College History

Heritage of Carthage

A Community in Transition: Carthage in the 1950s

By Tom Noer, Valor Distinguished Professor of the Humanities
July 1995

Old Denhart Girls' Dorm

Those too young to remember the 1950s have an image, largely shaped by movies and television, of a decade of simplicity, innocence and certainty. Coming after the twin traumas of the Great Depression and World War II, before the violence and turmoil of the 1960s, there is a strong nostalgia for the "happy days" of Leave it to Beaver, Hula Hoops, Elvis, Milton Berle, Dwight Eisenhower, and Father Knows Best.

There was, of course, another side to the "carefree '50s" that generally is ignored by television and the movies. The tensions of the Cold War, a bloody conflict in Korea, nuclear standoff, the space race, fervent anti-Communism, and the first major attacks on racial and sexual discrimination have led some scholars to describe the period as "the age of anxiety."

Carthage College in the 1950s reflected much of the innocence and some of the anxiety of the period. Carthage students of the past three decades may be amused at the regulations and restrictions imposed on their predecessors and perhaps perplexed by the previous classes' seeming acceptance of tradition and authority. In stark contrast to college students a decade later, most of the so-called silent generation assumed their role was to follow, rather than to challenge authority.

Despite the apparent simplicity and security, there was also a sense of anxiety in Carthage, Illinois, in the 1950s as the College moved ever closer to the relocation of the campus to Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is the Carthage of the 1950s, the last generation at the old campus on the prairies of Hancock County, that is the subject of this chapter in "The Heritage of Carthage."

A Family of the '50s

Carthage students in the '50s saw themselves as a part of a long tradition and, more importantly, members of a strong community. There was a unity, a sense of spirit, and a feeling of family often absent from the more complex and individualistic decades that followed. Like a family, the faculty, staff, and students of Carthage were both physically and emotionally close. Small in numbers, isolated from the outside world, often on the edge of financial disaster, they lived, studied, worked, ate, and played together. Like all families, rules and discipline existed, yet pranks and rebellion, celebrations and crises also were common. But throughout the campus, a sense of togetherness has remained long after the buildings of the old campus were abandoned.

The Great-Depression of the 1930s hit private colleges, like Carthage, particularly hard. During the four years of global war that followed, the U.S. drafted many male students and imposed severe hardships on those who remained on campus. After victory over Germany and Japan in 1945, the College had to adapt to the surge of students returning from the war. By 1950, most of the World War II vets were finishing their education, and the College entered yet another period of readjustment.

Freshman Year

Students arriving at the isolated town of Carthage, Illinois, in 1950, entered a society of rich tradition and strict regulation. Customs and conventions passed down for decades were an accepted part of campus life. First-year students were ushered immediately into a world of rules and ritual during the lengthy Freshman Orientation.

After unpacking, first-year students were given a list of ten rules to follow until Homecoming in late October. Sophomores drew up the regulations and enforced the rules. For the next eight weeks, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., freshmen were required to wear green beanies - symbols of powerless newcomers. Women were required to wear them at all times, while men were allowed to remove beanies inside classrooms. At the command of "button frosh," they had to touch the button of their cap as a sign of respect.

Freshmen were barred from stepping on Evergreen Walk, expected to address all upper-class students as "sir or ma'am," and required to stand at attention when a sophomore entered or left a room. They also were prohibited from using certain dormitory entrances during the entire orientation period. All new students were required to learn and sing the "Alma Mater" and "Here's to the Man Who Wears a C!" and to wash the cars and clean the rooms of sophomores. Those violating orientation rules were summoned to Freshman Court for punishment, including a walk through "the pits."

While faculty occasionally protested that the hazing of freshmen got out of hand, it served as an early bond among students and created a sense of class unity. Also, there was comfort in knowing that next year freshmen would be on the opposite end of the hazing process. As one sophomore wrote in a poem to new students:

"Oh sufferers, for we pity you, how deep in panic you sank. But buck up, kids, for someday too, you can boast of Sophomore rank"

Separate, But Not Equal

New students also found that the roles of men and women were clearly separate and not equal. Women had a required curfew, while men had no such restrictions. First-year female students had to be in their residence hall by 9:00 on weeknights, sophomores by 9:30, and juniors and seniors by 10:00. On Fridays and Saturdays, coeds could stay out until 12:00 and Sundays until 10:30. LPs (late permission) and SPs (special permission) were available only with prior approval. Doors were locked at curfew, and those not inside were assessed "late minutes." Frequent tardiness resulted in confinement to the dorm for a weekend.

