Yesterday's Student Life at FSU

In 1947, in order to meet the increased need for education that came with the return of soldiers after World War II, Florida State College for Women returned to being coeducational and was renamed Florida State University. The return to co-ed was a step back for female students. Dress code was reinstated, student organizations were disbanded, and women’s sports were ended. In addition, strict curfew was put in place for female students. Residence halls were locked at 10pm on weekdays and 12am on weekends. Women found outside were arrested by campus police and taken back to their residence halls. Students were then taken to their Dorm Mother to be disciplined. A Dorm Mother was an older woman who lived in a female residence hall in order to enforce university procedure. After being disciplined by a Dorm Mother, the student would be taken to the Dean of Women for further discipline.

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Beyond differences in policy, the campus itself was divided for men and women. All residence halls were segregated by sex. Jennie Murphree, Reynolds, Bryan, Broward, Gilchrist, Cawthon, and Landis halls, the eastern residence halls, were reserved for women. Kellum, Smith, Dorman, Deviney, Degraff, and Magnolia halls, the western residence halls, were reserved for men. The separation between men and women at FSU can still be seen by the location of fraternities and sororities. The majority of the fraternities were founded on the west side of campus, while the sororities were founded on the east side.

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In terms of student life, the transition to coed was a step backwards for women at Florida State. While FSCW women had enjoyed expanded (albeit still limited) social freedom under previous administration, such freedom was revoked under the coed system. It could be argued that restrictions on women such as curfews and supervision were to provide safety, but such claims would be unfounded as FSCW was coed during summer terms and did not have issues with safety. 

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