All Images are Courtesy of Franklin & Marshall College Archives and Special Collections.
Yearbooks are vivid tapestries of shared experiences, a lasting illustration of a collective narrative that reveals the nature of human connection and experience. Each photograph and inscription weave together the unique journey of a community in that fleeting moment of time. For the second edition of the Fall 2024 semester, The College Reporter has sifted through 125 years of F&M yearbooks, hoping to pair historical curiosity with context; Who are the diplomats of the past, and what did they wish to preserve in the pages beyond these covers?
Franklin & Marshall Faculty Pictured in The Oriflame, 1883.
The first edition of the Franklin and Marshall College Yearbook, known as the Oriflame, was described as “a creature of some toil and some anxious effort” by the class of 1883. In a forward to the inaugural yearbook, the class of 1883 wrote their aspirations for the Oriflame to “have a long life, and in the years to come show its true color in breadth and scope over and above this simple effort of the class of ‘83.”
Advertising for The College Student, 1883.
The College Student, established in 1881, began under the supervision of two literary societies, Diagnothian and Gethean. It aimed to “give a full account of all the happenings about College worthy of mention,” publishing “original articles of merit from the pens of the professors, students, and friends of the institution.” Notably, this publication is the origin of our beloved College Reporter. In 1883, a subscription to The College Student was a hefty $1.00.
Graduating Class in the 1900 Yearbook.
In the 1900 volume of the Oriflame, the class of 1900 tenderly wrote: “We have in these four years broadened our views, become somewhat fixed in habits and methods of thinking, while the greater percentage of the boys have already decided in what channel their efforts shall be directed. As a class, we have finished making history, but as individuals we stand on the threshold of a new century, and in it more than ever before will the training and the culture be demanded which our Alma Mater has freely offered to us, and for which we, as her sons, will strive to do her honor.”
Fraternity Illustration in the 1915 Oriflame.
Greek life at F&M dates back to 1854 with the establishment of Chi Phi and Phi Kappa Sigma. Since the 1850s, fraternity culture has seen both progression and regression. This includes the the suspension of Chi Phi in 2019, and their re-establishment in 2023. There have been several other fraternity chapters on campus, all of which have been terminated, including tremendous hazing allegations against former Phi Kappa Tau and Kappa Sigma.
Phi Kappa Sigma (Skulls) Fraternity, 1915.
Chi Phi Fraternity, 1915.
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, 1915.
Post-Prandial Club, 1936.
This club was established in 1919 to allow students to practice after-dinner speaking. Meetings were held fortnightly at which each member delivered a short address on an assigned topic.
Football Team, 1936.
With a new title, “The Diplomats,” The Blue and White ranked third among the Nation’s scorers with a total of 213 points in 1946.
Richard D. Winters, class of 1941.
Richard Winters would go on to command Easy Company’s 2nd battalion, 506th parachute infantry regiment, which was part of the “Screaming Eagles” 101st Airborne Division. The story of his company’s trials and tribulations across the European Theatre, from Normandy to Berchtesgaden, is the center of Stephan Abrose’s book, Band of Brothers, which was eventually adapted into a HBO miniseries in 2001.
In 2012, a monument was dedicated to Major Winters on the causeway to Utah Beach, making him the only American soldier to be honored this way in Normandy. Today, Franklin and Marshall honors Major Winters by presenting the Major Dick Winters ‘41 Award. Established by the college in 2013, this award is presented to a student who “has exhibited the strength of character, the quality of perseverance, and the skill of leadership that defined Dick Winters.” Major Winters died on January 2, 2011, at 92 years old.
Dedications in Honor of Those Lost in Service of their Country, 1943.
In a foreword, an Oriflame staff writer solemnly wrote, “War changes the pattern of our lives.” In September of 1942, 52% of the student body were in the enlisted services. Many of them were called to battle before the end of their first semester, and 69 of them did not return for the second term.
During this school year, 300 Navy Aviation Cadets came to campus and were trained in a series of 8-week courses. The college entered into a contract with the Government to train 600 men under the Navy College Training Program.
The 1943 volume concludes with: “Members of the class of 1943 may well be proud that Franklin and Marshall College has made and will continue to make, the necessary adjustments to conform with the times and to render the greatest service at its command to a Nation involved in a world-wide war.
Air Corps Cadets Dining in the Campus House, 1943.
F&M Navy Air Cadet Corps, 1943.
Campus Scenery, 1965.
Diplomats of 1965. Learning & Living!
Homecoming Weekend, 1965.
The Diplomats defeated Carnegie Tech on a “Perfect Autumn day” with the “Blazing beauty of Fall leaves sending spirits soaring.”
Female Student on Campus, 1969.
On January 17, 1969, President Spalding released a statement to students, sharing the decision for F&M to become a co-educational institution. In his statement, he wrote, “It is my privilege to share some good news with you. In a special meeting, the Board of Trustees approved co-education for Franklin and Marshall. After careful reflection, we are persuaded that Franklin and Marshall have much to offer young women. We are convinced also that the addition of women will enhance the social tone of the campus and invigorate the academic climate.”
Female Students Dining Together, 1969.
Campus, Fall 1970.
American involvement in Vietnam sparked critical discussions about freedom of speech and humanitarian issues, urging students across the country to take a stance against the conflict. Protests were not unique to F&M. In fact, 4 students at a university in Ohio were shot and killed by the National Guard, in the same year as these photos, for protesting the Vietnam War. These sentiments, and open disapproval of this conflict, are evident in the yearbook, highlighting a stark contrast between the lack of recognition for fallen soldiers from that era and the patriotic fervor and military honor celebrated in the 1940s volumes.
Lancaster City, 1970.
Campus, Fall 1970.
Freshman Orientation, Fall 1973.
The prior spring, F&M saw the first cohort of female students matriculate from the college.
Freshman Orientation, Fall 1973.
Student Posing Outside Hildy’s Tavern, Fall 1973.
Spring Arts, 1974
Spring Arts, 1974
The College Reporter Staff, 1986.
WFNM, 1986.
Black Student Union, 1986.
Hillel, 1986.
The Chessman Singing in Ben’s Underground, Fall 1996.
Men’s Basketball, 1997.
Women’s Rugby, 1997.
Alpha Phi Sorority, 1997
Chi Omega Soroity , 1997.
Mi Gente Latina, 2001.
President Barack Obama campaigning in Buchannan Park, 2008.
In September of 2008, Barack Obama addressed a crowd of nearly 15,000 people, with the line to get into the event stretching beyond Race Avenue. The 22-acre Buchanan Park was also visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1964 when he was attending an annual meeting of the American Ordinance Association.
Kappa Delta Sorority, 2009.
Not pictured are Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, established in 2011, and Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, established in 2014.
Campus Views, 2009
The exploration of F&M yearbooks not only captures the spirit of its time but also serves as a bridge connecting generations of diplomats. As we reflect on these shared narratives, we gain deeper insights into the evolving identity of our institution and the enduring bonds forged within it. Through this second edition of The College Reporter, we celebrate the past while inspiring future diplomats to contribute their own chapters to our collective story.
Junior Anna Chiaradonna is the Editor-In-Chief of The College Reporter. Her email is achiarad@fandm.edu