Founder's Day

Song contest
1300 plates
Founder's Day has included a variety of activities since the first celebration on April 29th,1866, Matthew Vassar's birthday. The images in this series document visits to the founder's grave, step-singing and the Song Contest, the faculty-student baseball game, parades, and various performances. Attendees of the baseball game, the parades, and the performances were encouraged to dress in costume, according to either a predetermined theme or individual whim. With some frequency, these costumes and performances were based on racist or stereotypical representations of marginalized groups, including blackface, redface, and yellowface. Similarly, the faculty play or skit show which was given on the evening of Founder's Day, included racist and stereotypical costumes and performances.
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Song contest
Student conductor at the song contest
Faculty-student baseball game. President MacCracken is playing catcher
President MacCracken dressed in a stereotypical Middle Eastern costume and a student at the festivities after the Founder's Day parade
Class of 1922 marching to the song contest
Students dressed in costumes at the faculty-student baseball game
Class of 1925 at the song contest
Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game
Copy photograph of students with kazoos and a drum. Could be the Class of 1907
Dean C. Mildred Thompson at the festivities after the Founder's Day parade
Students in costume for the Founder's Day parade
Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game
Members of the Class of 1930 with the banner for best song at the song contest
Students in costume, one on a horse. Others are in what might have been intended to represent Native American dress
Students in costume for the Founder's Day parade, one dressed as Charlie Chaplin
Class of 1924 performing on the steps of Student's Building during the song contest
Students dressed as pirates at the faculty-student baseball game
Class of 1925 at the song contest
Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game
Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game
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