A Day in the Life of a Wheaton Female Seminary Student

1850 - 1851

Elizabeth Morville’s diary provides the daily schedule for the year 1850-1851, probably typical for most of the Seminary’s early years. The students’ day was marked by bells, which rang to warn of each segment of the schedule.

Schedule of Time

5:45 a.m. – Rise
6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. – Half Hour Out*
7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. – Breakfast
7:40 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. – Half Hour In*
8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. – Study Latin
8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – Prepare for school
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – Devotions
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Study Wayland
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Music or Reading
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Dinner
1:00 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Recreation or Study
3:00 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. – Calisthenics
3:20 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Recess
3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Recite Paley
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Recite Virgil
4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Recreation
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Supper
6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. – Recreation
6:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Prepare for study
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Study Hour
8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Half Hour In*
8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Half Hour Out*
9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Study
9:30 p.m. – Retire

*Every morning and evening each student spent a half-hour in her room for private devotion. Roommates took turns being “in” and “out” of their rooms. Later Seminary principals allowed study during the half-hours.