Vassar Yesterday

Officially, Founder’s Day is a celebration of Matthew Vassar’s birthday (April 29) and all things Vassar. Unofficially, the spring event is an opportunity for students and alums to take a deep breath, enjoy the return of agreeable weather, and watch their campus turn into a carnival for a weekend. The Circus Parade, pictured here in 1941, was once a fixture of the festivities, incorporating exotic creatures both real and imagined. Vassar women would ride elephants and, in this case, dress up like them for the amusement of their classmates. Students also performed dramatic skits and held song contests to mark the occasion.