Editor’s Note: The following is a letter just received from 1945 Ouachita graduate Wilma Helen Phillips Curnutt. As commencement approaches, her letter indicates the timeless nature of the Ouachita experience. After graduation, Miss Phillips worked in Little Rock for a bank and later for the IRS. She met her husband, who was a student at UAMS and in the Air Force. Upon his graduation, they moved to Riverside, Calif., for training and then to Puerto Rico. They later moved to Roseville, Calif., where she currently lives. We hope readers will enjoy the letter as much as we have. Perhaps a 2089 edition of The Signal will include a letter from a 2017 graduate.
My parents drove me to Ouachita to begin college. My brother, Herbert Jr., was already a student there. I was pretty excited about going off to college. My first thought was, “I had better wear something nice and look cute.” I hoped to see some interesting men on the campus—you could tell I was not interested in courses to take. I decided I would wear a red and white pinafore dress with saddle shoes. This was the style at that time. Not to be disappointed, all the young men were sitting on the wall outside Cone-Bottoms Hall watching the girls unload their things.
I was given a room and a roommate. My roommate was Skippy Skinner. She was an upperclassman and very popular. Our room had suitemates, with whom we shared the bathroom. My room was great. It was on the back of the dorm, and I could see students coming and going, and of course who was dating whom. There was a bookstore on the campus. We could pick up things there, and the hot chocolate was very tasty. If you missed breakfast, you could get the doughnuts; however, they were tough and dry.
The Dining Hall, where we were served meals, had a head of the table with a male and female senior student who were assigned to it. I suppose they were to represent the parents. We stood behind chairs until the blessing was given, then we would sit down and food was passed around. It was usually in large bowls. It was apparent that the football players had different foods than us—lots of meat. Every Saturday night we knew what we were going to be served—hamburgers, the hardest and driest hamburgers you could eat. Sunday lunch was served, but no supper. If you were fortunate and had a date, one was usually taken for Sunday dinner, which was usually at the Caddo Hotel. If not, you had to arrange for your own supper. There was a little place across the ravine that served sandwiches. You called in your order, and they were brought to the dorm.
For four weeks as a freshman, you had to wear a sign with your name printed on it. The sign was gold with your name spelled in purple ink. It hung on a string over your head. When you passed a senior, you had to step off the sidewalk and say, “hello senior, I am but a lowly freshman.” I think this went on for a month.
There were also dorm rules. If you went to town, you had to get permission from the dorm mother. You then had to sign your name in a book stating the place you were going and the time you left. When you returned, you had to sign in stating the time you returned. Also a rule for freshmen was that you could go to the library on Monday nights. Here again, you had to sign the magic book when you returned. The library closed at 9, so there was not a problem when you were going to return to the dorm. Also, there were room checks each night. You had to be in your room by 9 p.m. There was a rule for lights out each night or you would get a demerit. When you got 25 demerits, one could not leave the campus for a weekend. You could not ride in cars with men unless you were a senior. However, at that time, there were not many cars on the campus. Students did not seem to have cars. Upperclassmen could have a date on Monday night, but not freshmen.
There were also clubs on the campus. They were not national sororities. They were social clubs—Hi Hats was the one I belonged to. I heard that it no longer exists, and I am very sorry about this. Of course, I thought we were the best club on the campus. The other clubs were Kewpie Klub, EEE and WCF. We had meetings on Monday nights. We had parties for different occasions. They were so much fun—we would dress in long dresses and have a special dinner with our dates. Our dates would give us a beautiful corsage.
Football games were so much fun. We would dress up for the games. If you were fortunate enough and had a date, he would surprise you with a yellow chrysanthemum and a purple string O in the center of the flower and long purple and gold ribbons hanging from the flower.
I majored in home economics. I am glad I chose that major. When I was taking a course, one evening we were responsible for a dinner guest. I invited Dr. Grant (president of Ouachita). My teacher was very mad at me. I was the hostess, and when Dr. J.R. Grant’s plate came around to be served, he only got wings. She thought I had done this on purpose, but I had just gotten carried away and did not watch what I was doing. The next day I went over to Dr. Grant’s home and apologized. I don’t remember what he said to me, but Mrs. Grant was very nice to me and said not to worry. I was very embarrassed.
I was voted the cutest girl on the campus in 1943. This made me very happy. I did not know this until one day my friends asked if I had seen the new annual. I said no, and they said, “well, you were chosen as the cutest girl on campus.” What a wonderful surprise.
In 1945, I graduated with a degree in home economics and science.
I hope you enjoy reading this letter—this is how I remember Ouachita. There may be cobwebs in the memories—after all, I am 92 years old.
Sincerely,
Wilma Helen Phillips Curnutt
