Vassar, founded as an elite women’s college in New York state, counted ninety members of the I.S.S. in 1916.

‘The Vassar Chapter of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society’ by Gertrude Folks from the Intercollegiate Socialist. Vol. 4 No. 3. February-March, 1916.

Chairman of the Vassar Chapter

Though established only last spring, the Vassar Chapter of the I.S.S. reflects an interest in Socialism of more than a single year’s growth. For many years there has been in each class a group of Socialists, “radicals,” as the college calls them, who not confining their critical spirit to affairs of the college have sought to apply it to general social and industrial problems.

Through the course in Socialism, elected this year by about 150 students, they have become familiar with the theory of Socialism and the arguments for and against. Even before they had an organization, they found further expression for this interest in holding informal meetings, presenting through the college publication the Socialist interpretation of current events, and attending lectures, etc., held in Poughkeepsie.

In 1909 and again in 1912 this group was particularly active and more influential in the college than in preceding years. But it was not until last year that the interest, or perhaps the recognition of this interest, was general enough on the part of the students, and the attitude of the college authorities friendly enough to the expression of this interest to make it seem desirable to ask for an organization.

As a result of a petition of the Students’ Association, permission was given in March, 1915, to establish an affiliated chapter of the I.S.S.

The purpose of our organization is twofold: to create an interest in Socialism and to educate that interest. We do not consider ourselves propagandist, although we recognize that education often leads to conversion. Through lectures, study courses, a Socialist bulletin board, a circulating library of various types of books dealing with social questions, and through co-operation with the Poughkeepsie Local Branch of the Socialist Party, we hope to reach not only the ninety students who have declared their interest by joining the Chapter, but others who have not yet taken this step. On the whole, however, the initial interest must be created through other channels; through academic work, through personal acquaintanceship with those already interested, and through the presentation of Socialist thought in connection with other interests.

Those who have been working for this organization at Vassar regard its establishment not as the attainment of the end toward which they have been devoting their efforts, but as the beginning of a new and wider activity. The problem of the Vassar Chapter during the next few years will be to develop, in spite of the restrictions as to lectures, etc., imposed upon a comparatively small club, into a large, effective organization whose influence in the college will be recognized by both faculty and students. Just as the athletic and dramatic organizations exist to provide avenues of expression for the physical and aesthetic life of the students, so the Socialist Club, through the study not only of Socialist doctrines but of current social and political questions should stand beside these organizations as a means of expression of the students’ intellectual life and social attitude. It should direct the intellectual curiosity stimulated in the classroom along vital social lines and provide for it a more complete development than that which it receives through academic work alone.

The Socialist Review was the organ of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, and replaced The Intercollegiate Socialist magazine in 1919. The society, founded in 1905, was non-aligned but in the orbit of the Socialist Party and had an office for several years at the Rand School. It published the Intercollegiate Socialist monthly and The Socialist Review from 1919. Both journals are largely theoretically, but cover a range of topics wider than most of the party press of the time. At first dedicated to promoting socialism on campus, graduates, and among college alumni, the Society grew into the League for Industrial Democracy as it moved towards workers education. The Socialist Review became Labor Age in 1921.

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