For Men Lonely

For Men Lonely is a guide to twelve women's colleges on the East Coast that was written by three Dartmouth students in 1947 before the college went co-ed. The book was inspired by one too many uncomfortable nights in the Northampton jail (for lack of better lodging). It is filled with useful information for sketchy college men seeking college women, specifically: maps of campus; the locations and contact information for local florists, liquor stores, and nightspots; and a listing of the annual social event dates and curfew times for each college.

Some of the general descriptions contain moments of wry humor, such as this guide to the area near Bryn Mawr: "Most of the college crowd leaves Philly to the Quakers… and sticks pretty much to the suburban spots. If you know Philadelphia, you will too." Other entries are less endearing, such as a hopelessly misguided attempt to compliment Skidmore women by comparing them to racehorses at the local track.

One can only imagine the desperation that would drive a young man to walk up to the bookstore counter with For Men Lonely in one hand and money in the other. Thankfully, having a look at the book nowadays doesn't require you to navigate any morally questionable landscape. Instead, guide yourself to Rauner and ask for Alumni J7278f, complete with the authors' autographs on the flyleaf.