Residence halls were strictly off-limits to the opposite sex, except for semi-annual open houses. One evening each semester, women could visit the men's dorms from 7.30-8:30, and from 8:45-10:00, men could enter women's residences. During all visitations, faculty and administration patrolled the halls to be sure that all doors remained completely open.

Both men and women had dress codes. Women were not allowed to wear slacks, even to football games, unless the temperature fell below a level the administration judged dangerous to their health. Coeds were required to wear dresses, while men had to don jackets and ties to the two dress-up dinners each week where they were served by waiters. To insure proper conduct at these and other formal affairs, Eleanor Lentz, wife of the College's president, instituted a course in table manners and social etiquette so incoming students could learn what silverware to use, where to place a napkin, and how to make casual conversation.

There was a sign-up sheet to insure attendance at the required chapel programs, but some students became well known for the ability to write nearly a dozen names in different handwriting. There were several threats to lower grades of those who missed chapel, but they were never enforced. Class attendance also was mandatory, and at the end of each week, the instructor compiled a list of students who had missed class, recommending them for counseling. Those who cut classes the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter break without a written medical excuse were given "double cuts" as punishment. Professors also were required to attend faculty meetings and submit a sign-up sheet to the Dean of the College.

Dating was carefully regulated as well. Couples could meet in the lounge areas of the dorms, but only with a chaperone present, the lights on, and all feet on the floor. Kissing on the steps of the dorms was frowned upon, but this did not prevent couples from long and passionate "mashing" while resident assistants enforced the female curfew by flicking the front lights off and on.

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

The College curriculum also was strict. In later decades, the College offered many more choices and electives, but for most of the '50s, Carthage students had a very prescribed course of study. Every student was required to take a two-credit speech class, eight hours of religion, eight hours of a lab science, three credits of math, 10 credits in English, six-12 hours in a foreign language, two courses in history, one class in philosophy, and four hours of physical education. In 1956, the College required a course in psychology.

Like freshman hazing, the rigid academic requirements fostered a sense of solidarity as nearly all students took the same courses from the same instructors. Everyone had to face Merle Boyer in philosophy, complete a course from Juanita Jones in literature, and survive Altman Swihart's class in The Bible. Seniors passed down to freshmen war stories about individual faculty members, as well as old lecture notes and exams.

Residence Life

Faculty, staff, and students all lived near each other in clearly-defined areas either on or near campus: women in Denhart and North Halls, with a few in the Home Economics Building; men in Memorial Hall and the infamous World War II surplus temporary men's dormitory, dubbed "The Barracks;" married students in the Collegeville Apartments; and unmarried instructors in "sleepy hollow." Most married faculty lived a block or two from campus and walked home for lunch.

Housing conditions were primitive compared to modern dorms. The Barracks were a particular problem. Made of cheap prefab material, the dorm was thrown together to house troops in training during World War II and then donated to Carthage to provide space for the stream of veterans coming to the College. By the 1950s, they had deteriorated badly. One student blew a hole in the roof of his room shooting at a particularly large rodent, during one of the frequent "rat hunts."

Even the president of the College faced a housing problem. The White House, a historic building that served as the home of Carthage presidents, was in bad repair when Harold Lentz arrived on campus in 1952. The electricity went out several times a month. During rain storms, a river gushed through the basement, often dousing the furnace. The foundation was so cracked that Lentz claimed he could stand in his basement and look across campus through the gaps in the walls. Lentz finally prevailed on the Board to purchase a new home for the president, and the White House became the Home Economics Building.

Lake Carthage

If adversity brings people together, the annual "monsoons" served the purpose at Carthage. Spring rains created a massive campus lake for weeks at a time. Wooden planks were set up to help students navigate across campus, but they often were submerged. New students were warned of Carthage crocodiles lurking in the waters off Evergreen Walk and missing persons posters were nailed up claiming students had been drowned or eaten by the crocs. Eventually the College invested in a system of drainage tiles to control the floods, but met only modest success.

Student employment was another source of campus unity. Carthage, Illinois, claimed a population of 3,000, although most thought that number was inflated. The town had no major industry and few opportunities for off-campus employment. As a result, the College became the workplace for most students. They served as janitors, groundskeepers, cooks, waiters, secretaries, delivery persons, painters, mechanics, telephone operators, and in dozens of other jobs. Clayton Diskerud, a student in the late '50s and now a professor of social science at Carthage, helped finance his education by writing press releases for the athletic department at a rate of five cents a column inch. Other campus jobs paid from 40 to 50 cents an hour, until wages were raised to 60 cents in 1958. This may seem a paltry salary, but costs at Carthage were low for a private college. A full year of room, board, and tuition was less than $1,000 in 1950 and even in 1959 was only $1,200.

