Page 72 - 1930 October - To Dragma

OCTOBER, 1930 71

even say she hates God, the world, and all convention, but she doesn't,
and in the end will rise to what is expected of her. College girls today
have more interests and accomplish more th. n did girls of ten years
ago. They are not so concerned with convention and what people will
"think," but are out to live and learn and do. I look for them to do
big and useful things because their worlds are growing larger, and there
are many fields of interests, as yet undeveloped, for women. They are
not choosing careers primarily, as critics feel. As a home economics
teacher, I see many who want to make homes and are quite thrilled over
futures as wives, but they view the proposition more as a business. They
desire to learn how to work, in order to save themselves time—in turn
giving themselves opportunity to pursue their extra-home activities. Men
will have to step very lively to keep pace with the achievements and de-
velopments of their twentieth century wives.

I have said little about home economics—that, as you know, is my
original work. There is great opportunity for a university major in this
field to have many interests, any one of which can be made very lucra-
tive. Hospital dietitians, nutrition supervisors in schools and in wel-
fare clinics. Red Cross field work, director in dormitories, hospitals,
summer camps, and so forth, on the basis of food and dietetics knowl-
edge, also buyers in large department stores, style consultants, cos-
tume designers, dressmakers, textile experts and experimenters, teachers
and homemakers, are some of the positions in which I have seen girls
successfully placed. If you have talent in writing and can link experi-
mental and practical knowledge in a popular way for public use, you
have a most wonderful field for your efforts. If you care for the study
of child psychology and development, there is a boundless field for re-
search and achievement. All of these interests are so closely akin to
the natural instincts of women that should she pursue them for a pro-
fession, she has in a measure satisfied herself, and should she have a
family of her own, how much greater opportunity they have for devel-
opment and training!

As a climax I might also add that I received my M.D. degree last
July by marrying him—so June found me making my sixth and
last annual appearance in a university academic procession. It doesn't
hurt my feelings very much to shift my double burden, one to the new
department head, and one to the assistant dean, and "retire" to the
role of a doctor's wife. To those who are interested from the vocational
standpoint, I say, "Decide on your field early; read and know everything

to it; improve your immediate opportunities in every field; be alert,
observing and a bit scheming. Know what you want and go after
~,r When you arrive, study the essentials for success in that field and
work constantly toward that end—even if that field is finding a very
nice doctor husband."