Alexis M. Lewis

According to sociologist Barry Schwarz, “Collective memory is a representation of the past embodied in both historical evidence and commemorative symbolism”.[1] For Schwarz, memory for individuals in society is based on artifacts from the past such as newspaper clippings and photos along with other ideas and notions about the past that are prevalent in modern society.  In researching and comparing the Mount Holyoke community of the 1950s to the current Mount Holyoke community, elements of collective memory are at work. Historical documents in conjunction with current prevailing ideas work to create a collective memory of the 1950s.

In researching differences and similarities between these two Mount Holyoke communities, the letters of Mary Browning, a former student of Mount Holyoke in the early 50s, were drawn upon. After evaluating the letters, one can note the many changes that the community has undergone since Browning’s college years.  In one of her letters dated in early November of 1947, Browning refers to former campus buildings such as the CI or College Inn, and Cowles Lodge.[2] In another letter dated in early December of 1947, Browning makes reference to delivering schedules for the appointment bureau, a former administration office.[3] 

In these two letters it is evident that campus buildings such as the College Inn and campus offices such as the appointment bureau, were a part of the Mount Holyoke community of the 1950s. However, the role of these buildings and offices in the current Mount Holyoke community has changed considerably. In particular, the role of the appointment bureau in student life has significantly changed since the 1950s.

In the Mount Holyoke community of the 1950s the appointment bureau was an office that served as a type of job placement agency for students and alumnae of the college. In an annual report for the appointment bureau, the director makes reference to the appointment bureau as a placement office when describing changes her office has been undergoing. She writes, “ The world situation as reflected in at least one placement office in a woman’s college is well-nigh topsy-turvy”.[4] In another college document, the appointment bureau is described as “…an office for the registration of seniors and alumnae who wish to secure positions in any kind of work ”.[5] The role of this office was to help students, in particular seniors, and alumnae, obtain job appointments. Hence, this office was appropriately named “the appointment bureau”.

However, in the current Mount Holyoke community, this office is no longer referred to as the appointment bureau, but is not appropriately called the career development center. This name reflects the current office’s mission for students. The career development center, or CDC, focuses on students in all years of college rather than just seniors and alumnae. In fact, the emphasis of this office has steered away from alumnae to focus more heavily on the needs of current students. As a result, the office has resources that appeal more to current undergraduates such as information on writing cover letters and resumes, obtaining internships and applying to graduate and professional schools.

Another difference between these two offices is the fact that the appointment bureau was more involved in the life of the students and monitored more closely student job activity, while the career development center takes a more “hands-off” approach. During the 1950s, all seniors were expected to register with the appointment bureau. These students completed registration forms indicating plans after graduation, work experience, education and areas of interest. According to an intake form from the appointment bureau, the information from these forms was used, “…for making arrangements for interviews, for group talks, and for making recommendations…”[6] The forms were also used to create student profiles to give to companies and other employers interested in hiring students from the college. In addition to registering with the appointment bureau, seniors were expected to schedule a meeting with the director of the appointment bureau to discuss post-graduation plans.

The appointment bureau also hosted employment recruiters from other universities and businesses. The office helped arrange interviews with these recruiters for seniors, and helped administer student information sessions with the recruiters. For non-graduating students, the bureau helped to secure jobs in the summer with summer camps as counselors and in hotels as waitresses.[7] The bureau also serviced alumnae by offering to discuss future plans with them.[8]

Another important service of the appointment bureau was the student vocational committee.[9] This committee offered a series of vocational talks by professionals in different fields for students. These talks were aimed at giving students insight into various professional fields. 

During the 1950s, the student employment office was also a part of the appointment bureau. This office dealt with student employment on and off-campus. In fact, the appointment bureau kept a watchful eye on students and their jobs. In one of the appointment bureau director’s reports, the director makes reference to the fact that she and the dean of residence “…cooperate in an attempt to limit the number of hours a week the student carry such work [off-campus work], but one suspects there is pressure for more time than may be good for some schedules”.[10]

The career development center of the Mount Holyoke community approach to career services is much different than that of the appointment bureau. The career development center is an office that makes the necessary resources available to students, but students are expected to take advantage of these resources and opportunities themselves. This office is now largely a center for exploration and research rather than a placement agency.

Despite, this different approach to career services, many of the services that the center offers are still the same. The center still acts as a host to on-campus employment and academic program recruiters. They collect resumes for students interested in positions with companies recruiting on-campus, and they coordinate interviews and information sessions for these students. They also offer a credentials service, which allows interested students to register with the career development center so that they may have recommendations sent out to potential employers or academic programs. The student employment office is also affiliated with the career development center, although the center does not administer student jobs.

While the career development center, works to host employment and academic program recruiters at the college and is the headquarters of the student employment office, the career development center no longer helps students secure summer jobs.  In addition, the center’s services for alumnae are limited. The student vocational committee is also no longer a part of the career development center. 

The career development center also no longer requires seniors to register with their office, and they do not actively work to secure employment positions for seniors. The CDC expects students to take the initiative to make arrangements for their future. The office offers counseling and workshops to help guide students in post-graduation decisions, but students are largely expected to conduct job searches and secure employment on their own. This office offers more resources to allow students to find and pursue after-graduation opportunities themselves, while the office of the appointment bureau did a majority of the work for the students.

Furthermore, the career development center does not solely focus on helping seniors with after-graduation needs or on finding employment for current students, as the appointment bureau did.  This office works to help students discover opportunities such as internships that would offer them the necessary skills and experience they would need when trying to secure post-graduation opportunities. 

Although the appointment bureau and the career development center had different roles in the Mount Holyoke community, their goals are largely the same. Both offices were created to cater to the post-graduate needs of college-educated women in a male-dominated world. The appointment bureau was an agency that was appropriate for the 1950s, a time in which the post-graduate opportunities for college-educated women were limited. However, since the 1950s, the opportunities for women have expanded and increased, and the career development center is an agency appropriate for current times in which college-educated women are in high demand.

[1] Schwarz, Barry. 2000. “Two Faces of Collective Memory”. p. 9  in Abraham Lincoln and the Forge of Collective Memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

[2] Mary Elizabeth Browning Letter, Mary Elizabeth Browning to Mother, November 9, 1947. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[3] Mary Elizabeth Browning Letter, Mary Elizabeth Browning to Mother, December 1, 1947. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[4] Career Development Center Records, Director’s Annual Report 1950-1951, p. 1, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[5] Catalogs, Registries and Directories, Mount Holyoke College Bulletin: The Catalogue Number January 1948, p. 153, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA

[6] Mary Elizabeth Browning Papers, Appointment Bureau Report Form, October 16, 1950. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[7] Catalogs, Registries and Directories, Mount Holyoke College Bulletin: The Catalogue Number January 1948, p. 154, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA

[8] Career Development Center Records, Director’s Annual Report 1950-1951, p. 6, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[9] Career Development Center Records, Director’s Annual Report 1946-1947, p. 2, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

[10] Career Development Center Records, Director’s Annual Report 1946-1947, p. 8, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

Bibliography

Career Development Center Roadmap. Career Development Center Publication.

South Hadley, Massachusetts. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College. Mary Elizabeth Browning Papers.

South Hadley, Massachusetts. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College. Career Development Center Records

South Hadley, Massachusetts. Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke College. Catalogs, Registries and Directories.

Schwarz, Barry. 2000. “Two Faces of Collective Memory”. p. 1-25 in Abraham Lincoln and the Forge of Collective Memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.