Reflections on Changes during World War II

Date
Fall 1990

Marguerite W. Gale (Class of 1943) reflects on changes in the status of women and in her life during World War II in a 1990 interview. Due to the absence of men, Gale coached a boys' basketball team. When the war began, she and her husband, Bill, were pinned. Bill left for the service and did not return until 1946, which postponed their marriage. Gale says that this delay put "you up to about 25 years of age before you were married." She also decided against teaching English as an occupation, saying that there was too much to do already with coaching the basketball team, working on the yearbook and in the library, and directing the senior class play. Gale reports that the role of women changed as a result of the war, which gave them the chance to be more self-sufficient.

Location of Document in Archives
World War II Oral History, Gale, Marguerite W.