Peggy Allworth Oral History Interview, November 27, 1979

Jennifer Lee: I told her about that, and how did it happen that you became President of the High School?

Peggy Allworth: Well I don't know. Just uhm, because I belonged to so many organizations, and things I guess. NO of the Senior Class.

JL: Senior class and it was

PA: Is that on? OH...I was gonna tell you something else. And I was the one that had to make the talk and I got up and they had the graduation exercises in the old Presbyterian Church down here. And there we were up there on that stage and I got up in front of all, I thought it was thousands of people in there, you know, (Really Laughing) and my Mother said "well Honey, I thought you were gonna really make a speech!" I was not only standing out in front of all my class, but I was standing in front of all those people.

JL: So, you didn't say anything?

PA: Well I DID say a few things, but I wasn't too, I wasn't like Bob Hope about adlibbing at all.

JL: Well how did, you were the first female to be class president?

PA: I think so. Because they didn't do things like that. In those days, that was a long time age! 64 years ago! Almost 65, years ago!

JL: And why did, why did the other people resent you?

PA: Well, because girls didn't do those things. And our High School was in Central Park you know, that's where the high school was, and later it became the junior high. And my older son is, was in the first graduating class from Corvallis High, the new Corvallis High. OOHH we thought that was the biggest building we ever SAW! A big new high school. (More laughing)

JL: So you were class president, in 1915?

PA: Uh huh. And then I finished, I went to college in 1915 and uhm, Oh I 00:02:00registered in Home Economics and, and uh

JL: What were your plans?

PA: Plans?

JL: For, why did you register in Home Economics? What were your major options (?)

PA: Well most of the girls did! For one thing, because most of the girls, I didn't know any of the girls who were going to have a career. Most girls finished college and married and made a home, had a family... that was her job! And if she does it well, really well, and is creative about it, why it's a full time job. It was for me! We worked probably 18 hours a day out there on our course, we operated a dairy too. But uh, I was the one that got the big breakfast for, we always had 2-3 college students living with us, you know, So uh,

JL: What uh, in your, when you were younger, what met, made a good housekeeper, housewife? What would be a good job to?

PA: Well I think my Mother was the best homemaker I call it. Homemaker that I have ever known. She did creative things, we were clean and there were no washing-machines. My Mother's first washing machine was when I was in college. And they, all of the washing was done by hand. The clothes were boiled on top of the stove, and she shaved the soap into the boiler you know. And uh my Grandmother bleached the dis - my Grandmother lived with us. And she bleached the dish towels out on the grass in the sun. Of Course! Spread them out. Any my Mother had to iron with an iron on the stove, a sad (?) iron. And the work was very hard, but she still had time to participate in the Women's Club, she would 00:04:00go to the meetings, and whe baked bread for the Fair. Always entered her bread in the Fair. I could, when I was a little girl, and came home from school, I could smell that fresh baked-bread a block away almost, and she let us, my brother and me cut the crusts off and put butter and brown sugar on it. (Big Laugh!) OH, Hot Bread! It was SO GOOD!

JL: Then you wanted to model your life after your Mother?

PA: I didn't uh, consciously think about it, because that was the example I had had. My Mother made everything, she made all of our clothes, and she, I never knew her to be cross, she was loving and kind, and I can't think of anything that she didn't do, that was the right thing to do.

JL: What did she think about education for women?

PA: Oh she, Oh we had to go to school. My Father was the principal of the High School. And we, she gave, she had the little High School parties in her, in our 00:05:00home we had a big home, in Hanford, and she decorated for it. And she uh, lined up the games for it, and everything. We thought our Mother was perfect. And I still think she was. I never heard her uh, I never heard any cross words in our home. My Father and Mother loved each other so dearly and they understood each other, she, I consider was a perfect homemaker. She was cordial, we had lots of friends, Wei had lots of company, and we loved our home and our home life. They read to us an awful lot. Out of Good books and uh, we knew all the classics, like uh David Copperfield and uh, Lorna Doone and all of those books, you know. And took uhm the right kind of magazines, I remember my Father always took 00:06:00Scribners, and we took Youths Companion, my Mother read to us out of that until we could read to ourselves, and then I read all the time. I never was without a book.

JL: Did you ever consider studying English?

PA: Studying English? Oh, well, I had all that in school.

JL: But not as a field?

PA: Not, well we didn't even think about it, about careers. Nobody had any career in mind. All of the girls that I knew were married out of college. Of course I was a war time student and our uh, fiancés were all overseas, my friends, my college friends.

JL: I'd like to ask about that. You started in 1915, so you can compare. Before the war and during the war. How did the campus change during that time?

PA: Well, it was very different. The fraternities us several of them would live in one house. There were very few boys. And, uh, when we graduated, our 00:07:00graduation exercises were in the men's old gym, up on the stage. Was very pretty. They had flowers all around and everything. Very few men. And then about two years after, well no before I finished, the men started coming back from the Army, and then the married students, just barely started, 'cause we didn't have any married students. Good Heavens NO. No, nobody got married that young. But - when the war, during the war, this changed. A lot, too. And it was, it was a very nice time of course, I did have some dates, because my fiancé belonged to the Kappa Sig house, and they were very nice to me, and he was away, gone 00:08:00overseas for over 2 years, and we had social life, but not anything like, we did lots more dancing that they do now. LOTS more. We had band informals every Saturday afternoon, and uh, now my husband, or my fiancé was a senior, well he was taking post-graduate work when I was a freshman. Then he left after that. So there weren't many men.

