By Isabelle Tilley
A long line of history was revealed on March 27 during “The Place of Peace: The Courageous History of the Education of Women,” a Women’s History Month event hosted in the Main Parlor of William Peace University.
Led by Dr. Katie Otis, oral historian and professor, the presentation honored the generations of women who shaped — and were shaped by — Peace’s legacy. The university was celebrated as one of the first in the South to open its doors to women seeking higher education.
Relics from the past adorned the room, with photo displays, soft lighting, and refreshments served by Peace’s Sodexo staff. Old lotus yearbooks, vintage photographs, and typewritten catalogs gave guests a glimpse into a world that looked different but felt familiar.
(The vintage relics on display at the event. Photos by Isaiah Grady)
Among the crowd, which included students, faculty, and members of the local community, were several Peace alumni.
(The event’s attendants were conversing before the presentation began. Photo by Isaiah Grady)
Dr. Otis opened with a history of women’s roles in society, explaining that women were once viewed primarily as “mothers and wives in training.” She noted that when Peace was founded in 1857, it served both boys and girls in its primary division, but offered secondary and higher education specifically for women.
Following delays due to the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Peace Institute officially opened in 1872, after it had previously served as a Confederate hospital, thanks to support from the Presbyterian church.
(Dr. Katie Otis presenting at the event. Photo by Isaiah Grady )
As the institute developed, so did expectations. Peace was marketed as a “cheerful Christian home for young ladies,” and ladylike conduct was strictly enforced. Girls were expected to follow rules such as no communication during study hours, no visiting local stores without a teacher, and absolutely no whispering at the dinner table. Demerits were a common consequence — including ones for messy rooms.
(A list of things prohibited for students to do from 1872 to 1890 at Peace. Photo by Isabelle Tilley)
One of the stricter rules listed from the 1890s was a prohibition on “correspondence with gentlemen (brothers excepted).” Dr. Otis said, “The number of brothers Peace girls had during this time would often grow.”
Otis also shared the story of Katherine Sloan, known as the first Peace Girl. Sloan was the first to enroll and completed her education at Peace, which set the tone for generations of young women who would follow. Sloane was a mother to nine children, which reflected the heavy emphasis on womanly accomplishments and assumptions that women would need to prepare to be better wives and mothers.
One segment of Otis’s presentation was titled “Dangerous by Degrees,” which gave a nod to the idea that a woman gaining higher education was frowned upon in the past (and even in some places today). Some even believed it could damage a woman’s reproductive health. That myth was famously debunked by Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, who proved that a woman’s education and physical health could coexist and thrive.
The end of the presentation highlighted the unexpected joy and mischief tucked into Peace’s history. Otis described vintage Peace clubs like the “Naughty Nibblers” (snacking was forbidden, obviously) and the “Midnight Crew,” who stayed up long after curfew.
One of the most legendary stories she told involved girls collecting flypaper, placing it in front of every dorm door, and setting off the fire alarm to watch teachers and students run into the sticky traps in the middle of the night.
(The tennis team of Peace from the past, left on a table at the event for guests to view. Photo by Isabelle Tilley)
“I liked hearing about all the things college girls would do back in the day, like in the ’60s,” said Dayna Kenworthy, a senior at Peace. “It’s funny hearing how they’d pull pranks and just get into trouble like we still do today. I thought the rules were insane.”
Otis ended her presentation by tying the past into Peace’s present and future. The university became co educational in 2012, and today, students continue to push boundaries and preserve memories.
Otis announced that she and her students are currently building a digital museum, “A Piece of Peace,” which will showcase the university’s evolving legacy.
“If you have something from your time at Peace,” Otis said, “you can become a part of the archive. A part of history.”