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.
Hearing Man-in-Space Proceedings - Wednesday, July 19, 1961
We listened to records until 2:30 in the morning. I woke up ahead of Helen and Linda in time to hear the man-in-space proceedings on the radio. (Birkeys don't have television.) They postponed it because of the weather again, though. Helen brought me home around 10:30. We had piano lessons. We had to send Ann down to the ditch to run down the Dodge before we could go. I took the kids to see The Absent-Minded Professor tonight.
Band Concert, Ice Cream and a Slumber Party - Tuesday, July 18, 1961
Tonight Linda Scott and I are staying with Helen Birkey for a slumber party. We talked to Mary Ellen on the phone tonight, and next Tuesday (Kalona Barbeque Day) we're going to do the same thing again. I rode over to Wellman with the West Chester band kids. They had a concert and ice cream social. Helen, Elizabeth, Linda, Karen Plecker, Ronna and I had pop in Cappers. Birkeys, Linda, and I drove over to Kalona in our pajamas to get their sister at 10:30. Phyllis and I went in to do the wash this afternoon.
Area Boy Suffocates in a Grain Bin - Monday, July 17, 2011
This was my day of contributing somewhat toward my earning of room and board. I got both dinner and supper, hoed the garden and picked raspberries. Mom took the first part of her comps today. I guess they were pretty hard, but at least she knew what they were talking about. Gary Tadlock suffocated in a grain bin last night. Mom had him in Kindergarten. A Bible Story Book salesman was here. We bought the 10-volume set for $86.00.
Mary Todd Lincoln Was Like Scarlet O'Hara - Sunday, July 16, 1961
I had opening exercises downstairs again for the Sunday School kids. Mom said I did a real good job reading Noah's Ark. For some reason, yesterday seems longer ago than yesterday!?! I'm reading Love is Eternal about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. She was a brat about like the mythical Scarlet O'Hara (film version); and she (Mary Todd) came from the richest family in Lexington, Kentucky. Virginia brought the cutest kitten home from camp. They had four down there that they wanted someone to take home since they would be catching the birds.
A Fresh Air Child is Staying on Nearby Farm - Saturday, July 15, 1961
The new Miss Universe is Miss Germany. She is an electronics engineer. Miss United States was fourth runner-up. I'm glad she didn't win as the U.S. has the most of any country. I understood a little of what Miss France and Miss Switzerland said. I got a letter from my roommate. She is very nice. Her father got his doctorate from SUI and she used to live in Iowa. She had been at church camp for ten days so that's why she hadn't written. We kids stayed with the Parcell kids while Mom went to get Virginia and Mary, and Peggy went uptown. The Gingerich family has the cutest little "Fresh Air Child" Negro girl.
Mom's Thesis Has One Minor Error - Friday, July 14, 1961
We went along with Mom to Iowa City this morning. She got her thesis back and all they said that was wrong with it was that page 34 didn't have an inch and a half left margin. It is a page of the test results [Counting Abilities of Three, Four and FiveYear Olds] and I'll be glad to do it over as I considered doing so anyway [at the time I typed it] since I double- rather than triple-spaced the test items. Ann, Denise, Phyl and I went swimming this afternoon. I got Mom's pair and my other pair of glasses. I got three tubes of lipstick for 7 cents each at Osco Drugs. We had a weiner roast tonight out by the burning trees.
890 Letters From 43 Pen Pals Since 1953 - Thursday, July 13, 1961
Tonight scattered about my room are stacks of letters from 43 pen pals that I've had since 1953 for a total of 890 letters. That isn't counting every one I've received but most of them. We went to the club ice cream social at Duvalls in town tonight. Connie, Dorothy, Phyllis and I were walking past our church when the Dusenberry and Lampe boys jumped out from a bush and yelled. I was so scared I "wet my pants". Dorothy had thought she saw someone so at least we had some warning. The trees down in the draw that I always saw from my windows are gone. They were my landmark.
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