JL: What, what organizations were formed as a direct result of the War then?

PA: What forms, organizations? Well there really, people were not organization minded during the War. We were so restricted as to everything. Of course NOBODY had cars or anything like that.

JL: Were there any committees, uh, to help the War effort for example? On campus?

PA: Oh, yes. And uh I suppose that there were lots of things to help the war effort. I know my Mother was always contributing something to that sort of thing, but in school, it was altogether different than it is now. Nobody was affluent for one thing. I didn't know you were supposed to have money. My Father paid, if I were living in the dorm, or in the sorority house, which I did, part of the time, but I preferred much to live at home, my parents lived we lived over on South 13th where the dorms are now, and I walked to school, and there was NO FEAR on the campus in those days either. If I went to the Library at night, I just walked home by myself, nothing was thought about it. We didn't have those things. Life was much simpler. And more peaceful really. But 00:10:00everybody was waiting for war news, and of course the campus was covered with soldiers, you know. Waldo Hall was a barracks practically you know.

JL: Tell me how they were regarded.

PA: Now wait a minute! Maybe I'm getting a little bit mixed up on WW1 and WW2. THAT was when Waldo Hall was a barracks, practically. World War II. Yeah because we were in both of em, you see, we had a son, a paratrooper overseas, dropped into Normandy, was with the 101st Airborne. Who were imprisoned at Christmas time, at Bastogne. And then uh, later of course, our younger son was in the Navy. He had, he went through, he went to Oregon State and uh, University of Washington on a Navy scholarship, and finished in that. But then when he had 00:11:00done his 3 years' service, he went to Berkeley to school. And uh worked his way and then he was killed in an automobile accident. But uh, college was SO different than it is now. WE think that the college students now, Edith and I, because of course she and I went thru this to, uhm she's 10 years older than I am, we think that the students are very, very privileged. That they have everything! See, we made our own clothes, and I had a good dress, I had a school dress, and I had a Sunday dress, and my Mother helped me make them.

JL: So looks and clothes weren't as important.

PA: Well they were. We thought we were very pretty, you know, in our clothes. We always had a party dress!! But we didn't have lots of things, and the stores 00:12:00weren't absolutely filled with things to buy, like they are now. Excuse me just a minute (The phone rings) - Religion that I can have, is Science because I certainly believe so much of it, and I love it, By the way, when we were at that lecture, did you get everything that man said? Could you hear everything he said?

JL: I could hear it, yes.

PA: Was it plain to you?

JL: Most of it.

PA: I think I must need a hearing aid or something, because every once in a while somebody like that, now the other night, we were watching a British, I think it's a very great religion really, does an awful lot of good - and we need it these days when all of the headlines - ALL of them are bad and so much grief, 00:13:00and so much tragedy,

JL: How does that, how does Christian Sciences religion answer questions for you? These questions for you?

PA: Yes. It does. And every morning, if I awaken a little early, I always read and I read in the evening to, sometimes during the day, the pillow is there to remind me to rest, I leave it there on purpose, because otherwise I might forget, I'm supposed to rest each day. And I have Sentinels underneath there, Edith doesn't believe in it at all and I don't want to uhm bother her about it. And of course I have the Monitors, I don't, can't keep up with them. There's so much good reading in the Monitor.

JL: So you ARE a Christian Scientist?

PA: Well, I can't say that I am, because I don't belong to any of the organization. And this is a very important part of the Christian Science you know. Belonging to the mother church, and belonging to the, and going to all of 00:14:00the testimonial meetings, and this kind of thing. Almost required.

JL: How does it help you in your daily life then? How does the belief in Christian Science...?

PA: Well it helps me with depression, or criticism, or an acceptance of all the happiness that's offered. You see, there's lots of happiness offered, but lots of people don't accept it. It's there, there's no diminishing of good and happiness it's just that we don't accept it. There's so many things that we can do that make us happy. But so many people don't do them. That's my old clock. It was made in 1825. (Chuckling)I call it "Grandmother" because she's usually a little slow and "Grandfather's usually 3 or 4 minutes fast. They don't get along 00:15:00too well. (BOTH Laugh)

JL: So, you mentioned earlier, visiting your friends that uhm, that are invalid or blind, or not thinking clearly,

PA: Well they need friends

JL: Does this Christian Science religion help you uh in dealing with these people?

PA: I don't think it has anything to do with it. I think that uh accepting, when a person is blind, when Homer was blind, he's gone now, uh I knew that he was blind and he had recordings that he listened to, a lot of the time, and I didn't try to use any Christian Science on that, I just believe that all of us really have a mission to help people

JL: Why is that?

PA: Well I think that we should, I do it subconsciously, my Mother always did 00:16:00these things. She always went to see people who were ill and tried to help people you know. And we always, I can't remember a time in my young life when we didn't have people living with us. Aunts and Uncles going to college and Grandmother, uh lived with us until I was a senior in High School. My paternal grandmother.

