Funny Books
September 17, 2010
Each new class at Kirkland had its own “funny” book. Funny books provided names and photographs of incoming freshwomen and listed their hometowns and dormitories. According to the Charter Class funny book, “This booklet was prepared and published by The Apple Corps, a group comprised of Kirkland affiliated women and other individuals interested in being of service to the College.” The Facebook of its time, the funny book helped introduce classmates to one another by providing a visual, geographical, and campus-oriented reference.
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Kirkland College 
I’ve looked at these covers several times, and only just noticed this: count the leaves! count the apples!
Hey Jennie-
That’s sort of amazing — what a catch ( bushel?)
Thanks,
Judy
I wanted to comment briefly on “The Apple Corps”. For centuries, colleges and universities had “Faculty Wives’ Clubs” that worked in a volunteer capacity to support their institutions. But here we were, in 1968, with men and women on the faculty, married and not, with spouses who were often professionals themselves. What to call such a group? Natalie and Dot Schneider, Carl’s wife, decided on the title of The Apple Core and pulled together a varied group of willing volunteers to do various projects in support of Kirkland. Putting out the first Funny Book was one of them.
I counted the leaves and apples, sometimes they corresponded to the class year, sometimes not.
Jennie, I get your point but why the inconsistency?
If I remember correctly,( and I could be very wrong on this) the only other “book” that came out when I was in my first or second year was the “pig book”. I think it was pictures of all Kirkland students to see if we were worth checking out by the Hamilton guys. I’m pretty sure that by my last year it had stopped. Does anyone remember such a book? Did it only get “published” during the early years?
Did I totally mis-remember or did this really exist?
It’s not the class year that matches, but the entering class: ’72 (Charter) was the first class to enter (thus, 1 leaf), and ’81 was the 10th (thus, ten apples).
But – just to complicate things – there were only 8 graduating classes, starting with ’71 and ending with ’78. Several women entered as transfer students in ’68, and a few others accelerated their program so as to qualify for graduation in ’72.
As to “pig books” I fear that may have been an alternative appellation…and we’ll just have to ask some honest Hamilton type to fill in here.
I’m remembering that the Funny Book was the Pig Book.
Rachel Dickinson (K78)
I think Rachel is correct, unfortunately.
My brother went to Middlebury and advised me to put in an attractive posed picture (which I did not have) so I would be asked to fraternity parties. I rejected that idea and was appalled, I was going to KIRKLAND!
PS No fraternity invitations were reeived.
I came in ’70 and kept every Funny Book for the next years through ’78. I also have a copy of the faculty and staff Funny Book which, given the fashions of the time, richly deserved that appellation.