The College's Early Response

President E.D. Warfield. 1935. 

article from the Wilson Alumnae Quarterly about the Students' Aid Fund. Feb. 1930. 

Before the Great Depression and since then, it is often difficult to predict how higher education will respond to an economic meltdown. By looking at the measures taken by the administration, faculty and students at Wilson College during the decade of the 1930s, the crisis and the response comes into focus.

While the crash did affect every aspect of life in America, the rapid change in the economic and social structure was not so sudden on the academic side. According to scholar Ellen Schrecker, “the 1929 stock market crash did not at first seriously affect academe… the full force of the Depression did not strike the academy until the Depression reached its nadir, during the academic year 1932-33.”^[1]  At Wilson College, that type of pattern can be seen in the trends in enrollment. In fact, the initial wave of the depression did affect Wilson College’s enrollment, slightly, at the beginning. In the 1930-31 school year, the total number of students enrolled was 443 students. Enrollment increased from the previous year (1929-30) which was a total of 420 students. Even though students continued to enroll at the campus at a steady rate, Wilson College’s endowment was suffering slightly. In 1930, the President of the Board of Trustees appointed the Committee of Increasing the Resources of Wilson College to report on how to make an active campaign for endowments. In February of that year, this committee reported back to the board, advising that at this time, it would be best not to pursue a campaign for endowments. This committee’s number one reason to not pursue endowments was that “the state of the public mind is such, owing to the recent financial depression, that many who might be inclined to think favorably of gifts to institutions such as Wilson are not open to approach.”^[2]  While the endowment was low, the Alumnae Association decided to manage some types of relief to the students. With the help of the Alumnae Association, the Students’ Aid Fund was created to “assist deserving students in circumstances of special need. This fund shall be primarily available to students who must have assistance near the close of their college course in order to make graduation possible.^[3] But despite the Students’ Aid Fund and the low endowment, life at Wilson College appreared to proceed as usual. Normal enough for the board of trustees, in June 1930, to increase the salaries of the Dean, professors (assistant, associate and full) and instructors by $100.00 each.

While Wilson seemed to be doing fine, the board and the President did not know how the College would ultimately be affected by the Depression. In a general statement to the board in June 1931, President Warfield said that “We are all aware of the serious financial condition, but I do not think that members of the Board can understand without some study just what the influence of the depression upon the College is likely to be… in the reports of the Presbyterian colleges at the General Assembly, Wilson College was preeminent for its excellent condition, both financial and academic.”^[4] The following Fall, Wilson College had its highest enrollment so far in the decade. The College opened its doors to 450 girls in the Fall of 1931. While enrollment was at an all-time high, it did not last long. By the school year of 1932-33, enrollment dropped. Resident students, who in the last school year, numbered 302 were reduced to 288. Enrollment of new students was 129, 20 day students fewer that the previous year. The 1932-33 total enrollment was 429, 21 fewer than the previous year. While 21 fewer students may seem insignificant, for Wilson College in the 1930s, it could have been viewed as a sign of what was to come. The Board decided to increase the tuition to $200, from $90 during the previous years. The Board also determined to increase the salaries of Professors by $200 more and $100 more to each Instructor.

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     ^{1.Schrecker, Ellen. "The Bad Old Days." The Chronicle Of Higher Education no. 40 (2009): Academic OneFile, EBSCOhost (accessed May 3, 2016), 2.}

     ^{2. Minutes. Wilson College Board of Trustees 1929-1932, C. Elizabeth Boyd '33 Archives, pages 122-123.}

     ^{3.Mary Rummel Omwake, "The Students' Aid Fund", Wilson Alumnae Quarterly, February 1930, 7.}

     ^{4. Minutes. Wilson College Board of Turstees 1929-1932, C. Elizabeth Boyd '33 Archives, page 257.}