JL: How uhm, this is a difficult question to ask - I imagine since you're older, you've seen a lot of your friends pass away - and how do you resolve that in your mind and life? (clock is dinging in the background)

PA: Well I'm sorry to see them go, but usually when they do this, they need to be at rest.

JL: What do you mean?

PA: Well - usually they're ill, or uhm, incapacitated, say I saw something on 00:17:00television la- this isn't recorded is it? -

JL: Yeah. Do you want me to turn it off?

PA: Well, I saw something on television last night that interested me greatly because I have a friend who can't walk, Mr. Starker, he can't walk because of his knees. And he says that his fall 2 years ago, caused him to have arthritis in his knees, and I saw this woman, who had had 2 knee transplants and a hip transplant and she was just going around beautifully! I'm gonna talk to him about that! We visited a little while this morning on the phone. He's always bringing me things. Paper sacks to take to the Thrift Shop, you know, and bacon fat that I use for shortening. Edith uses it, and uh, he had lots of grapes, and 00:18:00he brings grapes, he's a good friend! I've known Jim a long, long time. I knew his wife - was a lovely woman.

JL: How do you keep your spirits up in all these, hard times?

PA: You know - if I fall down, I make myself laugh! And you can't imagine what that does to ya. If I'm, if I haven't' gotten up in the morning yet, and I feel depressed about what I can't do during the day, I'd LIKE to do the yard work, I'd like to transplant and weed and everything, and I just laugh about it. And you can't imagine! It's just like a tonic.

JL: How do you do that?

PA: Well I just DO IT! (Laughing) I just ma - it just comes easily, I just do it.

JL: You're fortunate to have that quality!

PA: Well, just make yourself do it if you can't do anyway, 'cause there's no use doing anything else. Doesn't help to cry. (More laughter)I found that out! Have 00:19:00you always been like this?

JL: Have you always had that optimistic outlook? About life?

PA: I can't remember ever having thought about it. But I guess so - maybe. I don't remember.

JL: Well - shall we go back to O.A.C. on 1915 - 1919? When you were talking about soldiers on campus, your

PA: It was very quiet really. We still (phone rings) The student body was small, of course.

JL: What did women do to help the War effort then? The college students.

PA: Oh, we knitted all the time. We knitted in classes.

JL: Did what?

PA: Knitted sweaters.

JL: Oh, Knitted! Tell me about that.

PA: Well - that was when I learned to knit, and I knitted sweaters, and I still have one that I, part of a one, that I knitted for Ed and sent to him. Ugly Thing! But uh, you see, uhm things were not so well organized as they were during the 2nd War. Uhm, citizens helped and they did have food sales and things like that to raise money. Especially for people in the war torn countries, you know. Uhm the Salvation Army did an awful lot.

JL: Here in Corvallis, also?

PA: No. Well I don't know about that. But everywhere. But Ed said, my Ed said that I said Well in Home Economics, we didn't, I took lots of cooking, all the 00:21:00cooking I could get; lots of sewing, but I was majoring in Dietetics. Uhm, we couldn't use flour, white flour, we couldn't use meat, OH lots of things that we were restricted. We used peanuts, peanut loaves instead of meat loaves, you know. Things like this. We were very restricted as to different kinds of food, and this sort of thing.

JL: This was during World War I?

PA: This was World War I. That was when I was in college.

JL: Tell me about the knitting. Was it an organization to knit sweaters for the men? Or was that just an individual...

PA: Well, I can't remember, Jennifer. Probably was an individual thing, but every girl that I knew had her man overseas. There were so few men left.

JL: What did you do to entertain yourself? You women?

PA: Well the few men that were here, there were dances. Oh we didn't need to be entertained, I guess. I can't remember, I was always happy about things, I guess I didn't need to be entertained. Isn't that funny? I can't remember, why don't I get my college book and show it to you? And then right after we were married, and we went back East, this was, these were the pictures then, but these, lot more (?) pictures overseas.

JL: Yes, I'd love to! These are photographs that he took also? Then?

PA: He didn't take them himself, but gave me...

JL: Oh these are, these postcards?

PA: No, they're photographs.

JL: Are you, where should you, should I move over?

PA: No, you're fine.

JL: OH! He's a very handsome man!

PA: He was a very wonderful man! And these, on our way to Chicago, these were taken. While we were on our way. But these are his, these were taken overseas. 00:23:00Oh this was in, Oh yes, Camp Green North Carolina. This was before. Before he went over. (Much Picture Looking)

JL: And this is where he was stationed then? A telegram - The ship from which I sail arrived safely overseas. Oh.

PA: Now this man I believe, I'm not sure, No he isn't the one, these were just magazine pictures that were in school. I never weighed a hundred pounds, but I look like I weighed 200. And were visiting the owner out at Monroe, of the 00:24:00Sunnybrook Dairy. And Ed was there helping with the work. And we just had a beautiful time. That was in 1915.

JL: This was a picture of you?

PA: I think it's AWFUL funny... And this was, like I told you, when I went home weekends to Philomath, and this is the little train I suppose.

