The Evolution of the College Dorm

Dorm Espionage
In the 1940s, with most of the country's college-age men serving in World War II, more women began applying to universities — and getting accepted. Female-only dorms were erected, and if early rules for male students seemed harsh, the university guidelines for female co-eds were draconian. Women were not allowed in male dorm rooms at any time, and curfews continued to dictate their movements around campus until well into the 1960s. But students found creative ways to skirt these restrictions; some sent messages to the opposite sex via Morse Code in the form of flashing lights across campus, like the young lady pictured here.

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