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.
Phyllis Registers for Her Junior Year - Monday, August 14, 1961
Tonight we went to the club picnic in the park. Mom was in charge of it. Mom, Virginia, Ann, Edna and the Estep girls went in to reserve the pavilion this afternoon. The kids went swimming. Phyllis went over to register this afternoon with some of the kids. (I can remember how frightened and uncertain the two of us were on that day last year!) She is going to take English, chemistry, Spanish and history. I sorted out my clothes. Most of them are good enough to take to Park. I have about ten things to shorten! We did my suit this morning.
Esteps Are Here for Dinner - Sunday, August 13, 1961
Esteps were here for dinner and the girls are staying here tonight. Merl was in my Sunday School class today!?! Goodness, I don't believe I did much of anything today. I answered Bob Barnes' letter. I hope I hear from my "Big Sister" before much longer or I am going to have to write to the first girl to see if she can get me another one. I didn't get my room cleaned up. I wonder what the Estep girls think! I started reading the first of our Bible Stories series. It is interesting. We're planning to use the set for Sunday School opening exercises since Johnsons have the set, too.
Slides Show Ann Was a Cute Little Girl - Saturday, August 12, 1961
We finished up the hay baling out at Grandma's. We did 642 bales this week. I guessed 640! Tonight Mom showed a lot of our slides. I never realized Ann was such a cute little girl!?! I answered Vernice Varley's letter, but I don't know what the LLC Club is. I also wrote another letter to Vivienne. I should write to my pen pals, too. I'm afraid some of them will have almost become a thing of the past by the time I start writing college letters home and to friends around here.
Most of the Visiting Relatives Have Gone - Friday, August 11, 1961
Last night seemed like sort of a short night since I woke up at 4:30 when Ruth and Bob got up. I turned over and went back to sleep though after deciding I didn't need to see them again. Leets and Varners left, too. This morning we went out to Grandma's to put up one load of hay and we also helped Grandma with house work. I got quite a little done on my dress even with going to Cuddebacks for the afternoon.
A Family Dinner at Cuddebacks - Thursday, August 10, 1961
Today we all got together for dinner at Cuddebacks. It was fun while we were there but some of us had to leave to do hay. Phyllis and I didn't get to see most of the movies and Daddy not any but I guess we'd seen them before. Bob, Ruthie, Paul and Debbie, the girl they brought with them, are staying here tonight. Bob took a picture of us with his Polaroid Land camera. One of those would be nice to have. I got a letter from Bob Barnes who lives in Maple Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. His letter was more specific than the one I got yesterday. As we figured, they sent the names of the new students to the upperclassmen.
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.
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