS Handbook for 1924-1925, 1924
Item 2: AWS Handbook for 1926-1927, 1926
Item 3: AWS Handbook for 1927-1928, 1927
Item 4: AWS Handbook for 1928-1929, 1928
Item 5: AWS Handbook for 1929-1930, 1929

Box-Folder 1.2: 1930-1934

Item 1: AWS Handbook for 1930-1931, 1930
Item 2: AWS Handbook for 1932-1933, 1932
Item 3: AWS Handbook for 1934-1935, 1934: 2 copies

Box-Folder 1.3: 1935-1939

Item 1: From the Inside Looking Out, 1935: Handbook for 1935-1936.
Item 2: Pathways, 1936: Handbook for 1936-1937.
Item 3: Coed Code for 1937-1938, 1937
Item 4: Coed Code for 1938-1939, 1938
Item 5: Coed Code for 1939-1940, 1939

Box-Folder 1.4: 1940-1950

Item 1: Coed Code for 1940-1941, 1940
Item 2: Coed Code for 1941-1942, 1941
Item 3: Coed Code for 1943-1944, 1943
Item 4: Coed Code for 1944-1945, 1944
Item 5: Coed Code for 1945-1946, 1945
Item 6: Coed Code for 1946-1947, 1946
Item 7: Coed Code for 1947-1948, 1947
Item 8: Coed Code for 1948-1949, 1948
Item 9: Coed Code for 1949-1950, 1949
Item 10: Thru the Years, 1950: This handbook, for the 1950-1951 academic year, is sub-titled the "Mid-Century Edition" and includes a brief history of the Associated Women Students.

Box-Folder 1.5: 1951-1959

Item 1: Coed Code for 1951-1952, 1951
Item 2: Coed Code for 1952-1953, 1952: 2 copies
Item 3: Coed Code for 1953-1954, 1953
Item 4: Coed Code for 1954-1955, 1954
Item 5: Coed Code for 1955-1956, 1955
Item 6: Coed Code for 1956-1957, 1956
Item 7: Coed Code for 1957-1958, 1957
Item 8: Coed Code for 1958-1959, 1958
Item 9: Coed Code for 1959-1960, 1959

Box-Folder 1.6: 1960-1963

Item 1: Coed Code for 1960-1961, 1960
Item 2: Coed Code for 1961-1962, 1961
Item 3: Coed Code for 1962-1963, 1962
Item 4: Coed Code for 1963-1964, 1963

Series 2: AWS and Administrative Regulations for Women, 1955-1963

Series 2 consists of annual brochures specifying the Associated Women Students and administrative regulations for women at Oregon State. This series includes brochures for 1955-1957, 1959-1960, and 1963. These regulations address closing, opening, and visitation in women's houses and residence halls; requirements regarding housing and conduct for women; and the role and responsibility of the AWS Board of Reference. Specific rules for women's interactions with men, alcohol, serenades and the protocol for leaving campus or Corvallis for more than a day are also included.

Box-Folder 1.7

Series 3: Save Your Blushes, 1939-1946

Series 3 consists of two issues of Save Your Blushes, published in 1939 and 1946 by the Associated Women Students Etiquette Board. These guides to campus etiquette include sections on table manners, chaperones, living with others, dating, use of slang, proper attire, and smoking.

Box-Folder 1.8

Series 4: From the Inside Looking Out, circa 1934

Series 4 consists of one undated item, From the Inside Looking Out, a booklet from the Rookess Counselors to incoming women students (rookesses). Janet Fenner was chair of the Rookess Counselors in 1934-1935, suggesting this was published in 1934 for the 1934-1935 academic year. The AWS Handbook for the following year (1935-1936) was titled, From the Inside Looking Out.

Box-Folder 1.9

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