This excerpt from the institutional self-study for Davidson College describes the role of housemothers and cooks in eating clubs and fraternities in 1973-74.
This guide for House Managers of Sigma Nu provides instructions for closing the fraternity house for the summer. This includes how cooks are paid up to the last week and details how housemothers hire/fire cooks at the end of the school year. The note at the bottom of the page describes how housemothers' relationship to the cooks as their supervisors.
Hand written notes by the house manager of Sigma Nu, a Davidson student. At the top of the page is the salary and benefits given to the housemother and following this the names and salaries of the two cooks employed by the fraternity are listed.
John M. Spratt, Jr., alumni of Davidson College, speaks about Lula Bell Houston after her retirement in the "extended remarks" section of the May 13, 2004 meeting of the House of Representatives.
Image of the Davidson College laundry staff from the 1992 Quips and Cranks yearbook.
Row 1: Denise Sloan, Beatrice Ponder, Hazeline Knox, Mary Lineberger.
Row 2: Donald Humphrey, Celia Forney, Ganelle Bradford, Juanita Archie, Betty Gosnell.
Row 3: Robert Donaldson, Walter Johnson, Lenora Roberson, Frances Beaver, Ruth Barnette.
This excerpt from the 1988 Commencement lists laundry staff at Davidson College. For the long term employees, it also shows how long they had worked at the laundry as of 12/31/87 designated by a symbol.
Key for symbols next to staff names:
The circle designates 25 to 30 years of employment.
The cross designates 30 to 40 years of employment.
The star designates 40 to 50 years of employment.
The vertical line with two horizontal lines designates more than 50 years of employment.
Members of the Davidson College Laundry from 1986. On the far left of the image sitting is Lula Bell Houston. On the far right sitting is Juanita Archie.
This handbook for incoming Davidson College students listed campus buildings and facilities, and as well as the fraternities and boarding houses available to students as dining options.
From the 1930 Davidson Town Census. Laundresses on the top and lower row are listed as working at the college laundry. "College Laundry" is listed in the middle column as their place of work. The "W" in the far right column indicates that they earned wages, rather than "O," or of their own accord.
From the 1920 Davidson Town Census, which shows laundresses working from their own home. "Own Home," is listed in the middle column as their place of work. The "OA" in the far right column indicates that they earned of their own accord, rather than being paid in wages.
