After many years of efforts by students and Professor H. O. Grauel to get dancing approved at Southeast, on September 17 1932, President Joseph A. Serena finally relented. He realized that since students secretly attended off-campus dance parties, he may as well lift the ban and “make the best of a bad situation” by allowing supervised dancing on campus. The faculty rescinded the rule against dancing and established this committee to schedule dances and monitor them. A one-year trial period took effect and faculty and student members both participated on the committee. Dr. H. O. Grauel maintained the records of the early workings of the “Dance Committee.”

The Social Committee originally consisted of K. Gillard, chairman, Helen Bedford, Uma Chaplin, Forrest Rose, and H.O. Grauel. This committee proposed and voted on the standards governing school dances. Other tasks performed and regulated by the Social Committee include procuring orchestras and venues for events, arranging for chaperones, planning different kinds of dances, and generic types of issues with which the committee dealt. In 1937, the Social Committee began sponsoring teas, Junior-Senior Proms, all-school picnics, receptions, all-school dances, and open houses.