Description
- Abstract:
- In Part 1 of this interview with Marcella Fagan Hance, she recounts her acceptance to Pembroke College in 1940 and her experience as a "day hop" or "city girl." She describes the effects of World War II, including rations on food and gas, a social life that included few men, the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's attempts to recruit student workers, and the activities of the Sewing Club. Marcella relates stories about dating practices at Brown, juggling her studies with paid work, the four-year physical education requirement under professor Bessie Rudd, and posture pictures. Part 2 of the interview focuses on the 1940s. Marcella describes Pembroke traditions and other aspects of student life, women's desires for husbands rather than careers, and the importance of community service. She recalls several experiences that made her aware of issues like homosexuality and ethnic and religious divisions, and laments Pembroke's merger with the Men's College. In Part 3, Marcella describes biology class, "senior sisters," and going to the movies. She compares what she calls "an easier way of life" to the challenges of life in 1988, which include an increased pressure to succeed and the demands made on families with working mothers.
- Notes:
- Class year: 1944
- Biographical note: Marcella Frances Fagan Hance was born in Providence, RI in 1923. She graduated from Hope High in 1940 and Brown University in 1944. As a student, she was elected to the War Council and directed Camel Cigarette week, which sent cartons of cigarettes purchased by Pembrokers to troops serving in World War II. Marcella earned her College Teacher Certification from Wheaton College in 1966 and taught in Illinois and Minnesota before returning to Providence in 1986. She was active volunteer with her church, the Cub Scouts, the Girl Scouts, and the American Cancer Society.
Citation
"Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944"
(1988).
Pembroke Center Oral History Collection.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:583309/
Relations
Has Parts:
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 1
- Type: Audio
- Order: 1
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 1
- Type: Stream
- Order: 1
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 2
- Type: Audio
- Order: 2
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 2
- Type: Stream
- Order: 2
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 3
- Type: Audio
- Order: 3
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944 Part 3
- Type: Stream
- Order: 3
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Marcella Frances Fagan, class of 1944
- Type: Pdf
- Order: 4
Collection:
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Pembroke Center Oral History Collection
This collection contains oral history interviews with alumnae of Brown University, which admitted its first women students in 1891. The Women's College at Brown was renamed Pembroke College in 1928, and in 1971, Pembroke College merged with the Men's College …...