University of Virginia Library

Feminine Attitudes

We were pleased to hear of the Raven
Society's decision to admit women last
Wednesday, after 66 years of exclusive male
membership. What made that decision
especially pleasing was that the Raven Society
went ahead and chose several women for
membership, instead of waiting several years.

The Raven Society for years has had the
reputation of being one of the most civilized
honorary societies on the Grounds. Imagine, if
you can, a female T.I.L.K.A., IMP, or Eli
Banana. Earlier this year women were not
considered as possible recipients for DuPont
Scholarships simply because the selection
committee seemed to forget their presence on
the Grounds. And there are other examples of
discrimination, some overt, and others that
seem to be just plain tradition. Every so often
a young lady will storm into our office and
recount a tale of some professor who
automatically gives women a grade one point
lower than the males in the same class.

Certainly the University community has
come a long way in accepting the presence of
women here. In 1934, this column contained
an editorial which stated "A university is for
learning and discussion but when it is
coeducational it becomes a place for playing
and for love." The editorial concluded with
the following words on the subject of women
at the University: "We maintain that their
coming here in ever increasing numbers bodes
no good for the University. Great universities
are not coeducational. The big machine-age
university, such as those of the far south and
middle west, would not be so despised by
certain groups of intelligentsia, if they were
not handicapped by the unfortunate atmosphere
created by the presence of both male
and female students. If Virginia draws more
coeds, and if the lure and lilt of the Lawn
gives way to the love-making atmosphere of
the Midwestern campus, we advocate a second
Rotunda fire and the deletion of the last
phrase, 'founder of the University of Virginia,'
from Jefferson's epitaph."

The problem is a most difficult one to
correct. Rules can be changed. But can the
attitude of the large minority of the student
body be changed so easily. This newspaper
certainly has a strong record of male
chauvinism.

In 1920 women were first admitted to the
graduate and professional schools of the
University. Fifty years later the University is
still considered by many to be an all-male
institution. The College will be admitting
women in sizable numbers for the first time
next fall. But unless male attitudes change in a
shorter period of time than we believe
possible, these women are in for a difficult
time. There is no assurance that the young
ladies who enter the University next fall will
be treated any better than those who are
already here. The Women's Liberation
movement must continue and increase its
efforts, although at times it seems that what is
really needed is to get an Emily Post or Amy
Vanderbilt on the Grounds to teach the male
population common courtesy to the opposite
sex.

Hopefully that will not be necessary. The
largest percentage of male chauvinists here are
the undergraduate population. With the
admission of women these young men, who
usually only meet the opposite sex under
artificial conditions, will see girls doing the
same work they are and facing similar
problems. Many of next year's entering class
will be living in dormitories with members of
the opposite sex a floor or two above or
below them. Once the Virginia Gentleman
discovers that his fellow female student is
indeed a human being he will, we pray, begin
treating her like one.