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.
Mom's Thesis Has One Minor Error - Friday, July 14, 1961
We went along with Mom to Iowa City this morning. She got her thesis back and all they said that was wrong with it was that page 34 didn't have an inch and a half left margin. It is a page of the test results [Counting Abilities of Three, Four and FiveYear Olds] and I'll be glad to do it over as I considered doing so anyway [at the time I typed it] since I double- rather than triple-spaced the test items. Ann, Denise, Phyl and I went swimming this afternoon. I got Mom's pair and my other pair of glasses. I got three tubes of lipstick for 7 cents each at Osco Drugs. We had a weiner roast tonight out by the burning trees.
890 Letters From 43 Pen Pals Since 1953 - Thursday, July 13, 1961
Tonight scattered about my room are stacks of letters from 43 pen pals that I've had since 1953 for a total of 890 letters. That isn't counting every one I've received but most of them. We went to the club ice cream social at Duvalls in town tonight. Connie, Dorothy, Phyllis and I were walking past our church when the Dusenberry and Lampe boys jumped out from a bush and yelled. I was so scared I "wet my pants". Dorothy had thought she saw someone so at least we had some warning. The trees down in the draw that I always saw from my windows are gone. They were my landmark.
Upper Part of Ditch Was Filled In - July 12, 1961
This afternoon I went down to Janacek's for my piano lesson and to get Ann's band assignment from Tracy. It's raining a quiet little rain. I decided it was a good time to look in my last year's diary to see what I was doing a year ago. I put together my first-three-years-of-high school scrapbook (I was ambitious last summer) and the Democratic political convention was on. They filled in the upper part of the ditch. Ann, Mom, Oakey and I walked out to look tonight. Phyllis went to the show with Linda Pence.
A Picnic at Lake Darling with the MYF - Tuesday, July 11, 1961
I guess I didn't have anything but good clothes (no chore clothes) on all day today. This morning Phyllis and I drove over to Wellman to get her proofs. They're real good. This afternoon Phyl, Mom and I went to town to wash and get our glasses. Our appointment was for 12:30 but we didn't get in till late because of the pre-school free vision tests. My new glasses for dress-up are light blue with for Mother of Pearl insets and strange curving side pieces. They're real different and cute. Our youth fellowship was invited to a picnic at Lake Darling with the MYF. It was a lot of fun.
Virginia Went with Mary to Camp - Monday, July 10, 1961
We took Virginia and Mary down to Forest Lake Baptist Camp today. I sewed on my batthrobe (or housecoat) this morning. I got the pockets put in and the collar ready to put on. Tonight I practiced and answered a penpal letter. Last night I read Good Morning, Young Lady. I didn't read every word but I read enough to get the gist of the story. I brought a French text book home from the library that I've gotten some good use and review from.
"Out of His Mother's What?" - Sunday, July 9, 1961
Today was the start of another summer week. I don't seem to be getting anything done though Mom seems to think I've done "enough." I hope I get in the mood to really plunge in with my sewing. I had my typewriter up here for the first time. It seems quieter than ever when I type up here. Maybe I should give my old Seventeen magazines to the Salvation Army. They're coming tomorrow. Sunday School class was quite funny to me [as the teacher] this morning when David Johnson came to the word "womb" in the Bible. Cynthia said "Out of his mother's what?" I said "You make me laugh."
The Grass Has Been Too Dry to Mow - Saturday, July 8, 1961
I wish I could stop these fast weeks. We went swimming this afternoon. Mary went with Virginia. Norma "got me up" this morning to have me go over to help Fred Wright get the lawn mower started. Fred, Dale and I couldn't get it started. Dear little Fred went home and brought theirs up dragging it behind his bike. Daddy had to take ours to town to have it fixed. The grass has been so dry that it's only just now needing mowing. Phyllis, Ann and I walked down to see the work being done on the culvert and the dammed up pond.
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