Sylvia MacEldowney, interviewed by Ann Mills

Series

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of a series of interviews conducted from 1974 to 1980 by students for a course (IDL 105, Women in Maine: An Autobiographical Approach) taught by Maryann Hartman in the department of Speech and Communications at the University of Maine. Students asked a variety of informants for their opinions about the present and future roles of women in Maine. Each informant discussed this in the context of their own lives and experiences, therefore the individual interviews cover a wide range of topics.

Dates

Creation: 1974-1980

Conditions Governing Access

For digitized items free from access restrictions, we are working to upload this material (pdfs, mp3s, jpgs) for public access, but it is an ongoing project. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, contact Special Collections (um.library.spc@maine.edu).

Extent

From the Collection: 58 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

1091 Sylvia MacEldowney, interviewed by Ann Mills, November 18, 1976, Orono, Maine. MacEldowney discusses important events of the 1930s and 1940s; how her family survived during the Great Depression; her experiences as a female engineer after WWII; college education at Rhode Island State College and the scarcity of male students due to WWII; American entry into WWII and the attitudes of her peers in high school; her decision to return to college in her fifties; radio programs of the 1930s; description of a WWII military installation disguised as a cluster of cottages; writing to soldiers as a pen pal; the Hindenburg disaster; special editions of magazines; and the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Text: 27 pp. incomplete transcript, plus 16 pp. catalog. mfc_na1091_t1112_01, mfc_na1091_t1112_02.