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Dancing Through the Great Depression
In the Classroom |
A humorous look at science classes in the original LeConte College (now Barnwell). |
| By 1932 Carolina had to take drastic steps to deal with its plummeting budget.
Faculty salaries were cut in half, tuition fees were raised, and special scholarships and funding for summer
school were eliminated.
Carolina’s situation was worse than that of Clemson or Winthrop, because the University had pledged its tuition
fees in advance to pay for a loan to furnish the new education building. Restrictions were placed on the admission of women,
and female day students had to pay an extra $10 per semester; presumably, this was done because the female graduates were
believed to be less likely to seek employment. |
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Havilah Babcock | Certain faculty members stood out as student favorites, and are still remembered fondly among
the graduates of the 1930s.
English professor Havilah Babcock was one of the most popular professors in USC history. Babcock’s love of the outdoors occasionally
disrupted his teaching schedule, especially during hunting and fishing season.
History professor Yates Snowden cut a striking figure as he walked across campus, with his snow white hair and characteristic black cape.
His wit, charm, and appearance earned him the nickname, “The Incarnation of the Old South.”
Students learned to take notes very quickly in Guy Lipscomb’s chemistry classes. As he wrote on the blackboard with his right hand,
he erased what he had just written with his left hand.
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Caricature of McKissick from the 1939 yearbook. |
| Yet another well-known figure on campus was that of journalism dean J. Rion McKissick, who became president of
the University in 1936. A former newspaper man, “The Colonel,” as students dubbed him, was instantly recognizable walking across campus,
with his slouch hat and ever-present cigar. He was also well known for his formal speeches, which usually began, “Men and women of Carolina,”
as well as his impromptu speeches at the Maxcy Monument or while standing on a table in the dining hall, when some disciplinary infraction had
occurred. |
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An example of female student fashion from 1931. |
| Students dressed far more formally than those of today. Women were expected to attend classes in skirts or dresses.
Women’s coats were frequently trimmed in fur or faux fur. Although the shorter hemlines and garter belts of the flappers in the Roaring
Twenties had raised some eyebrows, female student fashions returned to a more demure style in the 1930s. Men were expected to wear suits
or slacks and a sweater. Hats were a popular accessory for both genders. |
An example of male student fashion from 1929. |
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