“The Analyst Papers,” named in honor of CMC’s first student newspaper, the Analyst, is a five-part series published by the Forum, the official student publication of Claremont McKenna College.

For the first time, the history of Claremont McKenna has been brought online. The Analyst Papers has been published in the form of five accessible articles, with the aim of navigating through years of characters, monuments, and obstacles. CMC’s history is a short one, but a good one, and few know much of it. To learn it is to better understand what CMC stands for, its challenges and its future.

In 1996, the Trustees of CMC commissioned California historian Kevin Starr to write a book commemorating the College’s first fifty years. His remarkable work, “Commerce and Civilization: Claremont McKenna College, 1946-1996”, has been a key source for this series.

Additionally, CMC’s Development Office has opened the College’s archives to Forum staff for this project. We thank them, as well as the CMC Alumni Association, for access to primary sources and first-hand interviews.

Part I: The Founding: An Idea, Long Before a College

Part II: CMC’s Conservative Heart

Part III: The Challenge of the Campus

Highlights in Part IV:

· The founders of CMC believed the college’s specialties – economics and government – were fields for men.

· A fraternity culture permeated the school from its inception, with “beer busts” and men’s clubs like the Tortugateers and the Knickerbockers.

· In his fight to turn the College coed, President Stark considered resignation.

Part V: Our Place in the Liberal Arts

____________

Part IV

Claremont Men’s College, with Women

After three long years of “tasteless lunches, long conclaves, and mountains of paper,” the trustees of Claremont Men’s College voted by two-thirds to admit women to the school on April 25, 1975.  It was a monumental decision for the institution, a decision that should have fundamentally changed the masculine heart of the school.  When it came down to it, however, the women that began to trickle into CMC did not differentiate themselves from their male classmates by much more than gender.

· Before The Integration ·

In the founding of the Claremont Colleges, Pomona set forth an agenda for a “broadly comprehensive coeducational liberal arts college” and Scripps was meant to be a women’s college preparing young women for marriage, teaching, and other limited opportunities. The third college, Claremont Men’s College, was to be for men, whom the college would train for careers in “male-oriented public and private sectors.” Translation: Men would enroll at CMC to learn economics and government. The college was founded as a business-oriented institution and, in 1946, these professions excluded women.

A queen is crowned at the Starlight Ball.

This is not to say CMCers of that era did not interact with the women of the Claremont Colleges. The relationship between CMC men and Pomona and Scripps women was integral to the happiness of these men. The Analyst, CMC’s earliest newspaper, did occasional surveys and questionnaires of undergraduate tastes and preferences. When asked for whom CMC had done the most good, the majority of students replied, “Scripps College.” The ultimate dream for the early postwar CMC ungrads, as then-social chairman Ted Hinckley remembered it, was “of a new car, an income somewhere between $5,000 and $8,000, a California ranch-style house, three or four kids, and obviously a Scripps or Pomona lovely to make it all come true.”

· The Importance of Claremont Women ·

Themed dances and formal events were the social mainstays for CMC men.  The high point of the social year, the Starlight Ball, featured a queen and her court, while the men and the rest of their dates participated in an elaborate outdoor dance. Around the winter holidays, there was a semi-formal Candlelight Ball. In 1949, the first Monte Carlo, a tradition still in place, was held at CMC.  Describing the affair, an Analyst article promoted the event with “soft music, shielded lights, [and] the low whirr of roulette shell as dame fortune picks her beau.”  This was the generation that created the baby boom—marriage was in the air.  As Kevin Starr’s Commerce and Civilization notes, finance professor W. Bayard Taylor would instruct his students to “cross the street and marry your working capital,” as he gestured across Ninth Street.  Inevitably, there was a certain social codependence upon which both single-sex institutions relied.

