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.
A Root Beer Float - Wednesday, September 7, 1960
Miss Orr came to ride Duke tonight and then Miss Asby and Miss Gerling came. Instead of eating dinner at school, Shirley Slaubaugh and I walked downtown. I had a root beer float. We worked out some of the paper staff during study hall. We had our school pictures taken for identification cards. I began my first research paper for government (since he said for us to).
The Golden Feather and The Hawk - Tuesday, September 6, 1960
School got out early again, but I had to stay for a newspaper and annual editors' meeting. If I hadn't seen Orleana and come home with her, I don't know how long I would have had to wait for the activity bus. We're going to call the paper the Golden Feather and the annual the Hawk. It's so hard to concentrate on studying with the heat. They had a science club meeting tonight but that seems a long way to go for something I'm not really interested in.
Eclipse of the Moon - Monday, September 5, 1960
We didn't have school since it was Labor Day. I spent practically the whole day getting my school work caught up. I carried a box of trash to the ditch and picked a chicken. Mom dressed the three that Kleinschmidts gave us and we've been feeding. We all got up at 3:30 and saw portions of the total eclipse of the moon. It was a perfect night.
Poster Contests - Sunday, September 4, 1960
Today we changed church time back to 10:00 instead of 9:00. I read my chemistry and government and began ideas for two poster contests (corn picker safety and Farm Bureau). Cuddebacks were here tonight. Washington has had the state's hottest for four days, now probably five. I believe it!
The "m" Key Fixed - Saturday, September 3, 1960
Phyllis and Ann went to the eye doctor's at 8:30 to get their glasses fixed, and I went for my progress report. I don't have to go back till Christmas vacation next year. I finally got my autobiography typed. Thank heavens Phyl got the "m" key fixed, as it sure wasn't any fun typing with it broken. I went to see Marilyn for a half hour. I helped Daddy and Grandpa put up three loads of hay.
97 Degrees Is Hottest in the State - Friday, September 2, 1960
Boy, am I tired! Suffering from the effects of Wellman, I guess. At least we got out early again. Washington had the hottest temperature (97 degrees) in the state yesterday. Today we skipped fourth period class (government) so we had French. I hope I master that. She talks too fast, everyone thinks. I finished my autobiography we have to write for English.
A Girl From the Pipeline - Thursday, September 1, 1960
School was dismissed at 1:35 today because of the heat (as though we live in Africa). They should have done it yesterday and the day before. There is one girl from the pipeline in our class. Then Jerolyn, Helen, Colleen and I are the only senior girls "left" from Chester. We have been lucky not to have too many assignments so far.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)