UVA -SETTING THE STAGE

The University tradition was that it was a school of Gentlemen, Southerners to be sure. Faulkner who had taught there, wrote a good description in several of his novels. It was mandatory to wear a tie and suit to classes and school functions.

I had purchased two suits at prices ranging between $16.95 and 19.95.Crawford, Howard’s and Bonds; men’s clothing chains in those days had stores in Newark. In those days, each suit was 4 pieced, jacket, vest, and two pairs of pants. I can remember that one was a loud grey Glen Plaid Check that I liked. The problem was that the student who sat in front of me in Chemistry 101 had the same suit. We agreed not to wear it on the same day.

I am sure that by today’s standards it could have been considered a party school. There was a very active social life not only for the fraternity groups but also the sizable non-affiliated students. Dormitory parties and alcohol consumption were a way of life. I never had any knowledge of “drug” addiction but I am sure there may have been a small insignificant group.

In those prewar days, the University was a liberal institution. With the exception of the First Year Halls, there were no restrictions on who you entertain in your room, or how long she stayed.Yet despite this lazier faire attitude, the University had high percentages of Rhoads Scholars.

Twice a year, fall and spring trimester, there was a big three day dance weekend. Big name bands such as Glen Grey, Count Bassi, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers and especially Guy Lombardo who made it a policy to play there once a year, were featured. Guy Lombardo loved the venue so much that he played there many times and adopted “Auld Aing Syne” the tune of the school's alma mater “good old song” as his theme song. Charlottesville was an isolated country city of about 15000 area population. During the fall or Easter “Dance Weekends”, it was not uncommon for girls to stay in their date’s room.

The University in those days had little over 5000 students in all its schools. The only women students were a few in education, and thank goodness a nursing school. When I entered medical school we had 3 women among are class of 65, a large number. Since the nearest women's colleges such as Mary Baldwin, Stuart Hall, Madison, Randolph Macon, Southern Seminary etc were miles away dating was limited to a small core of town girls (more later) and student nurses.

First year students who could not have cars and upperclassmen without cars had to rely on the bus network or trains for out of town trips. The result was a very heterogeneous society, where southern aristocracy, pseudo aristocracy, country bumpkins and norther interlopers were commingled. After the first year graduate school students, college students, fraternity and non fraternity students intermixed freely, and lived in the same facilities.

What made the University special was its Honor Code. It was enforced by the student honor code committee. Thus the violator was judged by his peers, not faculty. Cheating, plagiarizing, stealing were not condoned and if caught after an immediate student honor committee hearing if guilty ,would result in prompt expulsion. There was no appeal from your peers decision. It was a self policing system, and to not report a breach was equivalent to the breach itself. Virgina's Honor Code was the standard which all other colleges strove to reach.