Stringent dress codes characterized student life from the 1920s to the 1950s. This bow from 1954 was a staple of outfits for first-year students in the Woman's College. Freshmen boys were required to wear "dinks" until Duke beat UNC at football. These garments accompanied a host of freshmen-oriented traditions, where upperclassmen could quiz freshmen on Duke history or harangue them into singing the fight song or reciting cheers.
Traditions: Freshman Life Reference Collection, Box 1, Traditions Board [ca. 1956] Folder, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
JANUARY 8, 2024 – DECEMBER 15, 2024 Duke University Libraries