The night that jazz musician Louis Armstrong kept his audience out late at the Spring Germans dance in May, 1954, the policy of in loco parentis was in full flood in the hands of UNC administrators who regulated coed visiting hours. The Faculty Club was just getting used to the idea of women members, and the campus newspaper made a regular practice of publishing "cheesecake" photos of attractive young women. The practice would disappear in the late 1950s, although the beauty contests went on.

For example, the 1954 newspaper staff made a point of running the following photo and caption:

The lass above...

The caption reads, "The lass above is Miss Evelyn West, The Daily Tar Heel's entry for the Miss Campus Chest contest of 1950." (Photo caption "The Daily Tar Heel office has been hit..." p. 4, May 12, 1954, The Daily Tar Heel)

Women staffers at the Daily Tar Heel may have taken matters into their own hands. The paper ran the photo and noted "The Daily Tar Heel office has been hit by a rash of Marylyn Monroe calendar disappearances as of late and we run this picture to let the thieves know that we will not be deterred in our quest for female pulchritude. The lass above..."

There weren't that many women on campus. The campus newspaper reported total UNC enrollment was 5,352 for fall quarter. Coed enrollment was 887, down from the previous fall population of 943. ("Enrollment 5,352 For Start Of Year," p. 1, Oct. 5, 1952, ibid)

Women spent their freshman or sophomore years at some other institution, according to a December 1, 1953, article announcing debate of a four-year curriculum for women. Opponents argued women had adequate facilities at the school for women in Greensboro, and admitting freshman and sophomore women would "entail a great disruption in the existing curriculum." Supporters argued women had equal rights to attend the University. The story noted there was a 7 to 1 ratio of men to women on campus. ("Phi to Debate Bill Extending Coed Program," p. 1, Dec. 1, 1953, ibid.)

Fewer numbers provided superficial advantages. For example, on December 4, 1953, the Country Germans put on square dance, announcing that "Admission will be 25 cents per man; ladies admitted free." ("Country Germans Tomorrow In Tin Can; 2 Callers on Hand" p. 1, Dec.4, 1953, ibid)

The February 22, 1953, edition interviewed Alice Jones, the first coed to apply for a degree from UNC. Jones said she was one of five coeds in fall of 1898, and she didn't go through the academic line at graduation because, "You see, one just didn't do those things...Why, in my day," Jones said, "a lady never appeared on campus without gloves and a veil." ("Gloves and Veil Were Campus Requirements for The First Coeds," by Deenie Schoeppe, p. 1, Feb. 22, 1953, ibid)

The Daily Tar Heel customarily printed brief announcements that set the hours of curfew for female students on weekends, especially after concerts. For example, the Dean of Women's office issued a prim announcement for a October, 1954, dance: "Late permission for coeds is not granted tonight since coeds have until 1 a.m. to return to dorms and sororities, and the dance will end at midnight." ("Fall Germans Slated Today Featuring Elliott Lawrence & Band in Concert, Dance," p. 1, Oct. 22, 1954)

The response wasn't always an unqualified no. The October 29, 1953, story noted that women students were "allowed to stay out until 2 a.m. so they may attend the German Club dance" featuring entertainer Johnny Long. ("Coed Deadline Extended to 2," p. 1, Oct. 29, 1953, ibid)

The paper also reported on complaints about the control of women's hours.

Campus rules about coeds were part of the problem, declared a November 30, 1953, story on whether freshman should date coeds. The debate by the Dialectic Senate and Philanthropic Society in Lenoir Hall, brought out the comment that students should "take advantage of the natural resources of Chapel Hill," according to Miss Charlotte Davis, who spoke in support of the measure.

Syd Shuford spoke against the issue, claiming "coeds were only interested in study, campus activities, and talking in sorority houses. Bringing girls home as early as 1 a.m. and being prohibited to drink before girls in fraternity houses made dating local coeds impossible," he declared.

The fraternities had problems with the administration rules. In the spring of 1954, the coed drinking decision was still in limbo. "The Coed Visiting Agreement, revoked over the weekend by the Dean of Students when he said the students abrogated it by taking for themselves the privilege of mixed drinking, sets the visiting rules for women students in fraternity houses." ("Coed Drinking Decision Still Hanging," by Charles Kuralt, p. 1 April 9, 1954)

Things got a bit testy. On May 8, 1954, Dean of Students Fred Weaver was burned in effigy about 3 a.m. in Big Fraternity Court "to indict the dean for the Administration's role in the current coed visiting-drinking snafu," the paper reported. ("Weaver Effigy Burned by 50 Fraternity Men," p. 1, May 9, 1954, ibid)

On January 13, 1954, the men's faculty club decided to admit women, allowing 12% of the women faculty members. The new coed faculty club was set to have its first meeting the following Wednesday. The paper reported that W. Wiley of the French Department "made known his fondness for women but remarked that he thought it was 'refreshing and relaxing' for men to be able to get off by theselves every so often." Wiley asserted he would "welcome the women with open arms."

There were both "cheesecake" photos and campus beauty contests in abundance in the The Daily Tar Heel in the early and mid-1950s.

The November 12, 1953, edition reported a Yackety Yack Beauty Contest at 8 a.m. that evening in Memorial Hall. The Air Force's Glenn Miller band furnished music for the dance, raising money for "Operation Christmas," a benefit for state orphans. Judges were Mrs. Kay Kyser, and others. A young woman named Ann May won the contest. ("Beauty Contest Tonight," p. 1, Nov. 12, 1953, ibid)

Posed photos were common in campus newspaper. For example, a November, 1953, edition featured a photo of one Vanessa Brown in a swimming suit. Another photo featured Judy Clark, "who recently won a contest for the girl with Australia's loveliest legs, demonstrating the art of rolling stockings." (Photo caption "Judy Ann Clark of Sydney, Australia..." p. 1, Nov.3, 1954, ibid)

It was considered page one news on January 8, 1954, and worth a photo when Marilyn Monroe was suspended by her studio because she failed to show up for the start of a new picture. The paper reported she was marrying former New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio, but Monroe's agent said she had no such plans. (Photo caption "Announcement By Marilyn Monroe's studio..." p. 1, Jan. 8, 1954, ibid)