Fearless Females Blog Post: March 26 ~ Getting That MRS Degree…NOT!

Last week, Gloria Steinem visited my alma mater, Simmons College, in Boston, for the first time in 40 years.* Reading about her visit brought back wonderful memories of my four years at the College on the Fenway, and what a very big deal it was for my family for me to pursue a college education. That’s because I was the first person in my family, let alone first woman, to go.**

For my mother, it was simply out of the question for financial reasons. Raised in a blue-collar family, she may have had some aspirations to attend nearby Westbrook Junior College, on Stevens Avenue, in Portland, but it was a pipe dream at best. She had worked summers at Cushman’s Bakery during high school, and returned there following graduation in 1949.

As for my grandmothers, my maternal grandmother briefly attended Gray’s Business College in Portland, according to her engagement announcement. Beyond that, the whole concept of attending college was completely foreign to my family's way of life.

So you can imagine the novelty of taking a child to the big city in the fall of 1973, settling her into a dormitory room with two strangers, and driving back up the Maine Turnpike without me!

At least they assuaged their anxieties somewhat. Before leaving Boston, they decided to take in a Red Sox game. As they sat there waiting for the game to begin, wondering what I was doing, their conversation was overheard by another couple seated behind them. They too, ironically enough, had just dropped their own daughter off at Simmons College!

Father-Daughter Weekend
South Hall
Simmons College
[Yours Truly 5th from left, Dad 6th from left]

Graduation Day
May 22, 1977

* Ms. Steinem was the first recipient of the Doctorate of Human Justice from Simmons College in 1973 (just before my freshman year).

** My great grandfather Wylie H. Smith graduated from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Lisa Alzo of  The Accidental Genealogist blog is presenting her Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month series in honor of National Women’s History Month.

Fearless Females Blog Post: March 3 ~ What’s In My Name?

I have always believed that my parents did a darn good job at naming their four children. They even managed to add a couple of “y”s just to be different.

For instance, they put a “y” in my middle name, Gayle, and a “y” in my sister Robyn’s name. My sister Laura was named for the 1944 classic film by that name, starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, and/or the song written by Johnny Mercer from that film.  My brother, Howard Ross, was named for both of our grandfathers.

Pamela was a very popular female first name in the 1950’s. Along with all those Patricias, Deborahs, Karens, and Donnas, the Pamelas abounded during my school years. I probably had half a dozen friends growing up who were named Pamela. It was sometimes hard to keep track of them all, and so we always were distinguishing one from another by using our last names in conversation.  By contrast, you almost never hear of a baby girl being named Pamela these days.

Apparently, the name Pamela was invented in the late 16th century by the poet Sir Philip Sidney for use in his poem “Arcadia.”  Perhaps he wanted to combine two Greek words for “sweet” and “honey.” It was later used by the 18th-century novelist Samuel Richardson for his heroine in Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded.

I have found a couple of uses of variants of Pamela in researching my family tree:

Pamelia Lovell (1834-1904) was my 3rd great grand aunt.
Parmelia Stetson (1826-1904) was the sister-in-law of a half 1st great grand aunt



Lisa Alzo of  The Accidental Genealogist blog is presenting her Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month series in honor of National Women’s History Month.

Little Girls In Winter Coats ~ Wordless Wednesday

Yours Truly, Pam Seavey {age 3 1/2}, 
and sister Robyn Seavey {age 21 mos.}
taken at the home of Mrs. Evelyn Smith Brown, 
our great aunt,
15 Lawn Avenue,
South Portland, Maine
December 1958

On Horseback (Sort of) - Wordless Wednesday

Robyn (2), me (4), on horseback (aka Dad)

1959

Living room floor, 11 Bonnybriar Rd., South Portland, Maine

(Got to love that wallpaper!)

Thrifty Thursday – Housewife Feeds Six for $25 Per Week

One day in the Spring of 1967, our mother told us that my sister Robyn, aged 10, and I, about to turn 12, would be included in a picture taken by a photographer from the Press Herald.  The reporter, a feature writer by the name of Lyn Liljeholm, had come by the house to interview her about raising a family of six by shopping and serving meals within a budget.

This picture brings back such wonderful memories!

The mirror where we always checked our appearance before heading off to school, the many “dish nights” in front of the kitchen sink (“do you want to wash or dry?”), the plaid thermos bottle Dad took in his lunchbox, the Peter Pan collars, the barrette in Robyn’s hair, even the old pencil sharpener (can you spot the handle?).



The article appeared on Page One (!) of the Portland Press Herald in April 1967 (this original glossy is stamped THU APR 13 1967, PRESS HERALD), but I only have the continuation:




It is a fascinating article to read, so I hope you take the time to do so. I’ve just re-read it to Mom, and she still has a great many of these recipes in her head. Who knows, it may provide some guidance in these tough economic times! As for me, I remember all the canned goods stored in the cellar way, and which we were sent to retrieve before supper. Desserts were always on hand (especially cookies), and many of her casseroles I still make today!