Christmas Spirit — 1933

The year was 1933. 

 It was the height of the Great Depression, with unemployment peaking at 25.2%.

The 18th Amendment was repealed on December 5, effectively ending Prohibition.

The year began with Herbert Hoover as President of the United States until the inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 4.  Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30.

The stockings represent some of the New Deal Programs wished for by F.D.R.

• CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)
• TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
• FCA (Farm Credit Administration)
• CWA (Civil Works Administration)
• FACA (Federal Advisory Committee Act)
• AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration)
• NRA (National Recovery Administration)
• PWA (Public Works Administration)

Christmastime at WVWC in 1933

So, what was life like at West Virginia Wesleyan College in December of 1933? We get a wonderful view of that in the December 20, 1933 issue of the Pharos. It is only four pages long, but absolutely packed with information. I would encourage you to take a look at the entire issue!

Here are a few examples.

Page One alone has stories about academics, chapel, concerts, dinners, formals, fundraising, parties, and oratorical contests, and upcoming theater productions. According to this page, the following events occurred:

• December 9     Sigma Delta Chi Formal
• December 14   Christmas Dinner for Girls in Agnes Howard Hall
• December 15    All-College Party
• December 16   Sigma Delta Pi Formal
• December 18   Special Chapel Service – Thuse
• December 18   Ladies Hall Party
• December 18   Oratorical Contest
• December 19   Flute and Piano concert

It also included this article about Christmas Spirit

Notice the paragraph that begins with the word parties. Even though there was fun to be had, the spirit of Christmas included the opportunity to help others who lived in homes “where finances are very low.” During the Great Depression, this incuded many families.

Page 2

Page Two included Christmas greetings from the editors

Nineteen and thirty-four is not far off. It will give us our second childhood. May we profit by our past errors and use the coming year to advance our cause a little nearer to the goal we seek.

A Student Opinion Piece on Liberal Arts Education is there as well.

And an advertisement from the Colonial Theater on Main Street!

Page 3

Page 3 basically gives us sports highlights and advertisements.

• Basketball season got off to a rough start in December 16 loss to WVU with a final score of (32-24)
• The full basketball schedule is listed for the year
• 3 Bobcats were named to All Conference in football, and 6 received honorable mention
• Advertisements – both local and from further away.

Page 4

Page 4 includes an article named Idle Chatter, by Golly. It includes a fun take on the weather which may sound a bit familiar to us in the current day.

“How do you like this weather? Nice for Xmas, isn’t it? Or should I have said ducks? Or sleds? The fact of the matter is, you can’t tell a thing about weather. You are liable to have snow and sleet in the morning, finished by rain and spring weather in the afternoon with a beautiful harvest moon at night.”

All in all, this issue of the Pharos shows that life was going on more or less as “normal” at a very rough time. 

This strange little puzzle is actually a sign of the times. Maybe they were hesitant to make this too readable with Prohibition such a recent reality! It turns out that it is about Horse’s Neck (a drink that contained alcohol). Can you decipher it?  🙂

Feature Writer Asks Old Santa For New Ideas

Beginning on Page 1 and completed on Page 4, there is a poem which is a lot of fun. I will close with this, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I’ve added some illustrations and photographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank You Note

It may be about 86 years late, but I consider this blog post as a Thank You to the fine folks at the Pharos in 1933. Their work has made it possible for us to know what life was like on campus in very different times — and that it all still looks pretty familiar!