"Because Mrs. Wolfard was so nice." from Julia Mentzer Fifield '26
Title
"Because Mrs. Wolfard was so nice." from Julia Mentzer Fifield '26
Creator
Lesley University
Source
From 8:58 of Julia Mentzer Fifield's oral history.
Publisher
Lesley University
Rights
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright.
Language
English
Type
Sound
Identifier
3.001 Lesley University Archives Oral History Collection, 2008-2010
Interviewer
Alyssa Pacy
Interviewee
Julia Mentzer Fifield
Transcription
AP: "And how did you decide to come to Lesley?"
JFM: "Because Mrs. Wolfard was so nice. It almost sounds…it almost sounds as though Lesley was the last resort. Lesley was not a last resort. Lesley was on our original list. It was the last spot and we were staying with my grandfather and grandmother in Somerville and it the nearest point to
where we would stop. And we…we were there in the, I would say in the late afternoon perhaps 3 o’clock. And we were tired and hot. And Mrs. Wolfard was a breath of…I can’t tell you…she was absolutely marvelous. She…as I have said already, I was a…being educated in a small school and being an only child and spending a great deal of time alone, I was essentially a…perhaps I’d describe myself almost as a loner. I got along very well with adults and I went everywhere with my father and mother and all their friends. And I had very few close childhood friends. All the people in my class, my graduating class, we had a 50th reunion, and my goodness, we were like old pals. But I was…not only was I a loner but I was almost…I don’t know what you call me…I sort of was afraid to speak out. I was shy. I...my…my daughter laughs at me when I say I was ever shy. But I did not project myself at all. And when Mrs. Wolfard said and she sized up the fact that I was very much a part of my mother’s life that I knew a lot about what
she would offer in her Household Arts class. I already knew how to cook. I already knew how to sew. I already knew how to do Italian embroidery, which was one of the courses. And I also absolutely loved to dance and that was one of the things we did quite a lot of. And I played tennis. And all of those things. And I knew about Harvard Square because I had been. And I knew about the subway. And I think Mrs. Wolfard thought that I would be able handle the Household Arts course and excel, which I did. There were about 12 girls in my class and they were also Mrs. Wolfard knew…they were all Boston debutantes. And they had no idea of going to school…they were…they were keeping time for one year hoping for a man to come forth. And I think Mrs. Wolfard thought I would learn a lot from those girls. A lot of things I didn’t know and I certainly did. They were not my pals at any point. But living in the dormitory which Mrs. Wolfard proscribed right off and the room that she…she had one room left…can you believe it. Do you know where that room is? It is right above me. And I will keep my eye on Julia, which she did."
8:58
JFM: "Because Mrs. Wolfard was so nice. It almost sounds…it almost sounds as though Lesley was the last resort. Lesley was not a last resort. Lesley was on our original list. It was the last spot and we were staying with my grandfather and grandmother in Somerville and it the nearest point to
where we would stop. And we…we were there in the, I would say in the late afternoon perhaps 3 o’clock. And we were tired and hot. And Mrs. Wolfard was a breath of…I can’t tell you…she was absolutely marvelous. She…as I have said already, I was a…being educated in a small school and being an only child and spending a great deal of time alone, I was essentially a…perhaps I’d describe myself almost as a loner. I got along very well with adults and I went everywhere with my father and mother and all their friends. And I had very few close childhood friends. All the people in my class, my graduating class, we had a 50th reunion, and my goodness, we were like old pals. But I was…not only was I a loner but I was almost…I don’t know what you call me…I sort of was afraid to speak out. I was shy. I...my…my daughter laughs at me when I say I was ever shy. But I did not project myself at all. And when Mrs. Wolfard said and she sized up the fact that I was very much a part of my mother’s life that I knew a lot about what
she would offer in her Household Arts class. I already knew how to cook. I already knew how to sew. I already knew how to do Italian embroidery, which was one of the courses. And I also absolutely loved to dance and that was one of the things we did quite a lot of. And I played tennis. And all of those things. And I knew about Harvard Square because I had been. And I knew about the subway. And I think Mrs. Wolfard thought that I would be able handle the Household Arts course and excel, which I did. There were about 12 girls in my class and they were also Mrs. Wolfard knew…they were all Boston debutantes. And they had no idea of going to school…they were…they were keeping time for one year hoping for a man to come forth. And I think Mrs. Wolfard thought I would learn a lot from those girls. A lot of things I didn’t know and I certainly did. They were not my pals at any point. But living in the dormitory which Mrs. Wolfard proscribed right off and the room that she…she had one room left…can you believe it. Do you know where that room is? It is right above me. And I will keep my eye on Julia, which she did."
8:58
URL
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/oral_histories/7/
Citation
Lesley University, “"Because Mrs. Wolfard was so nice." from Julia Mentzer Fifield '26,” Digital Exhibits | Lesley University Archives, accessed April 29, 2024, https://lesleyarchives.omeka.net/items/show/159.