The 1939 World's Fair Comes to Hofstra College

Wreath and Foil WF float.jpg

vertical files, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

Long Islanders were thrilled with the prospect of the World's Fair coming to their own backyard, and the students of Hofstra College, now Hofstra University, were no exception. In this photograph, members of the Wreath and Foil Sorority, still operating at Hofstra as Phi Sigma Sigma, present their float for the Spring Day Parade in 1940. The centerpiece is the famous Trylon and Perisphere, which are flocked by members in costumes representing the various nations that were on display at the fair.

The 1939 World's Fair Comes to Hofstra College