Jaqueline Lara Patino, History 250: The Historian Craft, Spring 2023

The 1960s in the United States proves to be a time of change, retaliation, and progress. During this time of change, the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, continued to implement policies full of inequalities causing the institution to appear outdated and traditional. Remembering the proximity of the sixties to today puts into perspective how absurd the continuance of curfews impressed upon UNL student women. Despite the idea of gender equality being present during the 1960s, UNL proves this inaccurate through its women’s hours and policies present within on-campus housing.

Women’s hours at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln created an environment of gender inequity due to its strict restrictions on women attending UNL and living on campus. The development of women’s hours and restrictions was a result of housing for women being established on UNL’s campus in 1931. All unmarried women at UNL were required to live in university-approved housing, at home with their parents, in a residence hall, or in a sorority house. The general idea of women’s hours was intended to discourage the bad influences of college. More specifically, UNL and parents worried women would get out of control after moving away from home and establishing a new role of independence. Women’s hours were very restrictive and known as curfews, often varying by class distinction. Curfews were known to change over time and often were compared with those of other institutions claiming that UNL was not progressive enough. In 1964, women were expected to be back in their dorms by 11 P.M. on weekdays, 1 A.M. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12 A.M. on Sundays. Curfews were enforced by Associated Women Student (AWS) representatives, officers--- president, standards chairmen, scholarship chairmen, residence heads, and student assistants. Women who wished to leave after 7:00 P.M. were required to sign out and in with their designated destination. By 1967 sign-out sheets were less restricted and claimed to only be used in three situations, taking an overnight, going home, or when going out of town for a night or a weekend. These sign-out sheets were monitored by certain directories, often house mothers, and were to be turned into AWS.[1]

The Associated Women Students (AWS) was the primary advocate for enforcing and enacting women’s hour policies. AWS, a recognized student organization was an elected student group that assisted the Dean of Women, Hellen Snyder (1959-1970). Every woman becomes a member of AWS upon registration at UNL which offers the member a voice to express their opinions and suggestions concerning campus life. As time progressed, AWS’ role was rearranged. In 1968, the organization was known to enforce women’s housing rules, dispense women’s privileges, and sponsor women’s programs. AWS claimed throughout its time of existence that women were meant to and should receive maximum freedom, but policies must be in place to promote good living conditions. These good living conditions consisted of control. Control of women to assure that they did not become “reckless” and commit to unwomanly acts. To ensure AWS remained organized and effective, AWS established different branches to take over certain responsibilities. Like the government, AWS was composed of three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch was led by a president, two vice presidents overseeing specific areas, and a cabinet of six members. The legislative body was made up of 29 women students who represented independent living units, sororities, East Campus, and Lincoln. The judicial court, also referred to as the AWS court, was composed of a Court of Appeals, a Sorority Court, and several other branch courts that would help serve the dormitories. The judicial branch of AWS was responsible for hearing cases in situations where women violated regulations enforced by AWS. AWS overall held great power and control over women’s hour policies. This power would later be manifested in how they dealt with instances where rules were broken or unintentionally overlooked.[2]

Violation of women’s hours did not go unpunished, instead, further regulations were enforced on the individual for a given time. Punishments often varied depending on the reason and how late the individual was to return to their dorm room. Women were given the opportunity of three allowed/excused tardies or 20 minutes per semester, whichever accumulated first, however, on the 21st late minute or the fourth lateness, the individual would be called to appear in court. These cases would then be heard in AWS Court to determine further action. More specifically, the AWS court served as a court to consider individual cases considering individual circumstances, meant to act as a safeguard. Records from the AWS court display the different penalties imposed on women and for what reason. Punishments varied from privilege probation, campuses for more than two weekends, week-end campuses, full week campuses, and one-night campuses. AWS court claimed to help women who may have tried their best to avoid harsh penalties by calling their housemother. Per AWS court records and the handbook, AWS claimed calling their housemother could help them in court when punishment is being determined. Records from AWS court indicate that from September 1966 to March 15, 1967, out of 11 women, the nine who called prior to closing hours were excused whereas the two who called after closing hours were not excused. Women’s hours prove to serve as a barrier to student life and display the gender inequity at UNL. Men at UNL were never asked to be home by a certain time much less did they receive punishment for simply being a minute late. Further infractions were also placed upon women if they were to forget to sign out for an overnight, out-of-town, not arriving to a designated destination, taking more than the quota of overnights, out-of-towns, or going homes. Despite the AWS Court serving as an enemy to many women, it did help keep track of what type of changes needed to be done. AWS used the records from their judicial branch to help them make and decide on what times women’s hours should be set for throughout the years.[3]

