1960s Working Girl

This site consists mainly of letters to my parents, starting when I went away to college in 1962. It's a glimpse of what life was like for young women 50 years ago. Eventually I hope to get 30 years of letters entered.

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Arrived at Penn State. Registered as a Home Ec major and played sax in the summer band.

Got some work as a piano accompanist. My first-term grades were not so good.

Started working in the dining hall. Tried to exempt out of beginning sewing. Suicide at East Halls.

Having flunked the sewing test, maybe will become a music major.

Switching roommates. It's great to be working in the dining hall. A suicide in Pollock A.

Now majoring in Music Education. Roommate's father has pretty much disowned her.

Roommate is coping with her disfunctional family. I'm working a lot.

A 3-day field trip by bus from Penn State to NYC—where I plan to eventually live.

More on the NYC trip. Taking sax and piano lessons.

Meeting my roommate's strange parents. Overwhelmed by taking on too many activities.

Accompanist for the Miss Centre County pageant, a lowest-rung competition for Miss America.

Summer quarter again, with summer band and a new summer roommate.

Trying so hard in band and chorus. Music isn't really my thing, but it's where I am.

Didn't make regular band. Cried at my voice lesson. Want to finish college early.

Accompanist for a musical. JFK is shot. I am incapable of conducting.

(Can't find letters from winter term.) Joined Mu Phi Epsilon music sorority.

High school friend deactivating from a sorority. My roommate and I quarrel.

Accompanying "Oklahoma". Still trying to exempt-out of classes to finish early.

Lost the "Oklahoma" spot. Have decided I'll need secretarial school after Penn State.

My last (tenth) quarter at Penn State. Sending out résumés.

Trying for a job on a cruise ship, or an international government job.

No job lined up for me, so I'll have to go pound the pavement in NYC. I graduate!

Arrived in NYC with multiple suitcases. On my third day, got a job offer from ABC.

Being unemployed, had to move into the Webster Apartments. Then accepted the ABC job.

Don't like living at the Webster. Trying to get a room/bath at the Laura Spelman YWCA.

Successfully moved to the YWCA. Going to Broadway shows, buying clothes with my new paychecks.

Making friends at the Y. Investigating the Mary Byers secretarial school.

Working in ABC's music clearance department. Returned a dress that shrank.

Took a city bus north through Harlem to 159th Street, a frightening ride.

Decided not move into an apartment with 3 other girls. Saw the Big Blackout of Nov. 9.

Took a Civil Service test to become an employment interviewer.

Buses and subways are on strike. Buffy Sainte Marie comes to live at the Y.

Trying to move up from typist/file-clerk to legal secretary.

ABC is slow to promote me and slow to pay its bills. Maybe I'll try an overseas job.

Promoted to secretary in the legal department, with a dreamboat boss.

My boss left for a job in Hollywood. Now I'll be a "floater", trying out various ABC departments.

A date with an actor, and starting to look for a new job outside ABC.

Started work with Olsten's temporary agency. My friend has a nervous breakdown.

A great 6-week temp job in the personnel dept. of the Singer Co. in Rockefeller Center.

Temp jobs at Harriet Hubbard Ayer and CBS News. My high school 5-year reunion is coming up.

While temp'ing as a secretary in J.C. Penney's computer dept., I decide to become a programmer.

Training as a computer programmer at Metropolitan Life, and moving to Greenwich Village.

Learning my new job at Metropolitan Life. Nearly evicted from my Greenwich Village lodging.

Being the only female computer programmer in my department. Evading my housemother.

Last updated: 5-20-20