A decade that rocked the American social structure, the ’50s brought The Pitt News’ coverage… A decade that rocked the American social structure, the ’50s brought The Pitt News’ coverage to the forefront of previously unexplored social issues.

The transition into a decade rife with political and societal conflicts like the Cold War and rock ’n’ roll influenced the content of The Pitt News during the ’50s, but so did local scientific breakthroughs like the development of the polio vaccine.

In the semiweekly editions, writers would cover national issues such as racial and gender discrimination, but sometimes, events on campus would make national news.

On Jan. 18, 1956, The Pitt News covered Jonas Salk in an article titled, “Salk succeeds Fitzgerald as Jaycee ‘Man.’”

Salk, who developed the polio vaccine in 1955, was named “Man of the Year” by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, also known as Jaycee, in 1956 for his progress in the polio epidemic.

“[1955] saw increased activity in the administration of the Salk vaccine designed to end polio, with news that over 6.5 million people in the U.S. and millions more in Canada and Denmark had received the polio vaccine, developed by Pitt’s eminent scientist Jonas Salk,” Irving Rothman, news editor in 1955, said in an e-mail.

The office brimmed with excitement during the 1950s.

“There was a lot of clickity-clacking going on in The Pitt News office,” said David Green, news editor of The Pitt News in 1954. The newspaper staff wrote all of its articles on manual typewriters.

During his time at The Pitt News, Green did not have the luxury of using the technology that many journalists employ today. Instead of using cell phones, he did face-to-face interviews. Instead of typing on a computer, he wrote stories on a typewriter.

“We didn’t even have a voicemail back then,” Green said.

Reporters continuously called sources to get the required information for their stories.

They also left messages with secretaries when necessary. Although individuals atop the hierarchy, such as the chancellor and the dean, were easier to get in touch with in the 1950s.

“The administrative structure was more direct,” said Nancy Green. “There were fewer people to prevent you from getting a quote.”

When Pitt faculty weren’t making national headlines, reporters at The Pitt News grappled with other social issues, like civil rights and gender equality.

When Nancy Green, features editor in 1954 and wife of David Green, transferred to Pitt during her junior year in 1953, she said she was disgusted by the segregation of men and women in student activities.

The Pitt News was one of the rare organizations where men and women could both participate. But the newspaper did prohibit women from being on staff during their freshmen year. This rule was not applicable to men.

Dean Helen Pool Rush, who oversaw all of the women’s organizations on campus, was Pitt’s strongest enforcer of gender separation and therefore, “frowned upon The Pitt News,” Nancy Green said. The Pitt News retaliated, albeit subtly.

“We would occasionally take shots at [Dean Rush],” Nancy Green said. The Pitt News staff largely disapproved of Rush’s segregation policies, yet they were still forced to cover the segregated women’s organizations, such as the Women Student Government Association.

“We did it with tongue-in-cheek,” Nancy Green said.

The Pitt News also criticized other aspects of campus life it found insulting towards women.

On March 3, 1954, an article titled, “Senior Coed,” was published as a reminder of the upcoming announcement of nominees for Senior Queen. The Pitt News challenged the Senior Queen selection process.

“It can be argued that there should be no such ultimate selection since it is said that the Queen represents all other senior girls and they crown themselves at the same time,” the reporter wrote. “It is paradoxical to single out one woman as the ideal, and then say she represents all other women.”

Other gender issues also put the paper at odds with Pitt administrators during the early parts of the ’50s. Both The Pitt News and the student body pressured the administration to allow women to join the cheerleaders.

On Nov. 30, 1951, The Pitt News printed a poll that showed that out of 609 undergraduate men and 157 undergraduate, 527 men and 107 women said they wanted to add women to the cheerleading team.

Occasionally, The Pitt News’ push for social equality led to conflict between student reporters and administrators.

On Aug. 27, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was beaten and shot to death by two men in Chicago.

One Pitt News reporter, Leonard Kirsch, wrote an article called “Mississippi Justice” on Sept. 28, 1955, that protested the court decision finding the two men who abducted Till not guilty.

Kirsch called the fraternity house of the Dean of Men, hoping to organize a rally on campus.

The Dean of Men disapproved of Kirsch’s actions and threatened him with academic sanctions.

Cigarette advertisements played a large role in The Pitt News’ success during the ’50s. Its main source of income was cigarette advertisements, specifically Lucky Strike cigarettes.

Bar and liquor advertisements were not permitted in the newspaper.

Stanley Goldmann, business manager of The Pitt News in 1953, said his fondest memory occurred Monday, Oct. 13, 1952.

The Pitt football team had just defeated Notre Dame, 22-19, and students rallied to cancel classes.

After beginning their rally at 8:30 a.m. in the Cathedral of Learning, the students were successful in their bid for a day off from class.

“Even the long arm of the law failed to dampen the spirits of the rearing mob of students, which just poured right on yelling, ‘Poor Irish,’” Clark Sutton wrote in the Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1952, front page story, “Students Go Wild Celebrating Win.”

Additional headlines include:

Headlines:

Nov.ember 2, 1951: Parking Experts Still Studying Oakland Jams

Feb.ruary 20, 1952: Phi Ep Leader Asks Opening Of Frats To All Races, Creeds

March 26, 1952: Political Clubs Active, But Not Yet Approved

Oct.ober 3, 1952: Congress Jumps Into Live Panther Fight

March 4, 1953: Fraternities Feel Pinch of Draft; Hit By Lack of Roomers

March 27, 1953: Dr. Salk Announces Effective Vaccine

April 22, 1953: Plans For Dormitories Are Revealed

Sept.ember 21, 1954: Headline typo on the first page:e —-  “Leaders Prepare Freshman for Future Colledge Career.”

Another headline typo on page one: “University Makes TV Debute As WQED Airs Program Series.”

Sept. ember 26, 1955: Over 7 Million Shot With Salk’s Vaccine

April 10, 1957: Rooms For 252 Men By Next Fall