W. Terry Martin Remembers the '60s

"…As a result of the women’s curfew a tradition arose in which male students made arrangements to come to the women’s dorm at a specified time…"

W. Terry Martin ’70, ’77 shared with us some of his memories of Samford in the late 1960s:

The Fountains
When I was a student in the late 1960s there was a tradition of dyeing the fountains in front of the business school and the law school at homecoming and graduation. One would be dyed blue, the other red. Before there were two fountains the tradition was to put soap in the fountain at homecoming and graduation. The campus police--“Pinkies,” as they were called then--would try to guard the fountains, but it was always futile.

Fahrvergnügen
Riding cafe trays down Vail hill was a blast, but being pulled up by holding onto the rear bumper of a VW “Bug” was even more fun.

Ins and Outs of Curfew
Women students were under a strict curfew of 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Male students had no such curfew; we only had to be careful to not come on campus too many times after midnight when the gates were locked. As a result of the women's curfew a tradition arose in which male students made arrangements to come to the women’s dorm at a specified time. Their female friends would then lower baskets or buckets or attach notes to ropes and lower them. The notes would be orders for food or other items that could only be obtained outside their dorm. The guys then retrieved the orders, came back to the women's dorm, and again the ropes would be lowered and items attached or placed in the containers for raising.

Alumni