"...I came out feeling like I could stand on my own two feet." from Jane Robertson Ryer and Barbara Harrison Dine '59

"...I came out feeling like I could stand on my own two feet." from Jane Robertson Ryer and Barbara Harrison Dine '59

Lesley University

From 57:29 and 1:02 of Jane Robertson Ryer and Barbara Harrison Dine's oral history.

Lesley University

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English

Sound

3.001 Lesley University Archives Oral History Collection, 2008-2010

Alyssa Pacy

Jane Robertson Ryer and Barbara Harrison Dine

JRR: "Lesley was actually wonderful for me because I had an older brother who went to Boden and when I was in Winchester High School, they would always say "Oh you're Andy's sister." And all of the sudden I got to Lesley and, lots because of Barbie, I got confidence, I was able to do things, I became president of the class, and I went in as a shy little girl, and I came out...feeling that I could stand on my own two feet...I look at Lesley and it was a wonderful experience for me. Academically, it could have been better, but I was taught pretty well too, so you're right, we did come out being competent teachers..."
BHD: "I felt that it did what it was supposed to do. I thought it prepared me to teach, although I didn't teach that long or that much. It prepared me in other ways too, because after my kids were older, I went back and for thirty years I was an administrator of a temple in Hingham (?) and I managed everything to do with anything except religion...a lot of it was because I knew how to use my time and get people to do what they had to do. I think teaching is a good background for a lot of things...you certainly learn how to deal with all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. It's a good exposure."
JRR: "And I think there were many people in our class that taught for many many years after graduating. I think you and I were kind of the exception."
BHD: "Some people went to Lesley because of its geographic location, you can't leave that part out...it was a marriage plan.
JRR: "And many in our class did marry..."
57:29

JRR: "Well first of all Barbie and I got married later. We weren't married when everybody was out, you know? It was almost not successful if you didn't have a diamond ring by the time you were graduating. And a number of us went on to graduate school. But in those days, women would be married between...well if they got into college, between nineteen and twenty-four, twenty-five. Or they might never get married, so we were the exceptions then. I mean, not like today. My kids didn't get married until they were like thirty...or older."
AP: "What made you both decide to get masters rather than try to get married? What made you the exception?"
JRR: "I had a plan. I wanted to get a PHD, actually. I wanted to travel, I wanted an apartment of my own, and I wanted to own a car. And all of the above, aside from the PHD, I did...I wanted to be on my own. I wanted to grow up."
1:02:19

BHD: "Marriage was not the prime..."
JRR: "No, we were not there to get married. Some people were very open..."
BHD: "...I mean, who knew. When I got there, it was kind of an eye-opener. Because I mean some of them spoke about it quite openly."
JRR: "My mother would be very disappointed if I hadn't made a commitment with somebody by the time I graduated."
AP: "...You both are very unusual in that you didn't get married right away."
1:03:51