**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.
Visited Robert's Chapel Cemetery - Sunday, August 11, 1963
I've spent the afternoon and evening writing letters, both business and personal. I wrote to an Avon representative and Procter and Gamble about rush week favors and to Dr. Pai to see if I could have Mr. Carey for my advisor rather than Dr. Frizzle, to whom he said I had been assigned. We went in to the Dog 'N Suds for supper and then sat and listened to part of the union church service. However, we couldn't hear much so we came home. We watched meteorites in the northeast last night. It's kind of cloudy tonight. This afternoon we went to look at the 1850s-1906 gravestones, foundation remains and prairie grass of Robert's Chapel cemetery about a mile east of Grandma's - very interesting.
Patrick Bouvier Kennedy Died Yesterday - Saturday, August 10, 1963
For the record: President Kennedy's 39-hour-old son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, born five and a half weeks prematurely, died early Friday morning - I neglected to mention anything before. I did not accomplish much this afternoon. I wasn't in the mood for sewing, but I'm going to have to hurry to get that in. I finally got a letter written to Margie. Evelyn has been going with Jim Hurst this summer. (I had used "detective work" to figure it out from the little she and Margie had said.)
A Cartridge Pen for 77 Cents - Friday, August 9, 1963
I like my new pen, a Scripto cartridge. I wonder why! Mr. Vanderbilt sold it to me for 77 cents (already on sale for 98 cents) since he's going to lower the price to that next week and didn't want me to get mad at him! That was sweet of him. He also gave me a local news item about going to a managers' meeting in Dayton, Ohio. I bought a pair of black pointed shoes, and Phyl also "repainted" a pair of my white flats red with some of the new shoe coloring that is out now. Both pairs are real classy. Both Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Woodford were in the newsroom at the same time. We were going to take over. Leets left today. I mowed grass tonight.
Saw Winning 4-H Demonstration - Thursday, August 8, 1963
The club supper was tonight in the park. I went to the fair after work. I got in on the last two performances in the talent show (Top 20 and Rhythmettes). Then I saw the last two 4-H demonstrations. Gretchen Miksch's individual, related subject (both something new) demonstration on physical fitness was very good, and she won, so she can give it at the state fair. Then I went to the pool for a dip before going to the park. I helped June get the drinks ready, and by that time the rest of the people were arriving.
Went to Fair for Judging Results - Wednesday, August 7, 1963
Phyllis and I went back in to see the parade of champions, the 4-H pageant and fireworks tonight. The pageant was nice, but had its rough spots, although many pageants do, including the Park pageant. They sent me out to the fairgrounds at 8:00 this morning to pick up judging results. It was nice out there then, the morning after the night before. I went back out from 12:00 to 1:15, then came back and made my regular rounds of the stores. I ended up with a lot of local news items for today again.
Watched Miss Washington County Contest - Tuesday, August 6, 1963
Phyllis and I took Linda and Abbie to the fair tonight. We watched the Miss Washington County contest. Pam Hite won, Cheryl Keating (the favorite of lots of us) was second and Colleene Beughly from Brighton, third. Peggy McKinstry gave a lovely speech and later performed her talent. She should have been Miss Iowa. I went out to the fair this afternoon from 12:00 till 2:30 since the stores were closed for the fair, and scouted around for local news items. I saw Helen Birkey, also some other kids tonight. Mom and the kids went to Cedar Rapids with Orleana and Betty to shop. They brought me a University of Mexico sweatshirt. Virginia went to the fair with Bonnie and then home with her. Ann has the flu that some of Leets had.
Met Mr. Blattner, a Park Graduate - Monday, August 5, 1963
We went in to the fair tonight. It rained so hard that they had to postpone the talent show until Thursday afternoon. We saw Boyd Blattner, a 1935 graduate of Park, and his wife and sons tonight. I never thought I'd meet a Park College graduate in a county fair show barn, but we Park College people get around in this world. A lady who was supervising county extension home economist work last week and was here seeing Iris knows about Park - she was Platte County home economist. I heard from Verna Thompson. She has a National Science Foundation assistanceship at Michigan State this summer. She's been visiting Vivian Pavlis some.
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