Humor in The Pine Branch
Established four years after the university was founded, The Pine Branch was a writing journal where the young women attending not Valdosta State University, but rather the South Georgia State Normal College (and eventually the Georgia State Woman's College in 1922) could share their thoughts and feelings about the goings-on about campus and more. Editorials, poetry, and alumnae news dotted the pages, but featured towards the end of almost every issue of The Pine Branch was humor, dating back to even the first issue, printed in December 1917. While the funniness of these sections certainly waxed and waned, more evident through these jokes was the shared perspectives of the women at the time, who displayed the friendly, familial nature of the school through their comedy.
There They Began
(December 1917)
In their opening to the first issue of The Pine Branch, the women who put together this publication made sure to make it known that they wanted to be heard. They asserted themselves, making sure to explain that they wished to provide a glimpse into student life with the journal, with the jokes being no exception.
Builders
(October 1920)
This excerpt from an earlier issue of The Pine Branch demonstrates the earnestness and positivity with which these women considered their experiences. While construction on campus is often considered a frustrating and groan-worthy event nowadays, this interpretation treats it with a reverence for their school and newfound opportunities.
The Start of It All
(December 1917)
Displaying the Administration Building of the South Georgia State Normal College, the first issue of The Pine Branch was quite different than the ones to come in design, but kept the same genial and genteel values throughout the 1920's and into 1930.
Attribution
All of the materials included in this collection are courtesy of the Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, and can be found here in this collection.
Jokes Taken Seriously
By 1923, The Pine Branch was in its eighth volume, and the jokes section of the publication became important enough to get its own editor, appropriate for its nigh monthly production schedule.
(October 1923)
(October 1925)
(May 1930)
(December 1930)
This guide was created by VSU Graduate Students in Summer 2024 as a part of the HIST 6215/MLIS 7998: Public History Virtual Exhibit Project.
For more information about online exhibits or the collections contained in the VSU Archives, contact Archives and Special Collections
