College Dance Days: 25 Photos from 1968-1971

Whether it’s the Snow Ball or Homecoming, in the late sixties to early seventies in America, you’re going to find the same thing on college dance-floors: young men and women dancing like confused idiots.  The ladies are wearing the new ultra short skirts, and the dudes are hustling and sweating in their blazers.  It was a dark time under the shadow of Vietnam, but somehow also a very bright and innocent time.  Let’s have a look at photographs taken at college dances from 1968 to 1971, pulled from old yearbooks and newspapers.  Enjoy.

college dance days

Above and Below: Homecoming Dance – California Western University (San Diego, CA) – 1968

college dance days

Arizona State University, Class of 1970

college dance days

Fullerton Junior College (Fullerton, CA) – Class of 1969

college dance days

Grayson College (Denison, TX) -1971; I dig the girl’s revolver dance accessory.  Suffice it to say, this would not fly today.

Santa Ana Junior College (Santa Ana, CA) – Class of 1970

For high school dance photos, see: Teens Behaving Awkwardly: A Look at the 1970s High School Dance

Holy Names University (Oakland, CA) – Class of 1969

Tarrant County College (Fort Worth, TX) – Class of 1969

“Howdy Dance” – Howard College  (Big Spring, TX) – Class of 1971

“Mortician’s Ball” – University of North Texas (Denton, TX) – 1968

San Diego State University – Class of 1971

California-Western-University (San Diego, CA) 1968

“Snow Ball Dance” – Texarkana College (Texarkana, TX) – Class of 1970

1969 – “Catching the mood set by the band, these K Sigs and their dates follow their own personal modes of expression in an evening of dancing and drinking.

Texas A & M University – Class of 1969

Military Ball – Texas Tech University – (Lubbock, TX) – Class of 1970

Texas Wesleyan University – (Fort Worth, TX) – Class of 1970

1970

University of California Santa Barbara – 1968

University of California Santa Barbara 1968 Winter Formal

college dance days

University of Houston – Class of 1969

college dance days

University of San Francisco 1972

college dance days

Victoria College, TX –  Class of 1969

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