Students went to college for more than an academic education. They also wanted to be around peers with shared interests, like music. Minnesota’s early colleges and universities provided many options for social groups, helping young people form relationships that lasted well after their education was over.

Glee clubs were popular in late 19th century/early 20th century Minnesota Colleges. These were small choral groups usually made up of all male or all female voices. Pictured below is the Glee Club at Mankato Normal School (1898), Glee Club of Luther Seminary (1905), and Men’s and Women’s Glee Club of Macalester College (1914-1915).

Orchestras were a popular music ensemble at Minnesota colleges. Macalester College organized their first orchestra of nine male members in 1896. In 1897 Macalester College hired Nellie Agnes Hope, the first woman to join as music faculty at any higher education institution in the region. She taught from 1897 to 1900 at Macalester and established their first Ladies' Orchestra. Pictured below is St. Paul Seminary’s Slovenian Orchestra from around 1894, Mankato Commercial College (1891-1980) orchestra from 1912, and Concordia College, St. Paul’s orchestra from 1913.

Marching bands are often a feature of life at large universities with robust sports programs today, traditionally performing at football games. These marching bands frequently evolved from cadet bands, which were connected to military training that occurred at colleges and universities in the late 19th and early 20th century. The University of Minnesota Marching Band is one such band as it was originally founded in 1892 as a 28 person Cadet Band.

College marching bands became more widespread in Minnesota colleges and universities later in the 20th century. After World War I, marching bands became more popular in public schools as veterans with service band experience accepted music teaching positions. As bands became more integrated into public school culture, they also became competitive.

Below is footage of the St. Cloud State Teachers College marching band performing at a football game taken somewhere between 1950-1959. Press play to view the silent film.

Marching Band performs at a football game, St. Cloud State Teachers College, 1950-1959

Not all bands marched. There were many other types of bands at colleges in Minnesota around the turn of the 19th century. Pictured below are other music ensembles from Macalester College and St. Olaf College. The St. Olaf College Band was the first musical organization at St. Olaf College, founded in 1891.

Theater was a part of many students’ college experience, via senior class plays. These plays were very common around the turn of the 20th century and into the 1930s. In 1889, the Mankato State Normal School senior class performed The Courtship of Miles Standish.

Other Minnesota colleges also held senior class plays, as can be seen below.

One of the best ways to learn more about college and university student clubs and activities in the late 19th century/early 20th century is by browsing student newspapers, newsletters, and yearbooks. They often contain information about school activities and social events. As journalism education expanded in the early 20th century in the United States, student newspapers and newsletters became more popular.

Here are a few examples of the first student newspaper issues from Bethany Lutheran College, Rochester Community & Technical College and Mankato State University.

Student college newspaper and yearbook staff felt strongly enough about their work to arrange for group pictures, sometimes humorous ones.

Featured below is the newsletter “Normal Notes” detailing a review and photographs from the Duluth State Normal School drama club. The St. Cloud Normalia was a monthly student publication that ran from 1892-1904. The Bulletin of the College of St. Scholastica was not a student produced newsletter, but it contained information about student organizations and other aspects of the college, such as the 1924 listing below.

Students often kept scrapbooks full of memories from their college years. These scrapbooks frequently contained information about student clubs and activities alongside more personal remembrances. There were also more official school publications produced which contain information about student activities. For example, the Macalester Student Handbook references the Hyperion Literary Society and their purpose to “cultivate the ability of its members in oratory, debating, and parliamentary law.” The Student was a monthly magazine published by Mankato State Normal School from 188-1891. The March, 1891 issue details the happenings of the Normal Literary society. The Carleton College Viewbook was published to introduce the college to prospective students, parents, and friends of the college. The 1915 issue highlighted the oratory and debate options at Carleton College. The Duluth State Normal School scrapbook contained information about a railway tour organization by the senior class for the junior class.

Continue exploring the exhibit using the page links below.