The sixties created an exciting time of change in women’s hours after close evaluations and issues presented both to the AWS board and AWS court. At the beginning of the 1960s, rules, and regulations placed on women were much more controlling than they were near the abolishment of women’s hours. The 1960-1961 AWS rules and regulations handbook defines women’s hour regulations that must be followed by women living in university housing. At this time, women’s hours were under the term of closing hours and varied primarily based on class distinction. Women were separated into four separate groups that consisted of different hours, seniors, women who had 89 or more credit hours, sophomores and juniors, first-semester freshmen, and second-semester freshmen. Seniors held the slightest bit of liberty on weekdays among all the groups. As time progressed and women began appearing in the AWS court, AWS changed and made further accommodations throughout the future years. Throughout time, AWS began to take accommodations and privileges into consideration. One major accommodation approved on March 1st, 1966, by AWS was the decision upon senior keys. The key system was addressed to students as a privilege for women who were senior standing, had a 2.0 overall average Grade Point Average (GPA), and had written permission from their parents to be able to have the senior key privilege to set their own hours. This was later reevaluated and expanded to include juniors, seniors, and all women over 21 by the fall of 1967. UNL AWS approved this privilege due to their held belief that junior and senior women are mature enough to set their own hours. Despite this being a major privilege for women, the controlling women’s hours in place still appeared inescapable. Eventually, before the abolishment of women’s hours in 1970, the final official hours listed in the AWS handbook for 1968-69 detail hours for women. Weekday hours for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were set for 11:00 p.m., and 12:00 a.m. for seniors, and weekend hours were set for 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12:00 a.m. on Sundays. Regardless of the somewhat remarkable change throughout the sixties towards women’s hours, it can be considered surprising due to the lack of retaliation and expression women involved themselves in regarding women’s hours.[4]

Despite policies and regulations being extreme and controlling, very few individuals and women were among the crusades of women’s liberation at UNL. Opinions of women on campus were encouraged to be expressed at AWS meetings but were surprisingly rarely if ever an occurrence. It is difficult to identify what the primary source of this lack of speaking out results from, perhaps women were so used to the oppression at this time. Claudia Johnson, a women crusader for women’s liberation spoke to a small group in the UNL union in 1969 regarding oppression and what the women’s liberation movement was about. In this discussion, the group addressed that some women were tired of living in the shadow of their sex. This discussion further calls out the issue of women not standing up for themselves. An Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN) male representative tells students that women students should be outraged but need to understand that the student government cannot do anything about women’s hours if women themselves do not show their aggression toward these policies. This discussion led to a more direct answer from a participant stating that the reason there is a lack of retaliation is primarily because the women do not exactly like each other very much and there is no real project to unite or tie them together. Despite this being a singular opinion of why women did not work together to tackle the regulation enacted by AWS, it is a valid opinion and perhaps hints towards an issue of empowerment among women. In the approaching months, there was still no real women's advocation against women’s hours. Fortunately, women had a new student organization that would advocate for their equality at UNL leading to the abolishment of women’s hours in 1970.[5]

