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.

A Soccer Game at Tarkio - Saturday, November 30, 1963

Well, I got to the game at Tarkio, although until 1:30 I didn't know if I was going to. The cheerleaders were still trying to find a ride when I suggested that Mr. Lippincott might take a car, so Janet Bellamy called him and he did. He and his son, the four cheerleaders and I were Park's only spectators. It was nice to see Phyllis again and her friends, her room and the college. It's a 120 mile drive. She let me bring back this year's Mid-Prairie yearbook. It's real good. Today I studied for Monday's personality test. Evelyn and I went to breakfast with Jim and Fred.

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God" - Friday, November 29, 1963

The movie "Oklahoma!" was real good. I had a nice time with Fred. Mrs. Lippincott was nice about my not having to work tonight. The assistant from DeClouds was here today taking orders for pictures, so I helped from 12:30-2:00. For phys psych we went down to the chapel and listened to overtones on the piano. At the end of the hour Mr. Collier started playing chords and then "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." He must be quite a pianist. I couldn't get it through my head that today was Friday.

A Professor's Thanksgiving Meal - Thursday, November 28, 1963

I still don't know why, but Dr. Gochman called me this evening and had me come over to his apartment at Woodward to help him eat some Thanksgiving turkey, "along with some other students." The group - none of whom I know very well - wasn't exactly my type, but it was a privilege to be invited to a professor's home for Thanksgiving supper. Miss Thomas was there, too. Our Thanksgiving dinner in Commons was real nice, too. I always like to recall past Thanksgivings. I read physiological psychology this morning and did a reading report after dinner. Evelyn and Jim went to Hans' sister's for Thanksgiving.

Parkville and Studies - Wednesday, November 27, 1963

Fred Haenisch called me tonight and wanted to go down to a new establishment that has opened up in Parkville. They were supposed to be serving turkey sandwiches, but after walking up Parkville's main street and back we still couldn't get any, so came back to the J. R. to have refreshments and watch "The Eleventh Hour." He asked me to the show Friday night. Mr. Gibson is giving a make-up test in social problems. Bless his heart, I need it. Phys psych, too - I'm hoping for the best. Statistics is okay - hope personality still is. I must get my theory and technique research unit on the way.

Stephens Open House - Tuesday, November 26, 1963

Stephens open house was tonight. It was really nice, although not too many came. We had it tonight rather than Sunday. Fred Haenisch seems real nice. He and Rick Campbell spent quite a bit of time in our room. We have framed the Stephens composites [photos] of past years and hung them in the hall. Almita Stewart [whose parents influenced mine in their decision to suggest Park for me] is in the 1954-55 one. We got our proofs back. As usual, I can't make up my mind. We had a guest speaker in theory and technique on resource units. I'm going to have trouble keeping my presentation down to the third grade level. What was meant for ninth graders looked like what I might have thought was sixth grade.

President Kennedy is Laid to Rest - Monday, November 25, 1963

I didn't have any classes today. They originally called them off from 10:00-12:00 and then when the ceremonies lasted longer, they called them off for the rest of the day. There was a memorial service here at 10:00 and then a lot of us watched the funeral and procession to the cemetery on a television that was set up in Alumni. The funeral sermon consisted appropriately of quotes from Kennedy's inaugural address and some of his favorite Biblical passages. The flag-draped casket on the horse-drawn caisson as it made its way through Washington was an impressive sight. A contingent of planes flew over the Arlington National Cemetery and a 21-gun salute echoed in the crisp November air above the wooded plot.

Lee Harvey Oswald is Killed - Sunday, November 24, 1963

A complicating factor in the story arose about noon today when Jack Ruby shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, Kennedy's assassin, as he was being taken from one jail to another. It happened in the basement of the jail - now a different man is in custody. This is morbid. We have continued to watch history in the making. The flag-draped casket was drawn by seven horses from the White House to beneath the Capitol rotunda, accompanied by a muffled drum corps. Mrs.Kennedy and the two children were there. She is certainly maintaining composure. John Jr.'s third birthday is tomorrow and Caroline's sixth is Wednesday. I went riding this afternoon with Nancy, Karen and Bruce. The horses at this stable were really neat.