Kampus Kapers

Not only did the College serve as the center of employment, it was also the entertainment hub for both students and faculty. Some students had cars, but it was a long, journey to Macomb, Ill., or Keokuk, Iowa, for recreation, and most Carthage students had little spending money. Therefore, the campus was the source of most entertainment.

Campus clubs and organizations sponsored a variety of cheap or free activities throughout the year. Philochristos and other religious groups organized regular programs culminating in Religious Emphasis Week with speakers from across the region. The music department offered student and faculty recitals, choir and band concerts, and professional guest artists. Carthage theatre productions were a major source of entertainment for students, faculty, staff and the community. There were two or three major productions each semester ranging from Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies to Broadway musicals with full orchestras that were sold out during their entire run. Nationally-known jazz artists such as George Shearing, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, performed at the College.

To encourage visits to the isolated campus, Mrs. Lentz began a Mother's Day program in 1954. Although only 32 mothers participated, the next year 160 attended. The program was so successful that it was expanded to Parents' Weekend to include fathers, a tradition that continues at Carthage to this day.

Despite these official events, the student activities and productions often attracted the most attention. The annual Kampus Kapers, a male-only musical show on the Friday of Homecoming, was a campus tradition. Featuring slapstick, skits, singing and dancing, Kampus Kapers often flirted with the risque, at least by 1950s standards. One critic counted eight uses of the word "hell" at one performance. After a particularly bawdy production, the College scheduled a special chapel program to discuss immoral aspects of life on a Christian college stage.

In the spring, Carthage women had their opportunity with "The Girls' Show," a similar production with more acceptable language. Organized around a theme such as women and work, or women of the world, the show had a chorus line, skits, and individual dances and songs. In addition, faculty and staff staged occasional variety shows featuring Harold Lentz's banjo playing and orations by "The Gov.," librarian Percy Hylton. Students also ran a campus radio station, WCAZ, that featured music, campus news, and Carthage Connie reading children's stories.

Gridiron Glory

A final source of campus community and entertainment was athletics, particularly football. Football, and to a lesser extent, basketball games, were truly all-College events. The campus and community newspapers spent the entire week previewing the next opponent. There were pep rallies for nearly all home football games, especially for arch rival Augustana College. Homecoming Week included rallies, bonfires, alumni speakers, a parade, the coronation of a king and queen, and a formal dance after the game.

Enthusiasm for football dominated the entire decade, but increased dramatically after the hiring of Art Keller, '44, as coach in 1952. In the previous two years, Carthage had managed only one victory, and Keller, a former star end at Carthage, inherited a squad of only 18 players. He immediately established strict discipline on the team by suspending several players for arriving late to practice or missing classes. Despite the low numbers, Keller's teams quickly developed a reputation for ferocious defense. In his first year, Keller managed a 5-2 record, highlighted by a 33-13 victory over Augustana. For the rest of the decade, Carthage had winning teams and captured several conference championships. In 1958, Keller was named NAIA District 20 Coach of the Year - the first of many such awards he would earn during his long and brilliant career at Carthage.

After Hours

While on-campus entertainment dominated their free time, students with cars could journey to the Rainbow Restaurant or Cotton's Steak House for a meal, or to movies and dances in Keokuk or Macomb. Those without cars had to seek recreation within the town as there was no bus or train service to or from Carthage after 1952. But it was possible to walk to the Woodbine Theater, the Crystal Ball Roller Rink, or the Chief Bowling Lanes. Friday night fish fries at Frank and Ginger's were popular, and town cafes, such as Flora Thum's and the Calhoun Kafee, offered Mississippi River catfish, "maidrite" sandwiches, and other local cuisine. Some students also defied College regulations by visiting Sam's Bottle Shop for a few quarts of Stag beer.

Given the lack of recreational opportunities in town, most faculty entertained in their homes. Bridge and reading groups, progressive dinners, and pot lucks dominated. New faculty were considered to be finally accepted in the community when one of the local farmers permitted them to hunt on their land. The one formal event for the staff and faculty was the annual Christmas dinner at the Keokuk Country Club hosted by the president.

Shopping opportunities in Carthage, Illinois, were rather limited, but Phil Califf s Clothing Store did offer the latest in campus fashions. Particularly popular was the Carthage Blazer, a blue sport coat with the College crest available to both men and women for $24.95.

Creamed Crocodiles and Typing Dogs

Given the confinement of most students to the campus, and their need for entertainment, college pranks were an important part of Carthage in the '50s. Semesters were long with few breaks. First term began in early September and lasted until the end of January, with only a two-day Thanksgiving break and two weeks off at Christmas. The spring semester ran from early February to the first week in June with only Good Friday and Easter Monday off. To relieve the monotony of classes and work, students developed several ways to enliven campus life.