JL: Tell me about going home on weekends. How did that work?

PA: Well, I lived at the dorm that year, No wait a minute - Yes. Lived at the dorm, my folks lived at end of Hills Road in Philomath, and uh, I walked the railroad track. Till I got there, except when it was raining and then I went on the little train. And ray Father met the train. With a horse and buggy. And that 00:25:00was when I was a freshman. That was the Armory. There it is.

JL: Who took these pictures?

PA: And that used to be on the lower campus until University of Oregon people tore it all to pieces year after year. So then it was taken away. You may even want to take this.

JL: Oh yes, I'd love to borrow it. (Both Chuckling)

PA: Isn't that awful?

JL: Oh NO.

PA: And Ed was, at that time he was on the football team. You see he took, when he was a Senior, when I was a Freshman, he was taking graduate work, I think, or I don't remember, anyway, here he is, and it was raining, and...

JL: What - He was in the School of Commerce? What was his job goals at that time?

PA: Well something in business, I suppose. But he went into the regular Army.

JL: Well how did it happen that he, uhm, the college approached him to try to raise funds for the M.U.? In 1919.

PA: Well because, when he came back from overseas, or course he was, he was retired when he was about 26 you see, from the Army, We would have been in until he was, until he'd had a full term of service, but uh, he was crippled. He was on crutches all the time after that. And uh, at the M.U., he was on crutches or using canes or something, and so - he had a job in Portland working for Edwards furniture, and uhm, they approached him to direct the M.U. To raise the funds,

JL: Now why?

PA: Well because he was such a wonderful person.

JL: Oh must have been

PA: That's when they were leaving. Here's when he was a football boy.

JL: Leaving? Oh the football team was leaving? To Michigan.

PA: To Michigan. We beat Michigan! That was a GREAT thing. There was a band informal, we were dancing when all the results kept coming in by radio. Or by telegram. I don't know which. Don't think I ever saw a radio then.

JL: They had taken the train to Michigan?

PA: Sure!

JL: That was a long ways.

PA: Yes, but then that's the way they traveled. And that was the football team.

JL: Oooooooo. Wonderful! Wouldn't I love to

PA: If you ever want to use them, why it's alright with me.

JL: Oh I'd love to!

PA: Would you?

JL: Let's see if there's any...

PA: And when they came back, all of us marched down the streets with the band and every - and here it was the team.

[Tape break. Interview carried on while viewing Mrs. Allworth's scrapbook.]

JL: Tell me about the bandstand again.

PA: Well it was there and all the big things were around there. We, sometimes it would be a program, sometimes it would be the football team. Oh all kinds of 00:28:00things. See the cars, aren't they cute?

JL: This was in what year, do you think?

PA: Oh probably be in 1915 or 16. He graduated in 1916. Now this was one thing we had on the campus: Pageants. Dance pageants.

JL: Dance pageants.

PA: The uh, Physical Education department put them on.

JL: Tell me about them.

PA: There I am. Well, we were trained to have these dances on the campus. This was the day that he graduated. And I have my costume on.

JL: Well, tell me about dancing. It looks like you're outside.

PA: Oh, they were beautiful. Oh, down on the campus. Just, I think that's just kinda below the uh, oh well it was the Administration Building then. But now 00:29:00it's the music building.

JL: OK go ahead. Every woman

PA: Can't remember the name of it! Darn it. And all the women, and I was minoring in Physical Education. Learning to teach - teach it and uh, and those were the girls probably that did the dancing. The ones who were either majoring or minoring in Physical Education. Because I took Swedish massage and all those things.

JL: They offered Swedish massage?

PA: Oh Yes! They taught it. I have a book on it someplace. (Chuckling)

JL: And you were interested in teaching? Physical Education?

PA: Well, yes. Uh huh. Anything, but uh, I wasn't thinking about teaching, it was just that I was terribly interested in it. And had always been so interested in physical education.

JL: Well, who made the costumes in this dance, in the pageant then?

PA: Well, let's see. I imagine I made my own. But I can't remember who made these

JL: What was the dance about?

PA: Oh there were all kinds of groups. Oh, it would probably take up the whole afternoon, with groups and groups and groups giving all kinds of dancing.

JL: Who was, who was watching?

PA: The whole town. Come out and stand and watch it. You can see that we had, it was called Oregon Agricultural College. We had plays, and stunt shows. I was in several of them. Can't remember what we did but uh, (more chuckling) Oh all kinds of things. And these were more of the dances. People were all over the campus. It was LOTS of fun. I'm sorry that they, the Sheppard Dance was the one 00:31:00I was in, I guess that, there I am right there, but I like these better. These were more advance students.

JL: What was the occasion of the dance?

PA: Well, they had it every spring.

JL: In the spring then?

PA: Uh hum. I was in two, I guess. That was a Russian dance.

JL: Boy they had Russian costumes, you made then? You made them yourself?

PA: Uh hum. Well, I don't remember whether I made that one or not, but I think I made that one. (The other one). Alice was a next door neighbor. Sometimes I take pictures out of these books and put them into other things, or something. You can see all the people who came to watch. Look at the hair!

JL: Oh they let it hang DOWN during the pageants.

PA: Oh yea - we ALL had long hair.

