While sororities provided women with a needed community in the 1930’s, their organization allowed for massive social training that molded members into the perfect college woman, or rather, the time’s ideal white, upper middle class woman. In order to fit into their new community, women relied on social behaviors that their societies or college culture deemed acceptable. This also allowed colleges to shape the type of women they produced and as well as to shape how middle class white women behaved during this time. Margaret L. Freeman writes on this topic in her book, Women of Discriminating Taste: White Sororities and the Making of American Ladyhood, arguing the colleges and universities partnered with sororities in order to enforce desired behaviors and regulations [1]. We can see a similar kind of social training at Hope College within sororities and the general social culture of women at Hope that upheld the beliefs of Hope’s affiliated denomination, The Reformed Church of America, as well as etiquette that made them respectable upper class women. Analyzing the goals of Hope College as an institution, women’s saved sorority event programs, and Anchor articles about ideal women, we can analyze the valued behaviors that societies and the Hope community in general taught women at Hope, shaping how they functioned in society. 

Hope as an institution affiliated with the Reformed Church of America and relied on the church for financial backing. In addition, according to Jacob Nyenhuis in his book Hope at 150, the college began with the intent of producing ministry focused Christian individuals [2]. Both their affiliation with the Reformed Church in America and their faith based founding and mission inspired the way they enforced rules and taught their students. According to the Board of Trustees Minutes from April, 1930 in a letter to the General Synod, Dimnent wrote, “The ethical religious situation on the campus is normal. The family background of a student group on any campus is the major element in determining the campus situation. The college continues to produce noble manhood and womanhood, though the task becomes more difficult as present day American parentage has relieved itself of responsibility to a greater extent. The religious activities have held their own and cover the habitional work” [3]. Hope as an institution believed in fostering commendable behaviors in their students richly based in the Christian faith, even if their parents failed to do so, as they believed. 

Within our sources, we found evidence of similar social training among Hope sororities in both Christian values as well as general etiquette. Looking at all of the sorority scrapbooks and the women’s personal programs from sorority events, each weekly program began with a devotion. This tradition opened every program or meeting across every sorority on campus. As organizations belonging to a Christian institution, Hope’s sororities embodied the faith that the college wanted its students to actively practice. This instilled important rhythms and habits not just within Hope College sanctioned functions but also in social environments. It surrounded women with the Christian mission of Hope in every facet of their lives.

In addition to practicing Christian habits and virtues, sororities taught women etiquette expected of a 1930’s middle to upper class white woman. Multiple sororities held programs that taught women manners and ways to behave. For example, the Dorian scrapbook outlined their program on October 22, 1937 that taught Dorian women how to behave. They began the event with blind date rules. They then listed guidelines they recommended for a woman in the program outline. They advised women to join as many activities as possible, to get everything out of college, to use the library frequently, to cooperate in class, etc. They then included other parts of the event that included “Notes on Fashion”, “Mind Your Manners”, and “Sponge Cake Recipe” [4]. The Dorian sorority informed women of social behaviors they should adopt as their own that would allow them to be successful at Hope and in the middle class.