Elizabethtown College was not immune to the struggles Americans faced during the Great Depression. Enrollment fell to 122 students in the 1932-33 school year and stayed down until 1937-38 when it reached 179 students, the same number seen at the beginning of the decade. Students paid their tuition with loans from the College, with some working part-time at the institution.
Still, even through the challenging times, the spirit of the College remained strong. During a 1933 board meeting, Chairman S.H. Hertzler rose after a lengthy discussion on the uncertain future of Etown and said, “Brethren, we did not start this College with a view to quitting.” The College remained open and although Etown did not match the previous decades’ exponential growth, its academic reputation and identity continued to grow stronger. This strength would be needed moving into the 1940s as America watched WWII develop in Europe.
A Look Through the Decade
1930 – The College’s first African-American student, Charles F. Jenkins, graduates. He served as a Baptist pastor in Harrisburg, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Columbus, Ohio.
1931 – The newly organized Faculty Club held its first meeting.
1932 – Ira R. Herr arrives as a full-time Coach of Athletics.
1934 – The campus newspaper “Our College Times” changes its name to “The Etownian”
1934 – A Forensics Arts Club was established to encourage skills in debate, oratory, extemporaneous speaking, and interpretive reading.
1936 – Elizabethtown College is admitted to the Association of American Colleges.
1937 – Several Etown students visit Congress in Washington D.C. to discuss neutrality legislation amid the looming background of WWII.
1939 – A poll conducted by “The Etownian” shows that over half of students believed in the Brethren teaching of pacifism, but nearly a third of students thought war was “inevitable.”
Snapshots of the Decade
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- Student L. Irene Schrack on campus, 1930
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- Sock and Buskin performs “Othello,” early 1930s
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- Students outside dorm room, 1930
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- The Cantanas (mixed chorus), 1930
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- Biblical Literature Class, 1932
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- The Fireside Novelty Quartet, 1934
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- The College Orchestra, 1933
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- Men’s Debate Team, 1934-35
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- Student Anna Ruth Flory at Alpha Hall, 1934
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- Postcard with an aerial view of campus, 1936
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- Students in A Cappella Choir perform The Bartered Bride, 1938
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- Men’s Tennis Team, 1938
Throughout Elizabethtown College’s 125th anniversary year, follow along as we share 125 compelling stories about the College’s defining moments, alumni stories, and fun facts since our founding in 1899 at etown.edu.