JL: But usually was it, did it hang free like that?

PA: Oh NOBODY ever had it hang free. That was the dance. OH NO, my husband said, why her hair looks just like an unmade bed, when he first saw a girl with her 00:32:00hair down. Oh No - they NEVER did. We always had them done up there. I had mine up like that. And this was, this was a pageant. And the programs. You see, lots of different groups. Fairies and butterflies, and birds and Little Boy Blue.

JL: Everybody enjoyed it, too?

PA: Everybody loved it! Uh huh. I had this on my wall. Either in the dorm or someplace. 1918. It was the year before I graduated. Ed wasn't with me then. That's he and his brother. Who was in the Canadian Army.

JL: Tell me about these pictures.

PA: Well, that was when he was at Oregon State. He was captain of a company. And there, and that's his company probably, and every year they had an Officers 00:33:00Ball, and that was fun to. And - Nobody danced a straight program. I can remember time when Ed took more than he should have, Oh that's a beautiful bouquet isn't it? Took more than he should have and we were embarrassed.

JL: Took more than he should have what?

PA: Oh - more dances than he should have. Because you always traded dances with everybody else.

JL: Took more dances with you?

PA: Oh yes, with me I mean.

JL: OH... (BOTH Laughing) You never followed your dance program?

PA: Oh, yes, we followed the dance program, but you see all these other names? And he was just the X's, so he didn't have all the dances. Now, sometimes they dance a straight program. Especially if they're engaged, you know.

JL: Tell me about this!

PA: Well they used, every year they used to have a, in the spring, graduation, they used to have a war across the river. The sophomores and the freshman. And, 00:34:00to see which one could pull them in.

JL: A rope war? A tug of war you mean?

PA: YES! A tug of war. Really.

JL: Across which river? Marys River?

PA: Marys River.

JL: And how was it organized? Or who organized it?

PA: Well, I suppose that the sophomores organized it to pull the freshman in the river. I don't know.

JL: And everybody watched then?

PA: EVERYBODY watched.

JL: That must have been funny.

PA: All kinds of dances and, I was just wondering, Oh yes that's Ed's writing, so that's his. That was that summer that we went out to Sunnybrook place. And he was working out there. This was a picture of my Mother, but not a very good one. Belonged to the Congress of Mothers. This was my chum, and the reason that I went into the Gamma Phi house. And she is a widow and lives in Portland at the 00:35:00Terwilliger Plaza. She was in a play. They had lots of college plays. And this is my little sister who was here this morning. And this is Ed's -this is Aunt Edith. And her eldest daughter, and this is Ed's mother. This is little Evelyn and the baby. And this is my other sister and her boyfriend. This is Edith and Ed and their mother, and Edith's eldest daughter. OH I thought he looked wonderful in that picture! I can remember how thrilled I was - that was our fence.

JL: He's very handsome!

PA: Well he was a very, such a good, clean, wonderful person. Wonderful. He was 00:36:00a wrestler.

JL: Oh My GOSH! He's got muscles!

PA: This is out in front of Waldo Hall. These are just friends. Neighbors and friends.

JL: What's this?

PA: Well that was probably a college play.

JL: Looks like he was in a circus.

PA: Well he was going to college. And when Ed first worked at the Bank of California in Portland, after he graduated, after he came back I mean, uhmm, no that was before he went overseas, he worked, why this was the, he lived with these people. I don't know who this is. And this is my little sister. And this was one of the snowfalls on the campus. My brother. There I am sitting on top of the snowball. Campus buildings. I was on the college swimming team. This is simulated water in front of what is now the playhouse. That was the woman's gym.

JL: That simulated water - oh it is?!

PA: It's not real water. That was my letter and that was my number.

JL: Oh, for the swim team. You WERE athletic! Who did you compete with?

PA: Oh, everybody. We went to Eugene, where else did we go? Oh, probably all the little towns around, mostly. Anyway, we went to Eugene, I remember.

JL: You remember anything, any incidences while you were swimming?

PA: Oh, no. I just loved it. There's my chum and I. After a bluebook that, bluebooks meant examinations. Now most of these friends are gone. This friend is gone, she was a very dear friend. Very Dear. You see how my books get. They just get so - my children memorized this book, they just loved it!! Ed took this one 00:38:00time. We started reading to each other, I reading to him mostly, when we were first engaged. And this was Ed when he was a long before I met him, when uh, the Art building was the, called the Shack, and that was where the men lived. That was the men's dorm, and Edith's husband lived there.

JL: So he lived in the Shack?

PA: He lived in the Shack. Who's this?! Oh, that's Edith's sister, who was a little younger. Ed's sister, she's gone.

JL: My goodness.

PA: You can see, I kept everything. Well that was a bonfire. We were out on a 00:39:00picnic. That girl is gone too, she lived in Alaska, for many, many years. And he is roasting, I can't remember what. We did LOTS of hiking, we hiked all the time. This is my Ed.

JL: Isn't he handsome. He's on the wrestling team.

PA: He was on the wrestling team. Such a fine person. There he is with his very close friend. I hope you're not bored.

JL: Did you go to the uhm, Panama Pacific International Exposition?