Periodically, all the silverware disappeared from the dining hall, only to be returned after stern warnings from the administration. All of the root beer mugs were occasionally found stacked on the steps of Denhart Hall. One fall, a poster in the dining hall announced a special meal of Creamed Carthage Crocodiles for Homecoming. Kissing Rock was the object of great creativity. Several times, hard­working students buried it during the night, posting lookouts to warn of intruding faculty or administration. Each spring, C-Club members invaded men's dorms to search for and seize all athletic equipment, shorts, sweatshirts, and uniforms that had been taken by non-athletes.

In 1958, students found that five or six of them could easily lift a tiny red Isetta auto belonging to one coed. In the next few weeks, her car was found in the middle of Evergreen Walk, on the steps of Denhart, and on the pitcher's mound of the baseball field.

One college prank even drew national attention. Student photographer Scott Marriner posed President Lentz's dog, Major, seated in front of a typewriter with his paws on the keys. The photo was sent to the wire services and appeared in newspapers throughout the nation.

Age of Anxiety

Kampus Kapers, Carthage crocodiles, and typing dogs represented the humor and innocence of the campus m the 1950s. Despite its isolation, however, Carthage found it could not entirely escape the problems of the nation and of the College itself. In the background of the 1950s, real-world issues loomed, including the Cold War, anti-Communism, the nuclear threat, and an uncertain economy. Of more immediate concern were the continued financial problems of the College and the preparations for a new campus in Kenosha, Wis..

Like the rest of the nation, the Carthage community assumed the tension of World War II would end with the allied victory, and America would disband its armies and return to its traditional isolationism. There was little time for celebration, however, as the world situation quickly developed into a global Cold War.

By 1950, Carthage men again faced the draft, and the College revived its officer-training programs that had been abandoned after the Japanese surrender. Carthage men were offered both Marine Corps and Navy summer programs to qualify for commissions after graduation. After the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, and the decision to send U.S. troops, Carthage students sponsored blood drives and letter-writing campaigns for American G.I.s in Korea.

The campus also felt the effects of the nuclear threat. In the mid-'50s, the College designated fall-out shelter areas for students, staff and faculty in the event of a nuclear attack and joined community leaders to organize civil defense teams.

Campus politics mirrored the general conservatism of the nation in the decade. Most students at Carthage were strongly Republican. A mock primary election in 1952 found a majority supported conservative Ohio Senator Robert Taft over the more liberal Dwight Eisenhower for the Republican nomination. Student Democrats favored Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver rather than home state candidate Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. In the final election, 160 students voted for Eisenhower, 59 for Stevenson, and three dissenters chose Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas. In 1956, students again favored Eisenhower over Stevenson by a 3-1 margin.

National politics were important at Carthage, but more immediate were issues involving the College itself. Although enrollment had risen sharply in the postwar years, as the G.I. Bill helped World War II veterans return to college, by the 1950s, Carthage enrollment had plummeted. In 1946, nearly 700 students strained the capacity of the College. By 1951, the enrollment had declined to 437, and the budget had a $52,000 deficit. Declining enrollment and continued financial problems ultimately led to the decision to relocate the College to Kenosha in 1962.

A Model of Community

Carthage College in the 1950s was a place of transition. For over 100 years, the College was rooted in Illinois, but by the end of the decade, its future was in Wisconsin. Those at Carthage during this time were a vital part of this transition. The last generation of the "Illinois Carthaginians," had to preserve the traditions, the commitment to community, and the love of learning that characterized the College, and transmit these to a new generation of students in a new location.

Many of the people, places, and traditions that defined Carthage in the 1950s have passed, but the contributions of this generation of students to the College continue. Pearl Goeller, Alice Kibbe, "the Gov.," Juanita Jones, Merle Chapin, Art Keller, Eric Olson and others who shaped the students' lives are gone. Old Main, Evergreen Walk and Memorial Hall are now memories. New students no longer fear the cry of "button frosh!" and few know the words to "Here's to the Man Who Wears a C!" Dormitories — now called residence halls — have cable television, VCRs, and computers, and students have access to entertainment from around the world. There is less of a need for Kampus Kapers when Milwaukee and Chicago are only an hour away.

Despite the differences in college life in the '50s and today, there is more than nostalgia involved in remembering the "old" Carthage. There is a model of a true community of students, faculty, and administration living and learning together that never will be lost. It was a time when being at Carthage meant being an integral part of a group and in a place where everyone knew and cared about each other. It is this model that inspires Carthage today to maintain that sense of closeness that characterized the College a generation earlier and to keep it a special place. It is that vision of a sharing and caring community that is the '50s generation's strongest contribution to "The Heritage of Carthage."