Membership in State's Mates

It is undeniable that life for the wives of male students was strikingly difficult. Being responsible for the family, the marriage, the home, and the finances put these women in a situation that was unlike housewives or single-mothers of the same era. Despite being in a complex situation, these women had the State’s Mates organization to connect to. By joining the State’s Mates, students’ wives were able to connect and share their experiences with other women going through the same struggles. In an article published in The Raleigh Times, Meredith Council writes, “One answer to their problems is the State’s Mates group, sponsored by the State College Women’s Club. The group was organized ‘to give student wives an outside interest’.” State’s Mates provided an environment where the women did not have to depend so much on their husbands for social experiences. By attending meetings and social gatherings primarily with other women, State’s Mates members were able to get away from the struggle of everyday life, even if it was just for a meeting.

Visit other Exhibits in the Good Wife Diploma.