On Thursday, October 4, 2007, over 240 women of all ages enjoyed the Annual Ladies’ Fall Tea hosted by the wives of the Biola Board of Trustees. Mothers of current Biola students and their daughters joined the event as a prelude to Parents’ Weekend. To celebrate Biola’s Centennial anniversary, a runway fashion show titled “A Century of Style” was presented to highlight the stories of innovative Biola women past and present (full fashion show script can be found below). President Barry H. Corey and his wife Paula attended as special guests

Fashion Show Script

For almost 100 years, Biola has been home to tens of thousands of creative, innovative, fun loving, passionate, and most of all, godly women. Today we celebrate our heritage and look at some of the stories from the past. Biola has always been on the cutting edge of reaching people for Christ. Did you know that in 1908, the first Biola Institute classes were taught in a room on top of a Pool Hall? It was eight years later when we moved to our own, brand new, 13-story building at 6th and Hope Streets in Downtown Los Angeles.

1908–1917

Women have played a significant role in Biola’s story from the very beginning. The first graduating class in 1911 included two women. While that may not seem like many, there were only six graduates in the total graduating class! Blue jeans and flip-flops were not the fashion in 1911. Instead, women dressed in Victorian fashion with full-length skirts and stiff-ruffled blouses with high collars.

Young women were encouraged from the beginning to completely immerse themselves in biblical training. Anna Horton, or as students called her, “Mother Horton,” led young women in many ministries, including “The Bible Women” and “The Lyceum Club.”

1918–1927

As the Roaring 20’s dawned, the Bible Institute entered its second decade and the fashions were changing! In the 20’s, one of the highlights of living in Southern California meant time at the beach!

Beach visits to Laguna Beach and Redondo Beach soon become favorite spots for students in their spare time. One graduate recalls her personal favorite beach sport, called “teasing the octopus.”

Student life took center stage as the majority of Biola women lived in residential housing. Incoming students often battled with homesickness just as many new freshman do today. Each new girl was adopted by “Big Sister” (an upper class female student) to help the girls make the adjustment to life at the Bible Institute. It wasn’t long before our new students called Biola home!

1928–1937

During the depression years of the early 30’s, simplicity and modesty was the fashion at Biola.

As our country experienced hard times, Biola came close to closing its doors in the late thirties due to mounting debt. Two women were noted for the roles they played in keeping Biola’s doors open. Mrs. Lyman Stewart forgave over $400,000 of debt to save Biola from foreclosure. Another woman sacrificially gave her engagement ring to help keep Biola open.

Even though times were hard, Biola women maintained both spiritual and physical health. There wasn’t a lot of money for memberships to 24 Hour Fitness, Bally’s or Curves, but the faculty made sure each student was in top physical condition. At the crack of dawn, the ladies were required to meet on the roof to participate in at least 15 minutes of exercise. One female student described the ladies’ of the Bible Institute as Splendid Specimens of Womanhood!

1938–1947

On December 7, 1941 the attack on Pearl Harbor brought a real awareness of war to every student at Biola.

In 1942, Biolans were prepared for blackouts and raid alarms. Students could not leave on evening lights in their rooms, or burn candles, and had to stay away from the windows. An affect of the WWII experience was an increased desire to assist with missionary medicine. Under the direction of Miss Lonnie Subirou, the School of Missionary Medicine was incorporated into the Bible Institute, to better train missionaries to meet health needs around the world.

1948–1958

As the fifties hit, fashion once again began to rocket forward at a rapid pace!

About that time, a young and progressive Anna Belle Lund (known today as Anna Belle Cook, wife to former Biola President, Clyde Cook) discovered the secret of seamless stockings. In the 50’s, it was required that all women wear stockings with their dresses each day to class. When Anna Belle’s dorm mother noticed that there was no seam on the back of her leg she immediately knew Anna Belle was not wearing her stockings. Anna Belle gracefully pulled back the fabric to show she was indeed wearing them, but trying to fool dorm mothers then was a difficult, but fun attempt.

Changes were just around the corner by the mid-fifties. With about 1000 students enrolled, President Sam Sutherland sensed that he needed to begin looking for a new home for Biola. In 1957, Biola broke ground for its new campus in La Mirada, but at that time, it was in the middle of no where. Tuition was a bit less in 1959: $10 a unit and a double room in the dorm was $20 a month (without board).

1958–1967

Throughout the 1960’s, fashion did a complete 180 degree turn. Starting out the decade, women on campus were often seen with classic pencil skirts and tailored dresses. While Biola girls skirts were required to touch the ground when kneeling, the decade progressed and clothing got looser, pant legs became wider, and the skirts became shorter. It became apparent that Biola students were living in the middle of a fashion revolution!

Although the world was becoming more liberal during the 1960’s, Biola women held on to their core values of modesty and purity. An organization that helped girls grow into godly women, called the King’s Daughters, allowed girls to visit the boys only four times a year…..and only, under strict supervision! Yet somehow or another students still went on dates, couples still fell in love.

1968–1977

The 1970’s were a time described by students as the Triple F’s…That would be, Fellowship, Frolic, and Fun! By 1974, undergrad enrollment reached a record high of 2,000 students. To help accommodate the growing number of students South Hall was built to provide much needed men’s dorms. It would later be converted into a women’s dormitory and renamed “Hart Hall” after Margaret Hart, who served Biola for many years as the beloved Dean of Women.

In the 70’s, the Varsity Lettermen’s Club promoted Christian sportsmanship and encouraged mental and physical development among Biola’s athletes. They sponsored a donkey basketball game between the Biola faculty and a local High School, and they were cheered on by the brand new cheerleading squad. This year we are welcoming back a favorite Biola tradition with our brand new cheer squad.

1978–1987

In the 1980’s, girls just wanted to have fun! By the mid-1980’s, women made up over 50% of Biola’s student population. Women also began to make their mark on leadership in the Biola community. In fact, the University’s Board of Trustees welcomed both Irene Lee and Carol Lynskog as members, the first women members since Mrs. Lyman Stewart in the early 1900’s.

In the 80’s, girls ran the school during BAB’s week, (Betty asks Bob). BAB’s week was all about those Biola girls finding LOVE! The week consisted of roller skating night, a formal Valentines banquet, and concerts. The week ended when the Bettys (or Biola girls) planned dates for their Bobs, ranging from dinner at a fancy restaurant to a walk on the beach. At the end of the week Bobs and Bettys were left with only one question…. “Who loves you baby?”

1988–1997

By the mid 90’s, Residence Halls took on a life of their own as each hall had a distinctive personality. Emerson and Horton Hall sponsored Rocktoberfest, where students would drag their sofas and chairs and recline “party style” between the two dorms. Hart Hall had monthly pajama brunches and if you where lucky enough to live in Alpha, you may have had the chance to exercise with a group of die hard aerobicisers who gathered nightly in the lobby to work out!

1998–2007

By 1999 Biola was buzzing with the anticipation of Y2K! The Millennium has brought many changes to Biola. This past summer, Dr. Barry Corey took office as Biola’s 8th President. Biola continues to graduate some of the most talented students in their chosen fields, including Adam Soberg, who created the entire Red Line fashion apparel to help students celebrate the Centennial with a great sense of style!

That brings us to today. We hope that you enjoyed this look at 100 years of the very creative, talented, and of course, fashionable women that are such an important part of what Biola does so well, equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ!