Student Government Association at FSCW (Group A)

The Student Government Association (SGA) at Florida State College for Women was in charge of governing the community life of Florida State Students. Whenever events were taking place on campus, the SGA was there to help organize such events in conjunction with the organizations bringing the events to the campus, make sure the events were able to legally take place, and see to it that events ran smoothly and efficiently on campus. Student Governmnet was important because it gave students a chance to engage in leadership skills, as well as it gave them the skills they would need to function within business or actual governmnetal institutions. Students who took part in the SGA were able to use the skills they obtained from the organization in everyday life, and they were able to include in things like resumes the fact that they took part in such an organization. Being involved in such organizations back in the 1920s, was very important for women especially. Since it was difficult at the time for women to be involved in any sort of professional workforce, involvement in such organizations as the SGA gave certain women opportunities to not only further their education, but to get involved in well-paying jobs outside of college.

At the time that Jewell Genevieve Cooper went to FSCW the positions within the SGA were held by the following: Gladys Jordon (President), Ida Holmes (Vice President), Helen Vernay (Treasurer), Elizabeth Clark Randolph (Secretary), Mona Alderman (Senior Representative), Winifred Holden (Junior Representative), Mildred Bruce (Sophomore Representative), Elizabeth Aiken (Y. W. C. A. Representative), Cornelia Colson (Fire Chief), Hortense Mintz (President of Bryan Hall), Louisa Verri (President of Reynolds Hall), Mary Pringle (President of Broward Hall), Dorothy Armstrong (President of Elizabeth Hall), Lorraine Boylen (President of Jennie Murphree Hall), Ruth Burns (President of Jennie Murphree Annex). 

These positions were voted on by the students attending the college, and each position held their own distinctive powers and responsibilities. The names mentioned previously were all members of the executive committee of the SGA. The president and vice president of the SGA were to overlook all the other positions and make sure that things went well within the student government. They gave permission to other positions, and were responsible for all that took place within the SGA. The treasurer managed funds for the SGA only, and also put forth a budget for the association. The secratary kept notes during the meetings of the SGA to ensure full retention and documentation of what happened within the meetings. Each class representative sat with the executive board during meetings iin order to put forth their classes best interests. House presidents functioned much like RAs function now, they were in charge of maintaining the dorms and making things nice for upcoming students who were to live within the dorms. Hall presidents were also in charge of reporting anything that went wrong within the dorms to the porper university officials in order to receive assistance.

Works Cited

Crume, Allison H. The Historical Development of the Student Government Association as a Student SubCulture at the Florida State University: 1946-1976. The Historical Development of the Student Government Association as a Student SubCulture at the Florida State University: 1946-1976.

Florida State University. “Florida State University.” History, www.fsu.edu/about/history.html.