Old school photos of San Antonio college kids before student debt was a thing

The road to the the University of Texas San Antonio's main campus looked a bit different in 1969. The road to the the University of Texas San Antonio's main campus looked a bit different in 1969. Photo: UTSA Courtesy Photo Photo: UTSA Courtesy Photo Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Old school photos of San Antonio college kids before student debt was a thing 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

There once was a time when a college education did not sack you into a lifetime of debt.

The photos in the gallery above are from that era, captured from six local campuses for higher education: San Antonio College, St. Phillips College, St. Mary's University, the University of the Incarnate Word, Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Spanning the years from 1950s to the '80s, here are scenes of college life back when there were card catalogs instead of computers. Girls swung petticoats and designer jeans, and boys rocked slick side parts and pompadours.

Some pictures are simply timeless, like long registration lines and packed parking lots, St. Mary's Oyster Bake in the '70s and UTSA's homecoming in the '80s. Then, there was that time lightning struck SAC, literally.

So go back to school — way, way back.

jmscott@mysa.com