Campus Announcements
A Student Writes Home, 1945-1946
Provided by the Stephens College Archives
Ann Douglas was a first-year student at Stephens Junior College for Women in 1945-1946. Recently, the College acquired some of the letters that she wrote to a close friend back home in San Antonio, Texas. She and John Rowan, Jr. had dated. While she had traveled by train to Columbia to attend what she called a “boarding school,” he attended Trinity College in San Antonio.

Of interest here is not Ann’s personal life almost 60 years ago, but rather her early college experience. Stephens was a different place in 1945 than the one students know today. Yet, the experience of “going away to college” includes some constants for women who today might be grandmother and granddaughter. Ann did not date her letters, so we cannot know during what part of the year she wrote the following letter fragments. Ann’s spelling and other writing errors remain in what you read below.

“I am still broke…yesterday I lost all my pride. I performed the task of writing home to mother for more money. Really it took everything I had to do it.

“I don’t believe I wrote you about our glamour portraits we took in our suite. Really, Hollywood has nothing on us. In some we had only enough to cover up our embarrassing moments.

“My classes are fine and I’m really enjoying them. They all fit in so nicely with what I want to do. Than reminds me that the other day I talked with my Vocational Orientation teacher about my test results. During that conference I learned what I wanted to do. It will combine my love for children, writing, and dramatics. I will work with youngsters in plays. What do you think?

“My roommate and I are very different from each other, but we get along beautifully. We have fixed our room up lovely.”

“I take English Composition, Introduction to Literature, Introduction to Play Production, Introduction to Art, Voice, Ballroom Dancing, Vocational Orientation, and Church and Vespers. Next year I hope to take up radio with my dramatics.

“Guess what, I’ve changed back to drama. I’ve found that child care isn’t my field.

“Lately on the campus we have had a great deal of excitement. A Stephens girl, who graduated last year and lives in town, has been raped and murdered. The man is still at large. Also … two university girls previous to this and really we are all quite nervous.

"Now we have to be sure our hall counselor meets the boys we go out with and after six no girl is allowed in town alone."

“Last night Margaret, Lois and I went to see the faculty show. Was it ever good! The faculty puts it on every year and this time the theme was of a circus. I wish you could have seen Mr. Winstrum, my Play Production teacher. He was the main attraction in a chorus. He is a nut anyway, but that made him even more one.

“Elaine and I woke up mad at the whole world, nearly. Before we dozed off last night we were competing to see who could tell the dirtest joke. Guess who won? Wonder how you guessed that? ... Right in the middle of a good one we had a fire drill. I get all burned up just thinking about it. Anyway we leaped out of our bed and into our coats and slippers. Elaine ran all over the room closing doors and windows while I was tearing down the hall. Darn it, we have fire drills at the craziest times.”

“No John, I won’t be home Thanksgiving. They don’t let us off then except for one day, generous aren’t they? But then they let us off a long time for Christmas. Just think, we leave here on the 13th of December and aren’t expected back till January the 9th.”

No one has made an attempt to discover what happened to Ann Douglas-whether she graduated from Stephens, whether she later attended a four-year college or university, or whether she found a career in theatre. She was here for a time and then left, and along with tens of thousands of other students, through her presence helped to shape the college that we know today.

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