Tag / Whittier hall

by Mary James

5. 1920-1938 – The Where, What, and (some of) Who

One need not be a detective when a piece of notebook paper titled WHERE I WAS features addresses, dates, schools, and jobs, all with arrows and tiny bits of context written into the margins and in between lines. The sheet details her whereabouts from 1920-1938 (ages 17-35). Here it is pre-transcription:

Helen’s handwritten timeline from 1920-1938 of education, jobs, summer camps, etc.

Here are the main bits (with some commentary):

Education

  • 1920-1924 T.C. B.S. Degree, Teaching Diploma, Whittier Hall
  • 1931 T.C. Spring Session, Winter Session, 1931-1932, M.A. Degree 

Separately, I found two poorly photocopied degrees from Columbia University – a bachelor’s and a master’s, folded up together in thirds, like a take out menu. Through wizardly sleuthing on the webs I discovered that T.C. meant Teachers College, and that it was housed in Whittier Hall, and that both were part of Columbia University. I found it a bit odd she didn’t mention it (or spell out Teachers College), especially if she was detailing important aspects of her life with extreme detail.

Bachelor of Science Degree, Columbia University, 1924
Master of Arts Degree, Columbia University, 1932

As far as I can tell, both degrees are in the same program, so I’m not sure why one is in Science and one in Arts, but perhaps the curriculum changed in the intervening years.

Teaching

  • 1924-25 – University of Cincinnati 
  • 1926-29 – University of Kentucky, Lexington KY 
  • 1927 – University of Minnesota (summer session)
  • 1932 – Smith College
  • 1932-37 – Gulf Park College for Women, Mississippi
  • 1934 – Bennington College
  • 1936 – Purdue 

Side note: She was Director of Physical Education at these schools.

Labeled ‘U of Kentucky, 2nd Car’, she taught there from 1926-1929. Look at the cool car!

Camps

  • 1921 – Camp Auerwey [sp?] – Delaware Water Gap, swim, baseball, basketball
  • 1922 – Pine Tree Camp, Pocono Pines, PA, Dickie Harper (Peter)
  • 1923 – Spring and Fall Camp Saueo, Pittsfield, MA (at Camp Louvre) [?]
  • 1923 – Camp Owaissa, Orleans MA, Cape Cod, “Mrs. Norman White’s camp for counselors”, head swim
  • 1923 – Camp Fairway, Lake Garfield, Monterey, MA
  • 1926 – Camp Kawajiwin, Minn, Head swim, canoe, Milla Kara Jacobson
  • 1927 – Bac BC Ranch, Jackson Hole, WY
  • 1931 – Camp Brooklyn, Narrowsburg, NY
  • 1931 – Camp Kalmic (Girl Scouts), Blairstown, NJ
  • 1933-1937 – Camp? Inn by the Sea, Pass Christian Miss (summer)

Side note: She was also Head of Physical Education at most of these camps. I Googled all these places some still exist and some are elusive.

Labeled: ‘Cape Cod Archery’, likely at Camp Owaissa, Orleans MA, 1923. Note the socks.
Labeled: ‘AA Houseparty 1934’, and if this was a summer camp, it was likely ‘Inn by the Sea, Pass Christian Miss’. Note the uneven tan lines on her ankles :).

Most of the above was brand new to me, but this part I knew about:

  • 1937 – M.V. Silverwillow, New Orleans, Nov 7, 1937 – San Francisco Apr 1938 to Vanc-Vict
    • Side note: this is the solo freight boat around the world from one of the big envelopes awaiting further exploration, but for context Vanc-Vict means Vancouver-Victoria, Canada
  • 1938 – R & I concluded [word I can’t read] for marriage ASAP; June 22 Jean Eliz to Mary. July 3 – Mary had a ‘heart flutter’ in host. P.S. In 1962 open heart operation
    • Side note: R is Roy Shadbolt, her husband, who was a flirty engineer on the aforementioned boat. Jean Eliz is my mother, who was born June 22, 1938, and Mary (also Elizabeth, like me) is my grandmother and Helen’s sister, eight years her junior. The heart flutter, sadly, was a sign of health ailments to come.
Labeled: SW 1937 PM on the boat deck [Likely means Silverwillow, in the afternoon]. She looks happy.

And that is where the timeline ends.