· The Rise of “Joe College” ·

CMC does "Joe College"

The student population changed as fewer veterans enrolled, and younger, less mature men entered CMC.  The initial scare of the Korean War had ended with the election of President Eisenhower; it was now the era of “Joe College.” More CMCers were affluent, fun loving, and not exceedingly concerned with academics. Dean of Students William Alamshah described the mood of the school in 1954 as “practical and pragmatic,” much like today’s unofficial “work hard, play hard” motto. And also much like today, the campus social calendar seemed to be quite wide-ranging, consistent, and thematic.  Future CMC President Jack Stark ’57 managed a “Boothill Stomp,” including a hayride and dancing.  Every January, the freshman class sponsored a “Prohibition Prom,” in which students and their dates dressed in the style of the 1920s.  Alumni interviewed for Starr’s book also fondly recall spending Friday afternoons in the orange groves north of Foothill Boulevard with Scrippsies for their Thank-God-It’s-Friday (TGIF) beer parties.

Undoubtedly, certain aspects of the CMC playboy mentality adapted during this decade, and remain pervasive to this day.  In 1959, a high-profile Harper’s article profiling the Claremont Colleges was published.  While Pomona was stately, Scripps was elegant, and Harvey Mudd was science-oriented, CMC was described as full of “would-be tycoons, future Rotarians…exuberantly extroverted, tireless cheerleaders of fun, and, in their own self-image, mad bad playboys.” It’s no wonder such generalizations stuck for decades when described as such on a national stage.

Two rowdy social clubs, the Knickerbockers and the Tortugateers, were also formed towards the end of this carefree era preceding the turmoil of the Vietnam War. The Knickerbockers boasted a preppy style–dressing themselves in coats and ties in order to draw Ivy League comparisons. The Tortugateers, on the other hand, donned unusual hats and a much more casual attire based around t-shirts and shorts. Despite differences in appearances, the two clubs shared one major thing in common: partying.

· Tradition’s Changing Tide ·

By the mid-1960s, however, the debauchery and pranks of the social clubs had faded. These traditions died as the political atmosphere became more serious and serenading Scrippsies was replaced with concerns over war protests. Even before coeducation was on the table, CMC men were confronting trustees with difficult demands. Citing the importance of learning to live with women as people rather than view them as “potential conquests,” student body president Larry Gilson requested coed living in campus housing.

Visions of horn-rimmed glasses and penny loafers: one of CMC's social clubs, The Knickerbockers.

The college entered the 1970s as an all-male institution, “prizing strength of character and rugged individualism.”  By 1972, serious discussion on coeducation had already begun. The decision was largely focused around public relations issues. Various members of the admissions office staff predicted it would be far easier to market CMC on a national stage if it could, in theory, double its audience. Offering admission to both women and men would also allow the school to be more selective, further advancing the prestige of the school.  The “sticky wicket” involved with the decision to go coed was a different side of the same coin.  CMC had already spent a good 25 years promoting itself as Claremont Men’s College. If it went coed, the school would necessarily need to change its name and effectively start over again. In the three years trustees debated the issue, this remained the most persistent concern.

· Great Deliberations ·

Many also feared a split among the trustees–an environment bad for fundraising. Donald McKenna, the chair of the subcommittee formed to study the issue, remained thoroughly unconvinced by arguments based on women having the right to attend CMC. Quite simply, McKenna had little interest in instituting more “minority” quotas.  He posited an important possibility for all those fond of the type of man CMC had come to produce: “…we may get female students who are more like the activist feminists than the leaders of the future whom the advocates of coeducation tell us will be the ones who will actually come to CMC if we open our doors.”

After three years of deliberation, CMC's Board approved a move to admit women to the College. Privately, President Jack Stark concluded that a ruling vote against the motion would also end his role as president.

Why did the Board of Trustees finally land on the decision to begin admitting women?  First, the school would be able to expand its applicant pool. Second, it was no longer a concern to the majority of the trustees that by admitting women the fundamental orientation of CMC towards business and government-related fields would change. They were rightly convinced the women that would begin applying to CMC would be attracted by this same strength in institution. Third, it was understood that, moving forward, fewer and fewer qualified men would be interested in enrolling in an all-male college. If the school resisted the shift, it would have likely faced a crisis in the search for qualified applicant pools. On that same note, the school was acutely aware of the national trend toward coeducation. By that time, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Williams, and Amherst–schools CMC saw as direct competition–had all gone coed.

