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.
Mom Receives Her M.A. Degree - Wednesday, August 9, 1961
Mom got her M.A. degree tonight. We went up to watch and Grandma went along. Delbert helped with chores so that Daddy could go. There were about 700 getting degrees. The Ph.D.'s went up on stage to get theirs. Peters and Stouts went up for the graduation. The graduates really marched in fast. We had ice cream and cake at Grandma's for her birthday when we got back. Jimmy had the Grand Champion lamb at the fair and two reserve champions! We finished mowing the grass. Virginia and I had piano lessons. I got my Sylvania transistor radio. It's sort of a cocoa beige. I got a letter from an Iowa girl at Park.
All of the Visiting Relatives Are Here Now - Tuesday, August 8, 1961
Well, everyone is here now. Paul Robert is a cute little boy. He "hasn't any neck" and looks like a Gerber's Baby ad. Delbert drove us kids down to Cuddebacks to get Betty and Linda. Esteps got there just after we did. We all really gave them a rousing war-whooping welcome. Ruthie and Bob gave me a nice leather letter holder and a hose holder for graduation. We did the wash in Wellman this morning. Mom took Mrs. Fordyce's book back to her plus a gift (necklace) for the use of it. Mom froze 35 pints of corn this afternoon. I mowed a little grass and wrote my letter for the round robin Mary Ellen, Helen, Linda and I are having.
Russian (Titov) Circles the Earth 17 Times - Monday, August 7, 1961
Leets took my write-up to the Journal on their way to Richard's early this morning and it was in the paper tonight. It made a nice article; also Mom's name with the area SUI graduates. Virginia is staying all night with Mary Dunbar. The rest of us went to the first night of the fair. They've got a real nice county fair this year in all respects. The carnival is a lot bigger and pretty nice. We baled hay out at Grandma's this afternoon. Oakey about had a fit over my driving the Plymouth! The Russians sent a man around the world 17 times - Gherman Titov. We went to the City for Mom to get her cap and gown.
71 Attend the Leet Family Reunion - Sunday, August 6, 1961
We went to the Leet family reunion today at Grandma's.There were 71 people there. It was nice being able to see everyone again, especially the Millers from New Mexico. They haven't been back here since they moved there when Martha and I were in eighth grade. The kids haven't changed and are still so nice and fun. There are so many of those Leets I don't know, although I'm finally beginning to get them all straightened out. They had me write up the article about the reunion for the Journal. It's fun to get back to news writing. All in all it was a very successful day. They toured their (and our) former home and farm.
We Help Grandma Clean for the Leet Reunion - Saturday, August 5, 1961
We girls spent the day at Grandma's helping her clean house for tomorrow's McDowell-Leet reunion tomorrow. We went out after Betty and Linda left and had planned to come home for dinner but ended up staying. We gave the house a pretty good going over. I haven't cleaned for so long in ______(?). A man who is attempting to make the first coast-to-coast glider flight has been in Washington since Thursday. He came over West Chester and "landed one mile north of Chester" (sounds like Grandma's) in Peiffer's field. Grandma heard him on the Hy-Vee phone! Another old corn crib out there blew down last night.
Three Families of Cousins Go Swimming - Friday, August 4, 1961
Leets were here for dinner and supper. Betty and Linda are staying all night. This afternoon Leets, Cuddebacks and we kids went swimming. It was quite a mob scene considering the fact that no grown-ups were along! The cousins have grown up! I didn't get anything done in the way of sewing. I did manage to practice my lesson for the first time. These summer days are going far too fast. I keep comparing this to last summer. I don't like to brag, but I do have a good memory for certain things! (I can remember what I wore on the first day of school for all but 7th grade and 10th - or do I remember that!?)
Will Buy Things for Our Dorm Room in K.C. - Thursday, August 3, 1961
I got another letter from Vivienne. An Oklahoma girl who's a junior at Park thinks it would be better to wait till we get there to buy things for our room. I had been going to suggest that in my last letter. K.C. is a fifteen minute bus ride away. We had figured it'd be about that. Sounds fun! I got a letter from Sandy Mosiman saying my "Big Sister" will be Rae Goush from North Kansas City. I drove to unload four loads of straw. I finished my house coat. Mom had Missionary Meeting here this afternoon. Kenneth and Janet were here tonight.
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