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.
Switch to Dial Phones - Tuesday, June 14, 1960
I was still in bed when Virginia delivered my mail. I got my first (own) wedding invitation - to Karen's wedding. Mom went to Iowa City this afternoon to register for summer school.The kids went along. I mowed the lawn and got two blisters. We switched to dial phones today. Just for fun I tried to dial Marilyn and ended up with Woodfords in West Chester.
Catching a Baby - Monday, June 13, 1960
We went to town this afternoon to wash and get the car fixed. We went to the library and Mom got a card for each of us. I checked out A Night to Remember, The Return of Hyman Kaplan, and First Orchid for Pat. Virginia and I think we should be nominated for the life saving award. We each had a turn at catching a baby at the laundromat who nearly rolled off a table. Heavens!
Bible School Program - Sunday, June 12, 1960
Well, we now have two less kittens. Daddy backed out of the garage tonight running over two - a third of the bunch! We went to the Bible School program. Only Virginia and Ann went to Bible School. With Mom and me at our workshops and Phyllis getting dinner, we couldn't help. We had dinner at the restaurant in Keota.
News From the Kids - Saturday, June 11, 1960
Mom and the kids came and got Shirley and me at 9:20 this morning. Shirley and I pushed our car down Main Street in Wellman when it quit! News (as the kids told it): the hampsters died; we got our dial phone; the picture they took of us was in the Journal! It's pretty good. I was surprised they put it in. We've had rain so field work is still behind. It is nice to be home although I had a swell time in Iowa City, too.
A Nice Banquet - Friday, June 10, 1960
A nice banquet climaxed our fast week of work and fun. They gave us The Workshopper that Shirley helped publish this year and our diplomas. Rod Gellatt gave the closing speech this morning. He's had radio and t.v. news. I've kept better notes this year than last. Tonight Shirley and I went down to a lounge near our dorm's rec room and had fun with several other girls--everything from a mock wedding to wastepaper basket races! I slept in Shirley's room since her roommate left.
They Stopped the Press - Thursday, June 9, 1960
After leading Shirley clear over to the field house, I finally swam in one of the largest U. S. indoor pools. (Last year the life guards didn't show up.) Something unusual and rare happened when our division toured the Press-Citizen: they stopped the press when they got the call about Evy being coach. The whistle that signaled the man to stop the press scared us to death. They had 504 papers run off and six more on the press. I saw Elsie and Wanda but no more of Mom.
A Missed Opportunity - Wednesday, June 8, 1960
We were given free movie tickets to any Iowa City movie theater. Lots of us went to "The Fugitive Kind." Nearly everyone agreed it was one of the dumbest shows they'd ever seen. I hear Meredith Wilson was over at the commencement band concert tonight. It would have been special to see him. Mr. Clark said they weren't having it!
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