My college fraternity - not a music fraternity, just a regular social fraternity at a tech school - had a couple songbooks from the 50s. Dozens of songs (not sure if original or variations of standards I didn't recognize), almost all meant for non-ceremonial use. I don't think you would go to the expense of printing something like that unless people were gonna use it. There was no musical tradition at all when I was in school, no group play whatsoever.

I do know that we spend a lot more time listening to music than people back then.