Post contributed by Meredith Mobley, University Archives Intern for Student Engagement
In the early months of 1931, the students of Duke’s East Campus, at the time the home of the Woman’s College, decided they would begin publishing their own literary magazine. It would be called “Distaff,” a nod to their understanding of the creative, traditional work of women. The literal definition of distaff is “a staff for holding the flax, tow, or wool in spinning,” (Merriam-Webster) but more colloquially refers to domestic, “women’s” work. The new magazine was announced in the Chronicle on January 14th, 1931. The first issue of the bi-monthly literary magazine would be released in March 1931, but not without pushback. The student publications board, which at the time consisted of members from the three student publications (the Archive, the Chanticleer, and the Chronicle), in addition to faculty members and two representatives from the woman’s student government, sought out an explanation. Backed by Dean Wannamaker, the board was charged with regulating the publishing activities of the student body, requiring each potential publication to obtain permission from them to gain legitimacy and the “go-ahead” to put their work into print.
Despite support from faculty in the Woman’s College, Distaff did not gain the proper permissions from the publication board prior to announcing their first issue. Distaff’s goal as a publication was to give editorial experience to women, at a time when the field was almost entirely male dominated. In the editorial note of the March 1931 issue, Distaff’s editorial team stated “It has been customary in all organizations in which both the men and women have a part for the men to hold the responsible positions[…] This has been especially true in the line of publications where the positions which women have been allowed to hold have been designated. These positions have always been minor and lacking in responsibility. It is the purpose of this magazine not only to create a medium through which the women students of the University may express themselves more freely than a publication edited by the men, but also that they may learn something of the responsibility of editing” (11). Prior to the founding of Distaff, there was also a push by the Woman’s Student Government Association (WSGA) to obtain more representation on the Undergraduate Publications Board, and effort which was successful (Alice Mary Baldwin Papers Box 12).
Although the publications board claimed to be in support of Distaff, they expressed their concerns in a way that subtly cast doubt on the capabilities of the women to run their own publication and make sound business decisions. Despite these hurdles, Distaff began its publishing tenure in 1931, and made sure to address the concerns of the publishing board in their editorial note, saying, “The present may seem an unwise time to some to begin such an undertaking as the bringing out of a magazine; yet, it seems to us that the best policy is to fill a need at the present while there is need plus enthusiasm, rather than to divert the enthusiasm into other channels until business conditions are better” (11-12). This run continued until 1934, when the magazine reached a stopping point, due to lack of interest from contributors and advertisers (WSGA Records, Box 1). For 70 years, Distaff did not release a new edition, but in 1991, Distaff started up again. This revival, however, only lasted until 1993, when the magazine again went dormant. On the second run of Distaff, the goal of the editorial team was slightly altered. Instead of focusing exclusively on the creative outputs of women students, they also wanted Distaff to be a space for anyone whose voice was suppressed and not being adequately platformed elsewhere (Vol. 5, No. 1, pg. 2).
Women’s literary publications have been a popular source of student and cultural engagement at Duke. Since the late 1990s, several magazines have been published with the support of the Duke Women’s Center as well as the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, two of which include Womyn and Muse. Distaff being the first publication to center the experiences and creativity of women students may have contributed to the successes of these future publications.
If you’re interested in learning more about student publishing at Duke, be sure to stop by the Sperling Case (outside the Biddle Suite) to see “Power of the Press: Student Publications in Duke University Archives,” which will be on display until August 2026. The exhibit highlights publications from student groups throughout different time periods and provides an introduction to the world of politics behind student publishing.
Looking for a place to store your student group’s records, your cloud storage is filling up, or you want your group’s legacy to be documented? Donate your group’s records to the University Archives! To learn more about the student archiving initiative, visit this LibGuide, or email AskRL@duke.edu.