By: Ryan Smith '14

When Florence Roe arrived on Mount Union’s campus, her activities mirrored those of many other students who began in the Fall of 2024. She met her roommate, ate dinner, confirmed her class schedule, and felt a small pang of homesickness. The difference between Florence and other students on campus today is that she started her collegiate journey in September 1919.

Thanks to the preservation and transcription by Florence’s granddaughter, Karen Thomas, and daughters, Marcia (Miller ’55) Thomas and Ellen (Miller ’61) Sol, more than 100 of the matriarch’s letters to home from the 1919-1920 academic year were donated to the University of Mount Union archives in March. These artifacts provide unparalleled, first-person access to the thoughts and feelings of a new Mount Union student more than 100 years ago—and how those thoughts might remain constant to students throughout time.

Sol (left) and Thomas pose with the letters and photographs from their mother, Florence Roe.

Adjusting to College

Florence arrived in Alliance via train from Mingo Junction, a small village outside of Steubenville that boasts a mere 3,200-plus residents today. While many parents today send their students off with a hug after helping transport mini-fridges and box fans, Florence began writing her letters to her parents, Alex and Velma Grace Roe, the night she arrived to ensure that she, “…arrived safe and sound and everything is just lovely.”

Florence’s initial commentary on campus life would be hard to discern from the 18-year-olds of today. These opinions range from early wake-up calls to campus meals and football excellence.

“They serve breakfast at 6:30 and I’m so tired I don’t believe that I’ll ever get up.” ­– Sept. 19, 1919

“We have pretty good meals but breakfast and lunch are kind of slim…we get hungry between time so send us some cake or cookies or something because we nearly starve.” – Sept. 19, 1919

“…yesterday we went to the first football game of the season. Mount Union played Canton Hi. Of course it was all one-sided and Mount Union won 61-0.” – Sept. 23, 1919

Her first week on campus was a whirlwind, but it was clear that the welcoming nature of the people who make up Mount Union has been steadfast since the beginning of the institution.

“…we have been introduced so much that I am weak from shaking hands and telling my name…” – Sept. 22, 1919

“Up here at the college I feel like I know everyone…” – Sept. 23, 1919

As the semester began in earnest, Florence’s letters became sparser. She continued to express how much she missed her family, but her increased campus involvement immersed her in the Mount Union experience. She rushed Alpha Xi Delta, joined the choir, and stressed over her first college exam. In October, Florence joked, “I was ready to think you had forgotten about me,” after not receiving a letter for a few days. Yet, by November 10, and several letters after, she was so busy that each began, “I suppose you think I have forgotten you but I haven’t,” a notion similar to many texts or calls today.

Signs of the Times

While many of the day-to-day activities of college life have persisted, there were notable hurdles of the era Florence and her peers had to overcome. Most important to Florence was the safe shipment and return of her clothes, as they had to be sent back and forth by train to be laundered. Several communications regarded the status of specific items of clothing as a priority, which might be a fair lament for something so unimaginable today.

Roe (left) and her friends enjoy time in front of Mount Union Stadium

The young freshman also endured several Saturday classes and lessons, with some occurring “before daylight.” Despite the unfamiliar circumstances to her, Florence’s mindset carried her through the toughest stretch of her brief college career.

“Think of going to school Saturday. That is what we have to do tomorrow and the next. We have just loads of work before us. But we are going to tackle anything.” –January 11, 1920

Whether an indicator of the infancy of indoor plumbing or the expectations of a young adult, Florence “celebrated” the conclusion of those difficult Saturday classes in January with a bath stating, “It is the first time the water has been hot enough.”

Though she did not often comment on the world outside of the Mount Union bubble in which she lived, Florence’s year on campus took place during a landmark time in American politics. Soon before she arrived on campus and not long after she left, the 19^th Amendment was passed by Congress in June 1919 and subsequently ratified in August 1920, granting women the right to vote. While monumental for the country’s future, Florence acknowledged the occasion in a letter to her boyfriend as many a college student might.

“The girls didn’t have school either of course since the boys had to go home to vote. I wish we did too but just to have a vacation is a great relief.” – Nov. 5, 1919

Enduring Legacy

Florence Roe’s Mount Union career lasted one quick year, but it made an indelible impact on her children. After moving to Georges Run, Ohio, not far from Mingo Junction, and marrying her high school sweetheart, Ray, the couple had five children. After their older brothers went to serve in the military, Thomas and Sol were all but directed by their parents to attend college and Mount Union seemed like the obvious choice.

“She didn’t talk about Mount Union much to us kids, but we knew how much her time there meant to her,” said Marcia Thomas. “Once I visited campus, I knew there really was not another option for me.”

Roe's granddaughter, Karen Thomas, hands many of Roe's letters to Alan Zahorsky, reference and instructional librarian.

Both Marcia Thomas and Sol pursued education degrees while at Mount Union. While Sol's personal and professional journey took her across the country, she eventually settled with her family back in Alliance in the same Rockhill neighborhood as her sister. Both women remained active with the University over the years by engaging with student organizations and attending concerts, sporting events, and lectures. 

“Things have definitely changed a lot since we were here, but they also changed a lot from our time to when our mom went here just from reading her letters,” Sol said.

While more than a century separates Florence and today’s students, they all share a unique Mount Union experience rooted in a rich, everlasting tradition.