ABSTRACT
From its start in 1936, Life magazine offered an idealized image of American culture through recurring characters such as “the college girl.” These “girls” were more than a curiosity: during this era, women constituted 40 percent of college enrollment. In fact, they were so popular in their trendsetting and independence, they became an archetype akin to the lifestyle influencers of today’s social media landscape. This chapter analyzes the representation of college women in more than 100 Life articles and advertisements between 1936 and 1941, the magazine’s first five years in circulation, and concludes that the college girl character validated the real-life experiences of many young women at a specific point in history (much like the validation influencers give their followers). Finally, Life’s1930s “college girl” illuminates a part of women’s history largely forgotten today.
