Considering the Past: Topics in M.C. History

From the beginning, Meredith College understood that athletics were an important part of campus life. Even on the small downtown campus, a tennis court and a basketball court were made available for students, and there are photos of students dressed for the gymnastic exercises that were part of the required curriculum. A competitive Field Day of gymnastics, races and games was held in May after which ribbons were awarded.

In 1913, the Athletic Association decided to confer athletic letters or "monograms" to students who had met a goal in various athletic activities. The 1914 Acorn admitted that it may seem "curious for a girl's school and perhaps even impractical for just girls" but argued that it "seems reasonable that girls should deserve some recognition of their ability to play a clean, straight game of basketball or tennis."

While the guidelines for participation in the Monogram Club are not laid out in this first announcement, it appears that in the beginning, the letters were awarded to winning basketball and tennis teams during inter-class competitions. Shortly thereafter, the conferring of the “M” monogram was based on a point system. Points were awarded for participating in campus sports and activities, which became more varied when the campus moved to its present location on the edge of Raleigh. By the mid-1940s, activities included archery, golf, badminton, horseshoes, basketball, volleyball, swimming, skating, softball, shuffleboard and field hockey.  Students could also tally points in casual, less competitive activities and clubs: hiking, horseback riding, dancing, learning lifesaving skills or “riding bicycles with her boyfriend.” Students could also participate by holding an office in the Athletic Association, being a sports manager, playing with the Stunt Day band or simply by attending a sports event. Students taking part would record their activities and the dates and points would accumulate from semester to semester, year to year. When they reached 1000 points, the athletes would be awarded the hard-won monogram (to be added to a blazer or sweater) at a once-a-semester banquet. For additional accumulated points, they could also earn a star (1940s) or a charm (1960s.) 

The Monogram Club continued under the auspices of the Meredith Recreation Association, still using the original goal of 1000 points, until it ended after the 1968-1969 school year.