After years of women’s hours being a topic of debate, the Council on Student Life (CSL) puts an end to the regulations controlling women’s liberty. CSL was a new organization created by the Board of Regents to create and manage university policies on student life. The true process of the liberation of women’s hours began when CSL approved a resolution that hinted towards the possibility of the end of women’s hours in dormitories in the fall semester of 1969. An enactment brought together by CSL was taken into consideration when constructing this resolution, the enactment read that rules and regulations with respect to social and non-academic affairs of the students shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of race, creed, and sex. Despite the possibility of women’s hours being rumored to be possibly struck down soon, the downfall was already in process by the fall of 1969 when AWS asked CSL to approve their proposal to expand the Sandoz Hall no-hours experiment to second-semester freshmen and other women’s dorms, which was passed by CSL. The Sandoz experiment was a test run of optional hours implemented in women’s dormitories with night watchmen which would be in place to ensure safety and only let in eligible residents with identification. During the vote to pass this resolution, some CSL members did object regarding the unfairness of excluding first-semester freshmen and parental permission through this experiment causing the question of AWS to reconsider their proposal. On December 9th, 1969, AWS came forward with their revised resolution asking for no hours for all women and no permission which would be passed unanimously by CSL on January 6th. Despite the success of striking down women’s hours, many did not have high hopes and believed the policies would return in the future as they did at other institutions. After all, open hours for women were a touchy subject and business at colleges and institutions throughout the country.[6]

Regulations such as women’s hours were not primarily present only at UNL but also controlled women nationwide at other institutions. Understanding women’s hours at a national level develops an understanding of how closing hours for women was an overall touchy subject and business for many colleges throughout the country. Different institutions had different policies and at times even stricter than those at UNL. The University of Wyoming – Laramie (UW) held closing hours in the same format as UNL by 1967-68. These hours varied by class distinction as freshman women on weekdays had to be back by 10:00 p.m., on weekends at 1:30 a.m., and Sundays by 11:00 p.m.; upperclassmen had similar hours with hours from Sunday through Thursday being set for 11:00 p.m. and on weekends at 1:30 a.m.; just like UNL, seniors held a slightly larger privilege with hours from Sunday through Thursday set to 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on weekend nights. UNL’s women’s hours are closely correlated with those of UW. Like UNL, UW also implemented sign-out sheets. The conditions in which women must sign out were different from those at UNL and instead much more restrictive and similar to sign-out procedures at UNL prior to 1967. More specifically, women who planned to be out later than 8:00 p.m. were required to sign out and include their name, destination, and time of departure. Upon returning, sign-in was required to account for the time they have been out. To manage and ensure discipline, UW implemented a point system in which violations were kept track of. Eventually after an accumulation of 16 points, women were given AWS campus or strict campus based on the violation. This would serve as further control over the already granted “privileges” to women. Regulations at institutions greatly varied from strictness to liberty. Despite many institutions appearing to be harsh, there were those that had a more lenient policy and even offered privileges such as the senior key system present at UNL. Despite the absurd rules implemented through women’s hours and institutions with little to no leniency, privileges such as senior keys at UNL existed at other institutions. The University of Iowa (UIowa) was another of the many institutions that had women’s hours implemented throughout the academic school year in 1967-68. Unlike UNL and UW, UIowa held closing hours equally for all women not a part of the privileged hours program. These hours were set for midnight from Sunday through Thursday, and 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Women who were a part of the privileged hours program had the opportunity to set their own closing hours if eligible. Eligibility relied on the participant having completed 56 credit hours and or being 21 years of age during the semester. Both juniors and seniors under the age of 21 required parental permission. Further actions to be taken to continue meeting eligibility were to attend the required orientations detailed in the handbook. Sign-out sheets were also implemented at UIowa but only appeared to be used in occasions of overnight situations similar to those at UNL. Unlike handbooks at UNL and UW, penalties were not detailed but rather briefly explained that the judiciary enacts penalties based on the specific case with social probation being the most serious action taken which varies from a minimum probation period of three months, a sent letter to parents and an attached letter to the student’s file. Overnight absences without signing out or falsifying an over night could result in social probation. Overall, different institutions held similar and different policies to those at UNL, dependent on circumstances and the AWS boards specific to that institution. Comparing other institutions' handbooks to UNL’s helps to understand exactly how progressive or unprogressive UNL was towards equality compared to other institutions. Based on handbooks from UW and UIowa, UNL was in the bittersweet middle and proved to be somewhat less restrictive but not completely full of liberty for women attending UNL.[7]

The presence of women’s hours at UNL overall took a toll on the liberty of UNL women and displayed significant inequality. Women at UNL were controlled under restrictions enacted by AWS regarding women’s hours. Gradual changes were presented to these regulations throughout the sixties but still manifested a continued inequality among women UNL students. Women’s hours not only being a UNL issue but rather nationwide proves the presence of gender inequality despite the idea that gender equality was achieved by the 1960s. Despite the lack of fight against women’s hours, it came to its victorious end in 1970.

