A Day in the Life: 1940-1941
Explore a day in the life of students at the College of the Holy Cross from Spring 1940 to Spring 1941.
In Their Shoes
Scroll through the map below to experience a typical day for a Holy Cross student in the 1940s.
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1
6:30AM Wake-up
Wheeler Hall: All dormitories came furnished with desks, chairs, lockers, beds, mattresses, pillows, linen and blankets. Students were expected to supply their own rugs, towels and toiletries. A $25 deposit was required for new students to secure a room on campus.
2
7:00AM Mandatory Mass
St. Joseph Chapel: All students had to begin their day with morning Mass at 7:30am, sharp! Lateness was not tolerated and was counted as an absence. In order to attend Mass, students had to be dressed appropriately in a collared shirt, jacket and tie. Attendance records were given to the Dean of Men at the end of each month and any student who did not attend regularly would not have any privileges. In extreme cases, a student would be asked to withdraw from the College.
3
7:30AM Breakfast
Kimball Hall: Meals in Kimball were served family style - having all the food placed in the center of the tables so students could help themselves. Kimball also housed a small coffee shop and the school store, where students could pick up a morning newspaper or magazine.
4
8:30AM Time for Classes
O'Kane Hall: Students were kept busy for the rest of the day, in and out of classes until supper time with a mid-day break for lunch at noon. Featured here is a photo of the chemistry lab, which was located in O’Kane Hall. Rev. Joseph J. Sullivan served as a professor of chemistry during this time, along with three assistant professors and a laboratory assistant.
5
6:00PM Dinner
Kimball Hall: Supper also was served family-style at Kimball dining hall, presented by waiters in white coats.
6
6:30PM Night Prayers
St. Joseph Chapel: Night prayers followed the same regulations as morning prayers. They were required every evening unless students were notified otherwise.
7
7:00PM Study Period
Dinand Library: The Reading Room was one of the most used areas in Dinand Library. Students could utilize reference materials including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and the card catalog in this space.
Special Events
Take a look at some of the special events held during the 1940-1941 school year.
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The Administration
Flip through slides to meet members of the administration, including the President and the Dean of Studies.
In a spring issue of the student newspaper, the Tomahawk, students reviewed the academic year:
"Do you remember [...] That first siege of homesickness after your first few weeks in school? (And don't try to tell us that you were too "tough" to let a little homesickness get you down). You used to lie awake at night assuring yourself that there was plenty of truth to the old adage that "there's no place like home.”’
"Do you remember [...] When you jumped out of a warm bed on a cold winter morning at 7:15 and tried to make chapel before the doors closed? You went down the stairs three at a time only to find that you were too late.”
~ Paul Collins '42 and Connor Flynn '42, 30 April 1940
