**nightly entries written by a coming-of-age girl who became a woman from Washington County Iowa**
About the diary writer
- Barbara McDowell Whitt
- Kansas City, Missouri, Alexandria, Virginia, United States
- ~ About: A 1961-65 Park College Diary ~ As a high school girl and then a college coed in the first half of the 1960s, I wrote nightly entries on the pages of one-year diaries. In January 2010 I began transcribing the entries into a blog and gave each one a title. I grew up on three farms within 30 miles of Iowa City and the University of Iowa with its Iowa Writers' Workshop. As the oldest of four daughters, in my diaries I sometimes referred to my sisters as "the kids" or "the girls." We helped our parents, but we also had good, wholesome fun - a characteristic I took with me to Park. Park is 300 miles southwest of West Chester, Iowa, in Parkville, Missouri, on the Missouri River 10 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, and across the river from Kansas City, Kansas. In 2000 Park College became Park University. Today Park's flagship campus is in Parkville and there are an additional 41 campus centers across the nation. Park was one of the first educational institutions in the United States to offer online learning. My last post was on May 22, 2018. I may be followed on Twitter @BarbaraMcDWhitt.
News From the Kids - Saturday, June 11, 1960
Mom and the kids came and got Shirley and me at 9:20 this morning. Shirley and I pushed our car down Main Street in Wellman when it quit! News (as the kids told it): the hampsters died; we got our dial phone; the picture they took of us was in the Journal! It's pretty good. I was surprised they put it in. We've had rain so field work is still behind. It is nice to be home although I had a swell time in Iowa City, too.
A Nice Banquet - Friday, June 10, 1960
A nice banquet climaxed our fast week of work and fun. They gave us The Workshopper that Shirley helped publish this year and our diplomas. Rod Gellatt gave the closing speech this morning. He's had radio and t.v. news. I've kept better notes this year than last. Tonight Shirley and I went down to a lounge near our dorm's rec room and had fun with several other girls--everything from a mock wedding to wastepaper basket races! I slept in Shirley's room since her roommate left.
They Stopped the Press - Thursday, June 9, 1960
After leading Shirley clear over to the field house, I finally swam in one of the largest U. S. indoor pools. (Last year the life guards didn't show up.) Something unusual and rare happened when our division toured the Press-Citizen: they stopped the press when they got the call about Evy being coach. The whistle that signaled the man to stop the press scared us to death. They had 504 papers run off and six more on the press. I saw Elsie and Wanda but no more of Mom.
A Missed Opportunity - Wednesday, June 8, 1960
We were given free movie tickets to any Iowa City movie theater. Lots of us went to "The Fugitive Kind." Nearly everyone agreed it was one of the dumbest shows they'd ever seen. I hear Meredith Wilson was over at the commencement band concert tonight. It would have been special to see him. Mr. Clark said they weren't having it!
Plenty of "Mc's" Nearby - Tuesday, June 7, 1960
Tonight we heard Harlan Miller who writes "Over the Coffee" for the Des Moines Register and a column for the Ladies Home Journal. He's quite a character! We usually go downtown after classes at 4:00. We've bought nylons and Shirley got some shorts. The workshop is much like last year's, naturally, but I think there is a friendlier bunch of kids this year. We sleep in alphabetical order. Consequently there are plenty of "Mc's" nearby.
Mom is Also in Iowa City - Monday, June 6, 1960
We caught a glimpse of Mom this morning and this afternoon stopped her just in time to ride downtown at 4:30. She and other teachers are here for an elementary reading workshop. Shirley informed me that I'm to attend the letterpress division. What a dilly of a teacher! She is Mrs. Draper from Oskaloosa. It is interesting but I do some "pretending" since we have mimeograph. We had a get-acquainted party at the Memorial Union. There are 206 here--6 1/7 girls for every boy!
Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska - Sunday, June 5, 1960
We picked Shirley up in Wellman before going to Iowa City. She and I were disappointed that she got room East 305 and I was assigned to North Recreation Room. There are 30 girls down here including Mary Ellen Miller from Kalona. We live such a short distance away since there are kids here from Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska. We (Shirley and I) walked around and bought ice cream cones for supper. I sent Daddy a birthday card.
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