PA: Oh Yes. Ed was uhm a guide in the Oregon building, and my, my, there he was, my parents, that's where we came from. Down in there. And so they went, and so Ed and I were together at the Fair, and Oh it was so much fun!

JL: What do you remember about it?

PA: Oh, I remember everything about it. There're more pictures in here. Someplace. Someplace, and that was just, I've forgotten. Some Halloween party, probably. That's Edith and her, Oh do you know Kidder Hall? This is Mrs. Kidder. After whom the Hall was named. She was the Library teacher, in the Library then.

JL: Why did they call her Mother Kidder?

PA: Oh we called her, 'cause she looked like that probably. We called her Mother Kidder.

JL: Did you know her very well?

PA: Oh, yes. I took Library practice from her.

JL: What kind of a person was she?

PA: Well she was a very knowledgeable person. Very interesting, uh, let's see - what would I say? Very uh, sure of herself. I uh, there's my football boy, and 00:41:00there's my wrestler.

JL: He was very athletic also?

PA: Very! Uh, yea. And that was where we used to swim over in the uh, oh Where in the world? One of the buildings on the campus, one of the old buildings. That was that same picture. Every once in a while, I take pictures out and put 'em in something else. This was my home. We had, my father owned two houses here. We lived in this one part of the time, then we moved over into this one. He always had, raised pumpkins. And this was uh, these were old friends that, no these were college friends to. Wasn't a sorority picture, it was, we had little puppies. This was my eldest brother. And he was overseas, too.

JL: I'll bet you have fun looking at this.

PA: I never look at it!

JL: How come?

PA: I don't have time. And this was my sorority. We had lots of fun!

JL: This is at Marys River?

PA: Out at Marys River. We had to walk, of course. You see. We walked and took our lunch, and... This woman is still married, and her husband is still with her. He was an SAE (?). And they live at Woodburn in the retired estates. She just passed away, and she's gone, too. But they were all Gamma Phi's too.

JL: What are you doing here?

PA: Well uh, I don't know what we were doing. Must have been doing something! (Laughing) I don't know. Another picnic. Same thing. And that was out in front of Waldo Hall. And that was the group, at one time anyway. Here I am.

JL: Aren't you pretty?

PA: And this was my closest friend - NO! Such fun. And one summer, I went to Hood River. A bunch of us went to Hood River and worked in the fruit, because the men were all gone.

JL: This was during the war?

PA: During the war. And so, this was tak - these pictures were taken up there.

JL: All the - Which girls went to Hood River? Say that again.

PA: We just went in the summer time, and helped 'em with the fruit crop.

JL: Oh, it was voluntary? Voluntarily.

PA: And there were horses to ride. Oh, we had lots of fun. Don't we look it? OH it was fun!

JL: Looks like you had lots of fun.

PA: There we are. Up in the apple trees, we camped and oh, it was so much fun!

JL: Well, who went with you?

PA: Oh several of the girls.

JL: In your sorority?

PA: There I am. There are 2 of the other girls.

JL: Is this in your sorority?

PA: Uh hum. And there I am doing my washing. Everybody washed that way.

JL: In a bucket?

PA: Well SURE! There weren't any washing machines. My mother didn't have one till I was in college. We went fishing. And it was fun. We lived in a little log cabin.

JL: Bet you formed close ties with those girls.

PA: Oh sure. It was fun. My father and mother. Now this was - these pictures were taken at Philomath. This is my little sister you just met, and 2 of my little brothers. That was the day that Ed asked my parents if he could marry me. And my, we were romantic! That was in the old house at Philomath.

JL: What year was that?

PA: Oh, that musta been 1917 or 18, cause we were engaged a couple of years before we were married. I was always acting silly. You know! Now you see, this is what I mean. The children just wore out these, this was one of my grandmother's dresses. And when I left school, I left that whole big trunk full of her clothes is the sorority house. I've never seen em since.

JL: OH NO!

PA: Well I wasn't thinking. That's my Mother.

JL: Oh these are GREAT!

PA: We were always having dress-up picnics. That's a picture of me if you don't recognize me.

JL: No, I didn't.

PA: Always had lots of fun, you know. ALWAYS.

JL: You were wearing costumes, huh?

PA: My brother leaving for overseas.

JL: In World War I.

PA: Uh huh, and that was the boy that I went with in high school. He says "You'll wait for me, won't you?" (Really laughing) I thought that was so exciting! But I didn't wait for him.

JL: He was a sailor?

PA: I didn't wait for him. And that's a picture of him in the Navy.

JL: Oh he was good looking, too.

PA: And that was the boy that my sister was going with. That's my brother. This was at Philomath. We had work horses and these are, this is Evelyn and this is my little brother, her age. My Father. Always rode the work horses. It was fun.

JL: Who rode the work horses? What'd you say?

PA: That was little Evelyn, who was here, and my, one of my brothers. And these are cousins, and that's my brother, and this is - oh that was that picture of me when Edith was visiting with her first little one. I put everything as you can see, I don't need to tell you.

JL: Oh it's great, I'm enjoying it!

PA: Funny. There was a man on our campus, and I can't remember, but he must have been in the literature department or something, Edwin T. Reed. You've heard of him?

