"Read and Be Right"
Page from "Read and Be Right"
“Read and Be Right” was published annually between 1939 and 1959 by NU’s Women’s Self-Government Association (WSGA). To the accompaniment of cartoonish illustrations, the handbooks listed the rules for all women’s residences, including sororities—from dress (no Bermuda shorts at breakfast), to etiquette and propriety (especially where men were concerned), to the complex system of curfew hours. It also outlined the demerit system for broken rules, which would result in restrictions on hours—essentially, grounding. The handbook reflects the extent to which women at NU regulated their own behavior according to societal expectations.
