The Students' League at Mount Holyoke College was established in the spring of 1898 to allow students to exercise a measure of self-government. The goals of the organization were to promote unity and loyalty in the College, encourage good feeling between students and faculty, and facilitate the development of self-control, personal responsibility, and a high sense of honor among students. All students were considered to be members of the League. The primary function of the League, with input from administrators and faculty members, was to enforce regulations for student behavior. These rules primarily concerned church and chapel attendance, quiet and order in dormitories and on campus, students' absences from the College, the use of cigarettes and tobacco by students, the hazing of new students by seniors, the conduct of fire drills, and the use of library materials. In 1908, the League began regulating the number of offices in student organizations that each person might hold. In 1918, the President and faculty of Mount Holyoke added the maintenance of a high standard of honor in all academic matters to the organization's responsibilities. The League also raised funds for the construction of Williston Memorial Library, Pratt Memorial Music Building, and Mary E. Woolley Hall, encouraged the creation of new social and cultural organizations for Mount Holyoke students, and provided a channel for students to express opinions to faculty and administrators on matters of interest. In addition, members worked with the faculty and other student organizations to publish handbooks for students that described College regulations and many other aspects of student life. In December, 1921, in response to pressure from students for a greater role in creating (rather than merely enforcing) regulations for their behavior, the Executive Committee of the League established a committee to consider the reorganization of student government. In 1922, with the approval of the faculty, the Students' League was replaced by a new organization called the Mount Holyoke College Community.
From the guide to the Mount Holyoke College Students' League Records 25. 3. 7., 1898-1935, (Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections)
