Oregon daily emerald., March 15, 1982, Page 12, Image 12

Campus life 65 years ago
sounds like instant replay
When Lucile McDonald came to the
University in 1915 she was 17 years old
and had $24.85 in her purse to pay for
books, housing and transportation.
Through her freshman year, Lucile
kept a dairy that she has given to the
University, supplemented with letters she
wrote to her sister, Iris, and her mother
Only private family comments have
been taken out. The rest of the diary is
just as it was written in 1915
September 10. Well, I'm here!
Domiciled as a hired girl in a nice little
room with a Turkey red comforter on the
bed (Dean Straub) had already made
arrangements for me at this place, so
here I am peeling apples, washing
dishes, learning to cook and supposedly
taking care of the dearest little baby you
ever saw They treat me almost as a
guest and I hardly think I shall be over
come by the work
I started to walk up to the college this
morning in a pouring rain and when I got
out into the country without seeing a sign
of the U. I asked how to get there and was
informed it was about three miles in the
other direction.
September 13. I've done gone and
registered and haven't much chink left
for books The Murdoch girls (from high
school) looked astonished when they
saw me and even introduced me to their
friends
Mrs Bryson is trying to dictate to me
about my study hours and wants me to
arrange not to take gymnasium I posi
tively have resolved to study when I want
to, namely at night, and try to obtain work
at the University several hours a week
between classes I'll have to, whether
Mrs B. likes it or not because after I buy
my books I’ll be next to penniless Here's
where I shall have to employ Dean
Straub's services to smooth this out
To Iris, September 16. You should see
the big fat books I have for (American
Government.) This one cost $2.10 and
looks like a small edition of the Ency
clopedia.
September 25. Yesterday the Y.W.C.A
gave an afternoon party for the girls
They pinned little green caps of card
board just like the boys wear on our
dresses. Each class had a different
corner and chose entries for the athletic
events. The first was the Standing Broad
Grin. A girl from each class stood where
everyone could see her and tried to smile
as as big as she could Then a lady took a
tapemeasure and measured each
mouth
November 13. I have been writing
addresses on envelopes at the University
for 25 cents per hour, so I guess I’ll
manage to subsist
To Ma, November 28.1 found out today
I was some cook I have a little five cent
frying pan Yesterday I bought 5 cents
worth lard and 5 cents worth hamburg
steak and fried it for dinner I'm sorry
you do not approve of my method of
living, but you know I’m as stubborn as
the next one My finances are very com
fortably fixed and I hope to pay back my
small debts to you and other members of
the family as soon as I get a little cash
ahead for next month's rent and the like
January 8. Thursday night while I was
at the library a boy called me up I
guessed it was Mr Hager, but wondered
how he got my number The mystery was
explained later He began at the front of
the phone books and looked through
until he found this address Poor boy He
wanted me to go to the Oregon Club
dance with him last night. I went and had
a pretty good time The trouble with this
escort, though, consists in his desire to
stand outside after he has brought me
home and talk endlessly about nothing
January 19. Have been receiving lots
of praise on my latest Emerald story
Prof Dyment thinks very highly of it. I
made it up out of my head
To Ma, March 4. I’ve got news to tell
you Your eldest daughter is now a
full-fledged reporter for the Eugene Daily
Guard I am the first University girl who
has ever attempted to do this They were
skeptical about taking me on, but a
baseball story I turned in settled matters
June 12. My grades came today and
joy of all joys — Timmy did not flunk me
. .. if I study a little this summer I can pass
the exam next fall and go on with it The
only flunk was one hour in Copy Read
ing.. but I had learned a lot from the
course
The End.
Writer had varied career
Eighty-three-year-old Lucile McDon
ald had her sights set on being a jour
nalist ever since she was a teenager in
Portland That was in 1915
"It was never my intention to attend the
University," she wrote in her diary shortly
after she graduated from high school
"When I hear all the girls talking it makes
me kind of envious, but I figure that as I
would have to work so hard and would
like to get a great deal from my studies, it
is better that I either don't go at all or else
wait until I have ample means "
But she found out she was too young
to be hired by the Portland Oregonian,
where an editor advised her to enroll in
journalism school in Eugene A couple of
months later, Lucile came to the Univer
sity
"Writing is the only thing I do well,"
she said recently After 36 years as a
working journalist — interrupted by stay
ing home with her children and writing
children’s literature — she still is writing
book reviews for the Seattle Times and a
weekly column for her hometown news
paper in Bellevue, Wash
Layed off from her job at the Guard.
Lucile worked as an Oregonian corre
spondent in Eugene before leaving the
University after two years of studying
journalism After a short stint at the
Oregonian, she left for South America,
getting a job as night editor for the
Buenas Aires Herald, and then a job with
United Press International as their South
American correspondent
From there it was New York, still with
UPI Other jobs included news editor for
the Cordoba Daily Times in Alaska, and
the New York Times correspondent in
Turkey Her longest position was with the
Seattle Times, where she worked for 23
years, until 1966
“I left the Times just at the right
moment so I didn’t have to learn all those
new machines (video display termin
als)," she says
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