In diving into the Archives of Saint Mary’s College and discovering a variety of memorabilia from past students of Saint Mary’s College of the 1920s and the 1970s, it has been easy to notice that the devotion in encouraging women’s voices in a male-centered world has always been a goal for the students and institution. It was easy for me to think that young women of the 1920s weren’t thinking about the same topics that are still discussed in present day Saint Mary’s College, such as abortion and the ability for women to have a career while also being a mother/wife, yet SMC students were fighting to gain that equality even then, fighting for their rights alongside the feminist movements during that period. I used to believe that if Saint Mary’s College got the chance to combine with the University of Notre Dame it would have happened fairly fast, but once again I was happily surprised in the decision to not merge. By not merging with Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s was able to maintain their autonomy and show the rest of the country how women’s colleges can thrive without having to be coeducational. The fact that SMC is still standing today out of the few remaining women’s colleges that are running in present time proves how strong Saint Mary’s is in its beliefs regarding the empowerment of women. I have more respect for Saint Mary’s as an institution because of its fight to thrive even when all the conditions were against them (like other women’s colleges merging with male institutions to stay alive), and I think that if more people knew the backstory of Saint Mary’s College, it would entice more women to attend because of the resilient strength that shows throughout time. 

While fighting for equality and rights, students didn’t forget to have fun. I noticed that a lot more dances occurred in the 1920s compared to the dances that take place in the present time, but a majority of them took place with Notre Dame students. I admired that Saint Mary’s students had dances for just the women on campus, where the women danced with each other, because it showed the comfort with each other and served as community building. Saint Mary’s identity has changed for me because there has been an improvement in the inclusivity on campus compared to the 1920s. More people of color, LGBTQIA+, and religious backgrounds attend SMC today, making the campus more diverse and open to new perspectives on topics discussed on campus. I think that, through the years, the students and institution have shown that there has always been an effort to support women and the core values of the college: learning, community, faith/spirituality, and justice. 

Knowing more about the history of students in the 1920s allows not only students of the present day but also alumnae and people outside of the SMC community to gain more knowledge about history that has been buried for years. This, I think, is beneficial because it pinpoints areas that still need to be worked on today while also making history seem more relatable than distant. When I think of the 1920s, I usually feel like I would never be able to relate to things happening during that era, but there is more in common than most people would think, like the ongoing fight for women’s rights, equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and abortion rights. Being in the Archives was something that felt like going into the unknown, mainly because there isn’t a lot of talk about the Archives of Saint Mary’s College. It is a hidden area in the basement of Madeleva that I had no knowledge of until working on this project, so I think that more recognition should be given to the Archives and the work done there because, without it, learning about the history of Saint Mary’s College would be close to impossible. 

After diving deeply into the archival materials, I have an urge to unearth more information about the institution because it is important to acknowledge the past we, as a community, have come from. I think there are also ethical questions that could be asked, such as if a student would want their story shared with everyone on the web, or if they still think a certain way in today’s society. I think there should also be some hesitation to summarize student’s lives and writings, as with the Chimes or other written material, because it wouldn’t be useful to misinterpret someone else’s ideas. Digging into the archives opened up a new understanding of Saint Mary’s College because I could better comprehend how the institution came to be the way it is today, and it’s comforting to know that the College still holds close to the same ideas that were held one hundred years ago. As always, I think there could always be more improvements as time evolves, and I think that Saint Mary’s will continue to improve as a women’s college. From the 1920s to 2023, the idea of community at SMC has always held strong and will continue to, leaving students with the comfort of knowing they’ll always have a home at Saint Mary’s College. 

Evie Yarber ‘25
English Literature and Humanistic Studies