On this date: January 10, 1957. When Wake Forest College moved to Winston-Salem, the school experienced many “firsts” at the new campus. One first came in January: the panty raid. This event and its significance may be lost on college students of today, who probably can’t envision separate men’s and women’s dormitories, house mothers, dorm closing times, sign out requirements, and other relics of past campus life.
But suffice it to say, a panty raid was pretty exciting, with an element of surprise. It took place after the women’s dorms closed for the evening, with all the women locked inside, and a dorm mother guarding the door. Since this site is family-oriented, for more details, find someone who is at least 60 years old and ask them to explain the panty raid. For more photos of the Wake Forest panty raid, look at www.digitalforsyth.org.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