JL: Right. Uh hum

PA: Well he wrote that poem.

JL: For you? Why did he write that for you?

PA: Well, they were good friends of ours. I can't remember whether that was in the paper or not. I think it was in the Barometer. You see - the college girls didn't like it very well because lots of the college boys went with high school girls. And I was going with Ed.

JL: This - that poem was written at that time?

PA: Uh, and they used to do a wonderful thing at Oregon State, and they don't do it anymore, because we haven't any trains, but they, they uh, chartered a train and went to Newport, once a year, OH it was fun. It was so much fun. This is a sorority thing. Just a picnic. You see, in those days, we had lots of picnics. We didn't have cars.

JL: How - do you went close to campus?

PA: We walked. Oh, about 12 miles we'd walk. 10 or 12 miles. We thought nothing 00:49:00of it!

JL: A whole bunch of you would walk some place?

PA: Oh yes. Oh sure. Uh hum. And that was the Gamma Phi house. I went with this boy for quite a while, too. Earl Reynolds. Not seriously, but during the war. He took me lots of places. Is it boring to you?

JL: NO, I'm enjoying these pictures. Yes!

PA: And that was our Gamma Phi house - the first one. It's over on 15th Street, right by the Armory, and we were always silly, see! Always did silly things! And these were all Gamma Phis. We had some girls who had beautiful voices, and they 00:50:00were in plays and things.

JL: There's the swim team.

PA: And that's the swimming team, uh huh.

JL: Where are you?

PA: Can't remember. Oh -

JL: You wore caps?

PA: Oh did we wear caps - of course, keep our hair dry!

JL: And all that long hair.

PA: We had long hair, all that long hair.

JL: Where was this pool?

PA: That was in uh, oh the YMCA - the old YMCA building. That was the only pool we had.

JL: Quite a few women on that team.

PA: Uh huh. Lots of good friends. Lots of good friends. These were taken over at the Gamma Phi house. And I believe this was taken at the Phi Delta house. And that was, that's the boy I was going with. Course I was engaged to Ed, but he was taking me out. Nothing serious about that!

JL: I'll take more time when I get back to the Museum. So I can read these articles.

PA: I don't remember what pictures I took out of here, but I - that was our Dean of Women. But I took them out to put into something else probably.

JL: Well did you know Mary Fawcett very well?

PA: Oh, yes.

JL: How did she influence your career at the, at O.A.C.?

PA: She told me, she says 'Peggy, dear, you and Ed dance too close together." I can remember. I was mortified! Well, Ed had known how to dance since he was a little boy, 'cause he came from the country where they had country dances, and he did hold me close. And it wasn't being done, but it was kinda nice, you know!

JL: Did that stop you from dancing close?

PA: Oh, probably! Scared me to death. That was the day I was 21 years old. My 00:52:00Father, and he looks so funny in those clothes, took a friend of mine, another Gamma Phi, and me to register to vote.

JL: AH! So he was for women voting?

PA: OH he was a patriot. Uh hum. And there I am at the Gamma Phi house, that's where, down on the corner of 4th Street. And holding a baby of one of the girls in our house, brother, who was older.

JL: Oh, here's a large article on your husband. I'll have to look at that later.

PA: Okay. Well, you take any of the books that you want to, but I'm sorry they're in such awful condition. This is when I was at the Corv - at the college practice house, and I just loved it. That was Miss Johnson, our...

JL: What's the college practice house?

PA: Well, it's where the Home Ec students all went, now, then later they had a baby there to learn to take care of children, but we learn - we served meals; we rotated for jobs; we were manager, we were cook, we were everything, you see. Took turns. I've forgotten, I think it was a month.

JL: Who did you serve?

PA: Each other. At the table.

JL: Oh, I see. This was like a class then?

PA: Yes, it was a class. And this was the practice house. Group. And that was Miss Johnson who managed it.

JL: She was your teacher? Which teacher would you say influenced you the most then?

PA: Oh - let's see - course, Dean Milam was a wonderful woman, and I just loved her. She wanted me to take institutional management, my senior year. And I said, why Miss Milam, you know, I'm not gonna manage an institution. I'm gonna get married, you know. Ed's coming home. And she wept! And she says "alright, Peggy, 00:54:00you don't have to take it." I've managed an institution ever since I was married! All those kids and everybody!

JL: Well, she was career-minded! She was unusual for her day.

PA: Well, they were just beginning to do that. This was the Gamma Phi house. See the hair.

JL: Oh, yes. Long hair.

PA: But were always putting on stunts. And these girls were all, had beautiful voices and they were putting on a song and dance thing.

JL: So you'd say Dean Milam was your favorite teacher?

PA: She was, well she was a very dear teacher. I had lots of favorite teachers, really. Always going on hikes and picnics and things. Now this was one time when Ed took me out to his home. I was 17 and he was 19. And there's a big lake out there and we were going swimming.

JL: Oh, boy. Did you know Dr. Kerr?

PA: Oh very well, and his daughter was one of my chums. One of his daughters. Genevieve Kerr.

JL: What kind of a person was Genevieve Kerr?