The vast majority of CMC men supported the move to a coeducational school. A student survey conducted before the pivotal trustee meeting in April 1975 showed that 73 percent of students favored, 16 percent did not, and 11 percent remained undecided. Gone was the 1950s male-dominated and largely chivalrous ethos of the school.

The newly formed Associated Students of Claremont Men’s College wrote the trustees to indicate they believed women had a right to attend CMC.

“The unnatural social situation, created by CMC’s all-male character, does a great disservice to the student by not allowing him an unstrained, informal social atmosphere in which women can be regarded as friends and equals,” said the ASCMC letter.  Much like the early push to allow women to live in CMC dorms, the student position focused on a desire to develop something other than romantic relationships with women.

President Jack Stark kept the College focused on the issue throughout those three long years of deliberation. Both Jack Stark and his wife Jil had privately decided that if the coeducation plan were to be defeated, the couple no longer intended to remain in leadership at CMC. Stark considered the admission of women among the most important decisions in the entire history of his college. To him, the decision to go coed represented an ability for CMC students, trustees, and administrators to invest energy into the future of higher education instead of the past.

· A Woman’s Place at CMC ·

On March 15, 1976, Kathy Hurley NEE Evans was the first woman to send in her deposit reserving a place in the class entering CMC that fall.

In an interview with the Forum, Hurley noted she was not attracted to CMC for any reason other than its strength in the academic programs in which she was interested. Her guidance counselor at Wheat Ridge High School in Lakewood, Colorado merely told her there was an opportunity to enroll at CMC, a school known for both private and public sector study.

Much like many of the other women choosing to enroll in CMC that first year, Hurley had no ulterior feminist motive. She was not out to prove a point or break new barriers. Just like any man, “Miss Evans typifi[ed] the student Claremont Men’s College strives to admit. The first class of CMC women, around 50 in total, lived in some North Quad suites and Benson. Some formed extremely tight friendships in their minority status, while others were more interested in forming platonic male friendships. Hurley indicated that the early relationships between CMC women and Scripps women were not much different than what we find today. Although some felt competitive towards their neighbors across Ninth Street, no one was outwardly and incredibly hostile.

Similarly, Hurley felt that the male reaction also “ran the gamut.” Some men had no interest in women attending CMC, some were indifferent, but most were very accepting and even excited about the arrival of their new classmates. Interestingly enough, Hurley’s husband, Kelly Hurley ’79, was one of the men initially skeptical of the prospect of coeducation. As a woman, Hurley felt just as much pressure to succeed after graduation. Graduating with a degree in economics, Hurley decided to follow her then-husband Kelly to Phoenix, where she began as the sole analyst of U-Haul’s maintenance budget.  She later moved into banking until she “retired” at 26. Unlike most of the women who graduated in the first class, Hurley did not continue to pursue a high-powered career over marriage and family. Already married at her five year reunion, Hurley explained she felt very much in the minority. Even the first graduating class of CMC women were expected to go out in the business world and make a name for themselves above all else.

The decision to go coed was a long and bureaucratic consultation, but the transition itself was rather easy. Little more changed on campus besides new athletic programs for Athenas and the logistics of the residence halls. The more women enrolled at CMC, the more it was clear the orientation of the institution was not going anywhere.

Economics and government may still be male-dominated fields, even now. But CMC attracted and will continue to attract students interested in these fields, whether or not they are men. CMCers, male or female, can still pride themselves on being “exuberantly extroverted,” “tireless cheerleaders of fun,” possessing a certain strength of character and “rugged individualism.” Moving forward, CMC’s greatest challenge will be to ensure the “CMC type” we all recognize remains the foundation of its past, and well as the promise of its future.

Read Part V: Our Place in the Liberal Arts.

