Hankey Center and Boyd Archives at Wilson College

We had a wonderful crowd last night for the gallery crawl at Artsfest for the opening of the newest Hankey Center exhibit celebrating Black Alumnae of the college. Next steps are to record the alums stories using the Story corps platform to preserve their memories. Plan to see the exhibit during reunion in June or stop by during regular business hours.

It's the end of an era and time for new beginnings! I will be retiring at the end of June here in sunny Wilmington, NC. If you know someone who loves Wilson College and Women's History check out the ad at wilson.edu/employment-opportunities and I will see you at Reunion!!

Wilson's Afro-Am Society regularly brought leading Black artists to campus including poets Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez.

The Hankey Center celebrates the first day of Black History Month with these striking photos from the 1970s. Stay tuned for more!

Hard to believe it's already been 14 years! As always, it is my great good fortune to uncover and tell the history of Wilson College, its incredible people and its place in the world. So many more stories to share!!

Today the Hankey Center celebrates the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis who said, "Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America." Throwback to April 1969 when Wilson's Afro-Am Society led a sit-in to protest the lack of progress in addressing the needs of Black students as outlined in a list of Imperative Proposals presented to the administration. Photos include Cassandra Hill '71 who in a speech in 1996 said about President Paul Swain Havens, "I am sure he thought it was a bad idea the day we had a sit-in outside of his Norland office to demand (as only 'angry young women' would) that the college show greater sensitivity to the needs of its new and culturally different students." Also shown is the Afro-Am Society in 1977.

Your friends at the Hankey Center wish everyone the best of luck with their final papers and exams!

The Wilson community celebrates White Dinner tomorrow evening and here’s a little history about one of our treasured traditions.

During the late 1800s, students held Christmas parties in the dining room during the last few days before the Christmas break. The parties became increasingly elaborate.

But as war was spreading in Europe in 1914, the campus community felt that the extravagance was inappropriate and on December 8th, President Anna J. McKeag held a campus meeting in Thomson Hall to inaugurate a “self-denial campaign” in which the campus community would forgo special treats such as ice cream at Skinner’s in Chambersburg or upgraded seating on the train ride home. The money that would have been spent on these luxuries was to be donated to the Belgian Relief effort for the war in Europe. McKeag also announced that there would be no Christmas party the following week and the money that would have been spent on extravagant dresses, decorations, presents and food would also be donated. Students agreed and began collecting funds. But on the day that had been scheduled for the Christmas party, the students were surprised to find a beautiful turkey dinner anyway, provided by the college.

By the 1920s, the YWCA took responsibility for the Christmas party and created pledge cards for the students to make contributions to a variety of causes, noting “We are all thankful for what we have and willing to share it with others.” Money raised went to scholarship funds for international students, foreign missionaries and charities in Appalachia.

In 1925, the festive dinner was described in the Billboard: “The white clad college family, the flickering light of many candles, the carols of the College Choir, the plea for financial gifts to those less fortunate than ourselves, the general air of congeniality and good spirits-all these were factors in making the White Dinner 1925 a true fulfillment of the Wilson tradition in which the YWCA shall be in charge of a Christmas dinner on the last Saturday before Christmas vacation.”

On this last day of National Native American Heritage Month we share an example of the disturbing way in which the settlement of the country was described and interpreted. This essay by Sarah Youngman, class of 1918, appeared in the Pharetra in 1917 and explains the history of settlements along the Conococheague from the settlers viewpoint.

Then and now - 1922 and 2022!
Go Phoenix!!

It's sweater weather ❤

We hope everyone has a blast at the Halloween Party. Here's some helpful costume inspiration for those of you who waited til the last minute! Love from your friends at the Hankey Center 🙂