PA: Genevieve Kerr was a very lovely girl. This was my closest chum, at school. Elise Prize. Was very musical. Beautiful voice, but she's gone now, too. She's been gone for a long time.

JL: What did you do with the Kerrs? Did you ever - - -

PA: With the Kerrs? Oh well no, except they were friends, and he was President. My Mother used to take short courses all the time, and she took a short course in something, desserts of something with Mrs. Kerr one time or twice, and this is one time at summer school.

JL: She took a short course in what?

PA: And this was making desserts or something, I don't remember exactly. And they were together.

JL: Here's a cable gram. "Safe and sound. Notify Mother." From your husband.

PA: He wasn't my husband then.

JL: Your fiancé?

PA: He was my sweetheart. And so thoughtful. Always so thoughtful!

JL: The flu epidemic. What don't you tell me about that?

PA: Oh they had a terrible flu epidemic. We had one girl in out sorority house, and that's when we lived down on 4th Street, where the Benton County bank is. The new bank. Only on the opposite corner. Down south. And uh, well I didn't mean for the ragged part to show, (a big laugh)

JL: I wasn't looking!

PA: And uh, one girl in our house had the flu, and we were quarantined and we couldn't go to school!

JL: Oh, just one girl?

PA: Oh, it was terrible.

JL: That was common all over campus? All over town?

PA: Yes. Oh yes.

JL: So none of you could do anything, for this one girl.

PA: No, we couldn't do anything. And that was a boy I used to go out with quite a little bit. And this girl is named Francis Brown, and she's the one whose husband still lives and he lives at Woodburn, and I went out with him quite a little bit. He was very tall, very nice. And that was when I was at the practice house. I don't know how I happen to have those 2 pictures, and that was my senior year. My senior year. Do you think this'd be interesting? For you? Do you? OK fine.

JL: Yes, I'm going to look at it more closely.

PA: Okay. Now that's General McAlexander. He was head of the, the uhm, Military 00:58:00here at Oregon State. And later he was stationed in the East where we were. He was a good friend of ours.

JL: Is that right?

PA: There's a woman named Monica, somebody who wrote me a letter about, oh, a few months ago, and wanted me to tell her all about the McAlexander home. Well, we were there, several times, but I couldn't remember what to tell her. I told her I was just...

JL: What kind of things did you do with McAlexander?

PA: Well, we didn't do anything in particular. He used to invite us over to his place. He was head of the military here. Very fond of Ed.

JL: What...

PA: But you know during the War, there wasn't a whole lot of social life for, for mingling with people like this. Always at receptions and parties and things, you know. That is the Armory. You see, there were so many soldiers here, and 00:59:00they ate in the...

[tape break]

PA: During the War, but this is Ed's picture uh, as uhm, Captain of a company at Oregon State.

JL: Well, you were on campus when McAlexander was on campus? How was he regarded by the students?

PA: Very well! He was a real soldier. Very decorated. Probably some information in here someplace about him.

JL: Now what's this OAC Serpentine?

PA: Oh, usually before and after football games they, they went around and around hanging onto each other, and they called it serpentines.

JL: Do you remember doing that?

PA: Oh yeah - I didn't do it. Those were mostly men I think. See, the girls didn't wear pants then.

JL: Oh, I can't see very well.

PA: We wore dresses.

JL: What's the name of that mascot? Dog.

PA: I have other pictures of it, too. Oh - I don't remember. I just can't 01:00:00remember. Maybe it'll come to me. That was Ed's father and mother, taken out on the farm. This was that same dance routine, you know. And - O.A.C. in people

JL: Did women ever participate on-That was always the men.

PA: Uh huh. I think those were military. Oh, that was at the Portland Rose Festival. Uhm so it is. Had to be. You got lots of pictures of this.

PA: I'm sorry this is such a mess! I thought he was beautiful. Even in those clothes!

JL: He IS very handsome! Nice pictures.

PA: That was one time when we were going to Newport. That was my Mother and I, 01:01:00this blanket was so worn, Ed gave it to me years and years ago. I put it in this rug. It's hooked into this rug.

JL: What a good Idea!

PA: And I have a list on the back of this rug for everything in there. Some of my Mother's clothes, my girls' plaid skirts, all of these supposedly white things were Army sock

JL: OH MY! That's wonderful! I'm glad you made a list to for record. A record

PA: This was his company on the campus. There he is. Oh yes, that was the building, he was a guide at that building in 1915.

JL: Did you do anything there?

PA: Oh, sure. I was there with him. This was all taken at the Fair.

JL: So you were a guide there also?

PA: No. I was over with my Aunt over in Alameda, and he'd come over and get me, and we would, this was taken, oh on one of our hikes. I can't remember. I don't 01:02:00remember about that. That was at a football game. And that was uh, when he came back from overseas. He said he nearly froze to death standing there. And that was I think, in New York...Let's see, where was that?

JL: Uh hum, it's out of a...Out of a New York Times. 1919. Oh boy. He must have had some tales to tell!

PA: And this was on one of our hikes.

JL: Where would you hike?

PA: Oh, ever place out in the country. We thought nothin' of hiking 10 miles. BOY!

JL: Do you mind if I borrow this?

PA: Oh, no. If you can stand it!! But it's all...