The Black Keys Work (FM Attack Remix)-Erlend Øye

This song is one-fourth of the Astrowave EP FM Attack released in early June.  Kings of Convenience and Whitest Boy Alive frontman Erlend Øye get remixed in the dreamy and infectious style  FM Attack  has quickly patented as his sound.  Consider this your soundtrack to synthy summer nights.

Summer in Brooklyn-Jay-Z featuring Lil’ Wayne

Cookin’ Soul=spicing up American Gangster. As usual, Weezy provides ample entertainment for the remix, which samples the timeless Pharcyde jam “Passin’ Me By.”  Guess we’ll call this a shout out to all you CMCers in the “City” this summer.

Gilbere Forte'

1st Floor-Gilbere Forte’ featuring Freelance Whales

Following the indie + hip-hop trend, Gilbere Forte’ samples Freelance Whales and Aislyn (of Passion Pit fame).  The Smoking Section describe the beats as “a musical roll of thunder” paired with Forte”s quickly-paced flow.  It’s hard to stand out in the wave of hip-hop talent, but  ”1st Floor” proves Gilbere Forte’ is certainly poised to do so.  You heard it here first.

Maybe So, Maybe No (Reggae Mix)-Mayer Hawthorne

So we’ve already established that Mayer Hawthorne exudes a kind of cool unlike any one else in the indie/electronic/hip-hop/motown revival scene.  ”Maybe So, Maybe No” is a track off of his album, A Strange Arrangement released in September 2009 but he recently decided to release a reggae mix to his Twitter followers.  How could a little reggae beat paired with soulful vocals not make you feel like drinking a Red Stripe?

King of the Beach-Wavves

If for no other reason than Nathan Williams’ hybrid skate-punk and 60s surfer guitar, the title track of Wavves’ King of the Beach screams “palm trees” and “sunshine.”  What’s that you say?  We’re not getting jobs?  We’ll just take up the guitar and join Wavves on the beach.

Spilling Over Every Side EP-Pretty Lights

Pretty Lights is an incredibly talented DJ.  This new EP, released on July 29th, is quite possibly the best example of his skill to date.  To seal the deal for all you anxious downloaders, all of his work is “pay what you can” on his website.  If you like what you hear, don’t stop at this EP–download his entire discography.  We’re crossing our fingers he makes his way out to Southern California soon.

Amadou & Mariam

Midnight Love-Tennishero

The Swedes know what’s up.  Tennishero (Jens Andersson and Alexander Berg) comes at us with this loungey/house track produced a few years back.  You know those songs you can listen to like five times in a row?  You guessed it, “Midnight Love” makes that list.

Boy-Ra Ra Riot

Ra Ra Riot is one of those bands we usually like better once their work is remixed.  ”Boy” off of their forthcoming LP The Orchard, however, captures their orchestrated indie-pop essence at its peak.  Sounds like lead singer Wes Miles’ side-project rubbed off well on RRR’s new material.

Sabali-Amador & Mariam

Amador & Mariam win for “most adorable blind Malian couple ever.”  They also win for best “fresh take on World music,” combining traditional high-pitched vocals with a great electro-synth beat on “Sabali.”  We’ll call this the pick for all you CMCers hanging out in other parts of the world this summer.

Boyfriend (GhostWaves edit)-Best Coast

Best Coast has been all over this summer.  Even in the Washington Post. This GhostWaves rework made us forgive Bethany Cosentino for whining about her boyfriend and really dig her lo-fi vocals and chillwave sound.

Coming or Going (RAC Remix)-White Arrows

A delectable RAC remix of this White Arrows song, whose first EP is due out in August.  As the blogs have told us, this song is good enough to be featured on Entourage — keep a look out this season.

With that, congratulations to these winners as well as the entire Class of 2010 for your incredible academic achievements and contributions to the CMC community.  We’re really going to miss all of you.

STUDENT AWARDS

The Alamshah Award: Isayas Theodros ’10

The Alamshah Award is presented annually by the Dean of Students to a student who has shown the strongest commitment to student government.

