Major

Although nearly 12 percent of the data on college major are missing from the yellow cards for the class of 1955, the data are still suggestive of overall major choice. The most commonly reported majors were English (12.4 percent) and Economics (10.4 percent), followed at some distance by Political Science (8.4 percent), Psychology (6.3 percent) and Zoology (6.1 percent). Nearly 17 percent of students reported a double major with the most common second major being Sociology (11.8 percent of all students, and 70 percent of all double majors). Note however that this may be connected to the declaration of an Economics major since Economics and Sociology were joined in a single department in 1955 (more details below).

The study of sociology first appeared in Mount Holyoke College's course bulletin in the 1899/1900 academic year as a course entitled "Principles of Sociology" in the Political Economics Department. In the 1905/1906 academic year, one subheading under the History Department included the study of sociology ("American History, Political Economics, and Sociology"). From 1906 to 1908, Politics and Social Economics was listed in the course bulletin. In the 1908/1909 academic year, the Economics and Sociology course of study was founded. The Department of Economics and Sociology, with its own chairperson and faculty, was established in the 1928/1929 academic year. In this year the Anthropology Department was also established as an independent entity. In 1949, however, the Anthropology Department disbanded and courses in anthropology were taught through the Department of Economics and Sociology. In 1971/1972, Sociology joined Anthropology to form the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. (Mount Holyoke College Archives: Archival Inventory, Sociology and Anthropology Department, Records, 1974-, Record Group Number: RG 18.36).