About the diary writer

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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.

We Beat Tabor in Season Opener - Saturday, September 21, 1963

This was a nice fall Saturday at Park College. We beat Tabor in our first soccer game of the season, our second defeat of our archrival and the first time in seven years we've beat them at home. The guys really played a good game. I walked down to Brisch's house with Evelyn. Ellen is almost a year old now and so cute. Then I went to the soccer field for the LLC-ACC speedball game. Needless to say, we lost. I still have a cold. I hope tomorrow is nice weather for our canoe trip. Terry Osuga and I worked in the concessions stand at the theater tonight. Pay is two free passes.

"The Birdman of Alcatrez" - Friday, September 20, 1963

Evelyn, Barb and I went to the show tonight. It was "The Birdman of Alcatrez." I came back and finished typing Mrs. Lippincott's paper (I've earned $1.00) and took it over to Dr. Johnson's mailbox. Then I went to Herr House and talked to Gloria for awhile, then had Kool-Aid with Pat Swinney and Becky. My flu shot brought on my cold - such a bother. President Morrill was on the radio from 9:00 to 10:00 this morning on a personal interview program about Hell Week. It was alright in general. People could call in to ask questions. Three Park students did so.   

Will Type Mrs. Lippincott's Paper - Thursday, September 19, 1963

Dr. Dunham was at the health center tonight instead of tomorrow night this week. There weren't too many tonight. Mrs. Lippincott let me go before he came tonight since he wasn't going to come till 8:45. She gave me her religion paper on "The Creation and the Flood" to type. Evelyn and I have been yakking and laughing about anything and everything. We had a real good LLC meeting tonight. I'm checking into a hay ride for the club in conjunction with next Friday night's party at the Carey's.

Going Without Money - Wednesday, September 18, 1963

I've been going without money. This afternoon I got to the bookstore just before closing time - then Mrs. Rush informed me they were already closed - early, but since I already had my stuff, she'd let me get it. I did need toothpaste badly. She griped "$2.00" when I asked how much over the amount I could write a check for. So I was able to pay Nancy back the $2.25 I owed her for the canoe trip, but she let me keep a quarter so I could eat snacks in the J.R. - I wonder if now I could possibly go till pay day (two weeks) on 25 cents! Maybe Mom will send my allowance next week. I'm not supposed to get in the habit of writing checks.

The March on Washington - Tuesday, September 17, 1963

My "reference figure" has disillusioned me - no, what I'm attempting to say is that Dr. Gochman has announced his resignation because of his dislike for Hell Week, effective in December. And he was the one who talked so pleadingly about "think it over before leaving Park" for a whole 45 minutes last year in basic concepts when the word was flying high that so many were going to transfer from Park. Mr. Wedgeworth, the librarian this year, and Rev. Jerry Belt had a good assembly program this morning about their participation in the March on Washington.

"You Write Very Well." - Monday, Septemer 16, 1963

This business of snakes in Stephens has gotten to be too much. Last evening about 11:30 Fran stepped on one in her bare feet in the hall beside the basement stairs. Then this morning Ellen and Shirley found one in their window sill! Glad it decided to turn left to their room rather than right to ours. I got an A- on my personality "test" paper on the history of psychology. Dean Gibson commented that I "write very well." Truthfully, I think that's my secret - I will admit to not having known the subject as well as I might have.

A Walk to Alfalfa Point - Sunday, September 15, 1963

Since we didn't feel like studying after dinner, Evelyn and I took a walk up to Alfalfa Point and came back on the road through the woods. I took several pictures. It was a beautiful day. I then read sociology while Evelyn talked to Jim and then read ed psych. At 4:00 I went with Nancy for an hour on the tennis courts. We ate our sack lunches on Mackay steps. Karen didn't show up for our scheduled yearbook meeting. I understood her to say she'd come up here. I read personality in the library tonight. Everyone is complaining of not being able to study, but I think I had it worse last year.