HANDWRITTEN 1941 DIARY KEPT BY THIS NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS CAREER WOMAN by Shepard, Katharine M - 1941

1941. Original manuscript. Hardcover. Very Good. Contains daily entries from 1 January through 12 December, 1941. Some entries are full-page, some half page or less, written in a legible hand in pencil and ink. Bound in blue leatherette over boards with cover title "Standard Daily Journal, 1941." Pocket diary, 4.75" x 2.75" In "The Shepard Families of New England," Katharine M. is recorded as born on 5 July 1875, and residing unmarried at Newburyport in 1932. In several annual reports of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Katharine is named as Secretary & Treasurer of the Society. In 1950, she became the second wife of Robert Gray Dodge (born 1872), a lawyer residing in Newburyport, and chairman of the board of trustees, Northeastern University. ~ When she wrote this diary, Katharine was an unmarried career woman. Resident at Newburyport, she made frequent trips to Boston, Brockton, Concord, Danby, etc. Katharine dined out often with female friends and associates. She went to plays and movies pageants, spent much time writing reports and speeches, attended cocktail parties, played badminton, &c. In May, she drove her car on a trip south, visiting Washington, Lexington, Richmond, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Smithfield, Alexandria, the Delaware River, Doylestown, &c. Northerly trips included Plum Island, Portsmouth, Rutland, Middlebury, etc. ~ Nearly all of the names in the diary belong to women: Caroline Farrell, Harriet Horton, Eleanor Dodge, Frances Dorcester, Alice Chauncey, Ursula Buckley, Caroline Prince, Sophia Nelson, and others. ~ In a Memoranda section at the back of the diary, Katharine records: Knitting done, Sewing done, cash expenditures, income from Guest Room, Christmas gifts received, etc. ~ Here are a few random lines from the diary: Saw "Watch on Rhine" at Martin Beck Theatre--very moving; ...the girls went riding--Nancy took their tack; Went to the Pageant at Mechanics Hall--2 of our students marched; Conference at YWCA Ballard School; Saw Seniors--Worked on curriculum; Went to see Alice at Phillip House; Federation & U.S.O. dinner to start campaign...; Meeting at Cambridge Hospital--met Mrs. Osgood & Miss Colby; Graduation successful...Class out...to Hospital to see students...; Class in...Beverly Hospital...worked with H.G. on book...."