The O’Keefe Award: Stark Hall

The O’Keefe Award is presented to the dorm with the lowest dorm damages, highest number of activities, and a number of other factors in the past year.

The Sydney J. Rosenberg Award for Debate: Charlie Sprague ’10

Note: Within each academic department, best thesis decided by the faculty via popular vote while best overall is the student in the major with the highest GPA.

Robert Day School of Economics and Finance

Best Thesis-Ryan Wessels ’10

Best Overall-Keren Michelson ’10

Robert Days School of Economics and Finance (Accounting)

Best Thesis-Janice Tan ’10

Best Overall-Mollie Amkraut ’10

Gender Studies

Best Thesis-Rebekah Binns ’10

Government

Best Thesis-David Ernst ’10

Best Overall-Brendan Sasso ’10

History

Best Thesis-Rebekah Binns ’10

Best Overall-Bri Riggio ’10

International Relations

Best Thesis-Elaisha Nandrajog ’10

Best Overall-David Nahmias ’10

Literature

Best Thesis-Livia Romano ’10

Best Overall-S. Nadini Majumdar ’10

Mathematics

Best Thesis-Camila Friedman-Gerlicz ’10

Best Overall-Will Feldman ’10

Modern Languages

Best Overall-David Nahmias ’10

Philosophy

Best Thesis-Corey Davia ’10

Best Overall-Hunter Jackson ’10

Psychology

Best Thesis-Courtney Dern ’10

Best Overall-Courtney Dern ’10

Religious Studies

Best Thesis- Elaisha Nandrajog ’10

Best Overall-Alexander Haines ’10

Science

Best Thesis:

Biological Sciences: Giselle Galanto ’10

Physical Sciences: Dianna Buckett ’10

Neuroscience: Sheila Bhardwaj ’10

Best Overall- Spencer Trooboff ’10

The Alumni Association Citizenship Award: Courtney Dern ’10 and Shamil Hargovan ’10

The Alumni Association Outstanding Athlete Award for Men and Women: Warren Brown-Pounds ’10 and Annie Perizzolo ’11

The William Dickinson Athletic Award: Cameron Hanson ’10

The Brian Walkenbach Award for Outstanding Resident Assistant: Cameron Hanson ’10

The Berger Award for Outstanding Senior Man and Woman: Abhi Nemani ’10 and Becca Arnold ’10

Students apply to be the recipient of this award based academic achievement, contribution to the CMC community, and moral integrity among other things. The winner is decided by ASCMC and Dean of Students’ office

NATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Fulbright Scholarships

Amber Ariate ’10

Katie Walker ’10

Rebekah Binns ’10

Francesca Ioffreda ’10

Max Sterling ’10

Camille Sheffield ’10

Alternates:

David Nahmias ’10

David Franzel ’10

Harry Truman Scholarship

Nirant Gupta ’11

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

Nikki Holzberg ’11

FACULTY AWARDS

The Roy P. Crocker Award For Merit

Diane Halpern, Psychology

The Glenn R. Huntoon Teaching Award

Bassam Frangieh, Modern Languages

Direct vote by students for most effective faculty member, both junior and senior faculty members are eligible.

The G. David Huntoon Senior Teaching Award

Eric Helland, Economics

Decided by nominations from faculty and students, then student-faculty committee.

Presidential Award

Mark Massoud, Robert Day School of Economics and Finance (Accounting)

Personal award from President Gann for achievement within an individual’s career.  Professor Massoud has won 13 Huntoon teaching awards in his 31 years at CMC.

Hats off at Commencement 2009

In the past, it has been customary for the Senior Class President to give a speech at Commencement.  Although awaiting final approval from President Gann, a change in this policy for the 2010-2011 academic year (and beyond) has already been approved by several members of the Dean of Students and Dean of Faculty offices, including Dean Mary Spellman and Dean Greg Hess.

