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.
School Work and School Paper - Sunday, January 24, 1960
This afternoon Daddy shot a skunk over at Martin's that was going around in circles. Maybe it had rabies. I can't stand all the history Mrs. Diekman gives us. The second semester we have to take notes on everything we read. My gosh. We have a chapter physics test tomorrow. Week of the school paper, here I come.
Washington County Basketball Finals - Saturday, January 23, 1960
West Chester made it a tradition and played in both the boys and girls county basketball finals. Only trouble, the defending champs lost both games, the girls 41-40 to Crawfordsville and the boys to Kalona. We beat Kalona last year. Marilyn was there and Phyllis and Linda are going to her place after the game. Mom and Daddy decided I shouldn't go since Linda would have to bring me home.
B in Last Summer's Driver Training - Friday, January 22, 1960
I'm thrilled. I made both the nine weeks and semester honor rolls. I got a D on the physics test, but I got a B for the quarter. I got a B in driver training that I took last summer. If the girls beat Riverside tonight, we'll have both teams in the county finals again! Virginia and I went to town with Mom.
Grandma's and Mom's Social Club Supper - Thursday, January 21, 1960
This diary just ripped in front - one week old, and it has to last a lifetime. This was Ann's 11th birthday. I gave her a trick pencil, a film, and a little pen. She had Connie Stout overnight tonight. We had a club supper for the Richard Browns at Grandma's. It was more fun than I expected. Last year the school paper didn't have one superior rating when it was evaluated.
Worried About Physics Grade - Wednesday, January 20, 1960
We had family night at church. There weren't many there. Phyllis and Betty did their science, and Virginia, Ann, Ruth and Denise played hide-and-go-seek. I've been worried all day that my physics test "might" mean an F on my report card. Why do the semester test grades go on, anyway? I have a cold and headache, and there are measles going around.
No School Again Today - Tuesday, January 19, 1960
We didn't go to school today either. This has been some vacation! We'll surely go back tomorrow. I got my column done, an editorial written, and some other work done on the school paper. I'm getting a cold. I hope I don't have it a week from Saturday for the declam contest.
Spent a Snow Day Doing Writing - Monday, January 18, 1960
We didn't have any school today because of the snow. The line ring came just as I was about to get up -I guess I should have stayed in bed. I wrote to the Skateway about having a church skating party, the Board of Christian Education about scholarships, to a penpal, and did some school paper writing.
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