Endnotes

1. Wirth, Eileen. “Dress Codes and Curfews: NU Women in the 1960s.” History Nebraska. October 30th, 2022. https://history.nebraska.gov/dress-codes-curfews-nu-women-in-the-1960s/; Russell, Ellie, Eileen Wirth, and Traci Robinson. “Cottages, Curfews, and Co-Eds.” Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023. https://libarchives.unl.edu/project/39556/; “Women's Lib.” Women's Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: October 26, 2014. https://unlwgshistory.wordpress.com/race-gender-and-sexuality-at-unl-1968-1975/womens-lib/ ; “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (12); “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (8)
2. Dean of Women” Nebraska U A Collaborative History. Retrieved from the Archives of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. https://unlhistory.unl.edu/exhibits/show/no-men-allowed/rules-and-regulations/dean-of-women; “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (3); Morris, Julie, “AWS fighting for…Truth, Justice American Way.” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE.) November 13th, 1968. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1968-11-13/ed-1/seq-1/; Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (8); “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (3)
3. “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (10); “Safeguard, Not Whip’ AWS Court Purpose.” The Daily Nebraskan (Lincoln, NE) February 4th, 1966. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1966-02-04/ed-1/seq-5/; ”Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (10); “Summary of Penalties Given By AWS Court, September, 1966- March 15, 1967” Box 3, Folder 5. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries; ”Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (11).
4. “AWS Handbook 1960-61, Strictly For Women!” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (9); Itkin, Jan, “AWS Passes Key System… For Seniors Only” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE) March 2, 1966. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1966-03-02/ed-1/seq-1/#words=key+senior; Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (12); Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1968-69” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (8)
5. Schwieder, Sara. “Women Today are ‘Oppressed’” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE). October 3, 1969. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1969-10-03/ed-1/seq-3/
6. Women's Lib.” Women's Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: October 26, 2014. https://unlwgshistory.wordpress.com/race-gender-and-sexuality-at-unl-1968-1975/womens-lib/; Council votes to end hours” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE) November 24, 1969. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1969-11-24/ed-1/seq-6/; Anderson, Carol, “No Hours ‘Feels Good’” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE). February 9th, 1979. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1970-02-09/ed-1/seq-1/; “Sandoz Experiment” Box 3, Folder 4. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries; Anderson, Carol, “No Hours ‘Feels Good’” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE). February 9th, 1979. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1970-02-09/ed-1/seq-1/
7. Anderson, Carol, “No Hours ‘Feels Good’” The Daily Nebraskan. (Lincoln, NE). February 9th, 1979. Retrieved from Nebraska Newspapers. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1970-02-09/ed-1/seq-1/; Wyoming Whatnots, 1967-68” AWS Handbook, Box 9, Folder 4. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries (6); “Focus on Coeds, AWS Handbook 1967-68” Box 8, Folder 1. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries. (8); “Wyoming Whatnots, 1967-68” AWS Handbook, Box 9, Folder 4. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries. (4-5); Wyoming Whatnots, 1967-68” AWS Handbook, Box 9, Folder 4. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries. (5); Blue Book, Information for Undergraduate Women, AWS University of Iowa 1967-68” Box 9. Folder 4. Retrieved from Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries

Bibliography

• Associated Women Students, Student Life Records, Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Dean of Women” Nebraska U A Collaborative History. Retrieved from the Archives of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. https://unlhistory.unl.edu/exhibits/show/no-men-allowed/rules-and-regulations/dean-of-women
• Russell, Ellie, Eileen Wirth, and Traci Robinson. “Cottages, Curfews, and Co-Eds.” Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://libarchives.unl.edu/project/39556/
• Wirth, Eileen. “Dress Codes and Curfews: NU Women in the 1960s.” History Nebraska. October 30th, 2022. https://history.nebraska.gov/dress-codes-curfews-nu-women-in-the-1960s/ “Women's Lib.” Women's Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: October 26, 2014. https://unlwgshistory.wordpress.com/race-gender-and-sexuality-at-unl-1968-1975/womens-lib/