Class dances were a popular tradition in the 1870s. One, in particular, was the Sophomore Dance, which took place late in the school year.

The Sophomore Dance, which appears to have occurred only a handful of times circa 1872 to 1873, occurred around Class Day, as suggested by an August 1872 Trinity Tablet. Despite the publication of this paper in August, Class Day occurred around the end of the academic year, similar to the modern Honors Day celebration. In 1916, for example, the event took place in June, suggesting that the Sophomore Dance also occurred within that month.

The Tablet also indicates that this dance may have been open to a broader community, the description of the success of the dance is under the “Locals” section.

Finally, each class likely had its own dance during this week of class-based celebrations.

The Trinity Ivy, 1916.

Trinity Tablet, June 21-27, 1900.

Trinity Tablet, August 1872.