Survey Of Parietal Rules Governing Women Shows Slight Change Since 1910

Information for the following story was obtained from official sources in Dean Hanford's office.

With a controversy raging to and fro over parietal rules and with petitions flying fast in all the Houses, a survey reveals that few really know the rules at present, or in what respect they were amended this year.

Until 1931 the rule governing reception of women guests in college buildings and buildings supervised by the College stated that the ladies could not be entertained in student's rooms even with a chaperon unless specific permission had been secured from either the Regent or Proctor. The rule was varied in wording from time to time, but always the meaning was the same.

This regulation had been in effect for over 20 years, and applied to dormitories, and rooming houses where the College maintained Proctors. The rule stated that the permission was only to be granted between 1 and 7 o'clock.

With the opening of all the new Houses in 1931, there was a general feeling that with the new community life planned, and with approximately 250 students living in a House presided over by a Master and Senior Tutor, it would be desirable if possible to do away with the chaperon and have a more informal basis for reception of women guests in the Houses. Therefore at a meeting of the Masters in the fall of 1931, it was decided that the old regulation should remain in force in the Yard and college supervised rooming houses, but that a now rule, applying only to the Houses should be passed.

Although there was no formal vote by the Masters, there was a general understanding that if written permission of the Master of Senior Tutor was secured, students might entertain ladies in their rooms without a chaperon, provided that the party always consisted of three or more. In other words the general understanding was that the written permission would generally be granted only on Saturday, Sunday or "Open House" occasions during dances.

The "three or more" regulation was not regarded as setting the number definitely at three. Rather it was felt that when students entertained women guests in their rooms it should be at a small party instead of alone.

All of the above rules pertaining to the Houses alone were formulated in a strictly informal manner, with no definite votes being taken. The whole idea of having a separate rule for the Houses was generally regarded as an experiment.

The rule was administered differently by the various Masters and tutors. Some Houses adhered strictly to the "three or more" phrase. Others allowed this gradually to fall into disuse, and it became the ordinary custom for permission to be granted without the necessity of having a third person present.

The plan worked smoothly for the first few years. Then a series of events occured, culminating in the Foster case of last year, which, while it had nothing to do with the reception rule, focused outside attention on the entire parietals.

As a result, in February of this year the question came up again at a meeting of the House Masters. The result of this meeting was to reaffirm the "three or more rule", and to demand a uniform interpretation by all Masters.

However when the Masters returned and discussed it with their tutors and House Committees, some objections were raised, until it was finally decided that of the three or more persons necessary to be in the room, two should be ladies. At a second meeting of the House Masters in May the rule with that change was ordered to go into effect at the beginning of this academic year.