Many people may be indifferent to the student chosen to speak on their behalf at their graduation, but I believe changing this process to a student-nominated speaker is more democratic and will ultimately produce a much more quality speech.  As the incoming Senior Class President, I am the first to say that I think there are people in my class who will be able to draft and deliver a much better speech than I ever could.  On top of that, it is not even specified in the ASCMC Constitution that the Senior Class President must give the speech.  The document merely states the Senior Class President “shall work with the CMC administration to plan the annual graduation ceremonies.”

I do not think that when students vote for their Senior Class President in March of their Junior year they judge the candidates based on their ability to give a great graduation speech.  The Senior Class President serves an important role for students in their final year here at CMC, but this should not necessarily include speaking at graduation.  It has also been my understanding that it is the general consensus of the student body that this will be a positive change.  Members of the ASCMC Executive Board, alumni, current seniors, current juniors, and even underclassmen have expressed their support for this new tradition.

The proposed plan is as follows:

• Applicants first encouraged to apply via The Forum around Thanksgiving
• Committee formed consisting of the ASCMC President, Senior Class President, a member of the Dean of Students, a Faculty representative, and two more student representatives to choose finalists
• Application will be open until deadline at the beginning of second semester (giving seniors time to write speeches over winter break)
• Speaker selection committee reviews applications after deadline at the beginning of second semester
• Committee decides on 3-5 finalists by March 1st
• Seniors choose the speaker from the finalists by a direct vote

This plan is tentative and definitely flexible.  I encourage all input from current students and alumni if you have alterations or suggestions to make for the current plan.

Exec Board met last night but there is nothing of note to report, I couldn’t resist reporting the lack of report to you anyway.

Go to Slippery When Wet at Mudd this weekend-maybe they can find a use for all the unused jello…(kidding).

-CD

Song of the moment:
Marlena Shaw-California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent remix)

Auf Wiedersehen,

Cara

Song of the moment:
AmpLive-Video Tapez feat. Del tha Funky Homosapien

]]> http://cmcforum.com/news/ascmc-news/04272009-ascmc-morning-report-april-27/feed 0 http://cmcforum.com/news/ascmc-news/04192009-ascmc-morning-report-april-20 http://cmcforum.com/news/ascmc-news/04192009-ascmc-morning-report-april-20#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:59:30 +0000 Cara Daley http://cmcforum.com/?p=3707 Please start referring to the Morning Report with a silent t. Exec Board met last night, here are the updates:

1. Cultural Awareness Advocates, a comprehensive Model UN club, and an ASCMC-recognized APAM were all approved as official clubs.
2. Look forward to Pitzer’s Kohoutek festival next weekend: headliners include Matt & Kim and Mr. Lif. It is going to be the jumpoff/sick/hella tight.

Daley out.

Song of the moment:

T.W.D.Y.-Player\’s Holiday

Photo courtesy Claremont Courier

On with the updates from last night’s Exec Board meeting:

1. With sweeping decisiveness, Exec Board approved club recognition for Claremont Finance Club, Claremont Boxing Club, and a socially-liberal-fiscally-conservative publication: Liberty’s Last Stand (separate from the Libertarian Club). Finance and Boxing? Oh yes.
2. Assassins is still going strong. Back-stabbing and extreme stalking abounds. Just don’t be like Eric Zacharias and never leave your room.
3. Want to know what is going down next weekend? If you aren’t lucky enough to be hitting up Coachella, check out the sick banner on Green Beach for a little clue.

I ride my bike to the club,

Cara

Good luck with everything you have going on in your life–same time next week.

Love,
Cara

The brand new ASCMC Exec Board met for the first time yesterday. Here are the updates:

1. Hooray! The Latin-America Business Council is now an official club. If you are a member, look forward to subsidization for your trip to Mexico. If you want to join, contact President Guillermo Bravo Beneitez ’11 for more information.
2. Looking for an eligible CMC bachelor? Tired of questioning your ability to decode the effects of Claremont goggles? Lucky for you, Mr. Stag is coming up! If you want to be a contestant, start planning your “talent.”

That’s all for now, I’m already excited to talk to you all next week.

Love,
Cara