The price one pays for love

The McGill You Knew

An Anthology of Memories

1920-1960
 

After the stock market crash of October 1929, many of the students lost their savings for their whole next year of studies, and so (as J. Gilbert Turner relays)-

“A good friend of mine – one of the many on such limited finances – received from home just enough money each month for bare subsistence. Going out on the town, for him, was minimal or nonexistent. On one occasion his very favourite girlfriend announced her plans to come to town for a weekend. He was broke – so he dashed up to the Maternity and gave a blood donation for $25. On the Sunday, after seeing her off on the train, he said to me: “I sure hope that gal loves me after this weekend – I've given her my life's blood.”

-Twilight of the Twenties

J. Gilbert Turner, M.D. '32

1930s McGill Fashion

The McGill You Knew

An Anthology of Memories

1920-1960

“Remember the thirties? In the thirties, the chic dress for women students was a “sloppy joe,” and enormous pullover sweater, falling loosely over the hips. If it fit, it was not smart. The shoes were saddle shoes, flat, rubber-soled, white with a brown or black "saddle" over the instep and dirty. Only the most uninitiated, only the greenest freshman would appear on the campus with clean saddle shoes. It simply wasn't done.

Then there were beer jackets... they were dirty in a very special way. They carried signatures, and the more numerous and important were the names scribbled on, the more devastatingly smart were the jackets. There were cases reported – tragic cases – when a beer jacket went to the laundry by mistake.”

-Sloppy Joes and Beer Jackets

Barbara Whitley, BA '40

 Note - the 'sloppy Joe sweater' has yet to go out of style!