Did you know that “The Big Snow of 1950” (November 23-25) dumped nearly three feet of snow on Geneva’s campus, causing virtually all activity on campus to cease, along with an unplanned extension of Thanksgiving vacation?
Many students and faculty had gotten safely to their Thanksgiving vacation destinations before the snow fell, but returning to school was the problem. The storm dropped at least two inches of snow in nearly two dozen states, including Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. However, the heaviest snow was centered on western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia.
With transportation lines tied up everywhere, word was released that there would be no school on Monday or Tuesday. By Tuesday, the situation was still rather hopeless, and school was announced to be officially closed for the week.
In spite of the five days of classes that were missed due to the snowstorm, the faculty voted to follow the original calendar for Christmas vacation. Assignments were stepped up during the last four weeks of the semester, and the period of final exams in January shortened.
This article originally appeared in The Cabinet, December 6, 2023.
By Kae H. Kirkwood ‘83, Geneva College Archival Librarian
Images are not from Geneva's campus. They are from the WPXI-TV Archives, published on November 24, 2020.
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
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