NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE WALKER, LOLA [*file*] 716 N. 26th Street Waco, Texas April 3, 1960 Dear Mrs. Stantial, How relieved I was when I received your letter saying that you had found my dissertation. I never did receive a letter from Miss peck. It's too bad that she didn't have it copied all that time she had it. I'm glad that you are having it microfilmed. So much of the material that I gathered when I was working on my dissertation, I've been able to use in various classes. Just last week, I read to my advanced "Speech as a Social Force," class the history of the "WOman Suffrage Movement." I was illustrating what it takes and how much hard work to change opinion in a country and bring about a change. They seemed to like it--also I think they learned a great deal. In my "American public Address" class, I so often use some of Mrs. Catt's speeches to illustrate different things. I read my biography of her to illustrate how one studies the life and work of a speaker. I always think of your kindness and helpfulness in making available all those materials which I could not have otherwise got. My students will benefit from it. We have had a hard winter here -- even ice for three days which is rare. It's been cold so much longer than usual. Last week the thermometer got up to the high 80's in the afternoons. Today it's cooler with a chill in the air. Last night it got down to 45. I know that you've had much snow, ice and cold. Year after next I hope that I can take off a whole year and either travel or teach somewhere else. If you hear of a wealthy woman who wants a traveling companion and will pay my expenses, or a college that wants a visiting professor for a year, I would appreciate you letting me know. I would love to travel some and live for a few months in some foreign countries. I think one gets tired of the same routine year after year. This is my tenth year here at Baylor. I intend to really work on the plan and see if I can't get something interesting to do. Of course, if I got a good offer, I'd leave here too, as the pay isn't what it should be for a university and my rank. Lately I've been trying to do more reading for pleasure. I like Dr. Frank Slaughter's books and have read "That None Should Die", "In a Dark Garden," and will soon start "The Road to Bithynia." I am so sorry that Kenneth Roberts died for I thought his historical novels were fascinating as well as authentic. I hope that your daughter and her family are fine. I'm sure she has her hands full with her housekeeping and caring for her children and husband. How are you feeling these days? Are you planning to go to your summer home in June? This summer I think that I'll probably stay here. I'm teaching the first part of the summer until the middle of July. I may go to Missouri and Kansas to visit my brothers and sisters. Would you please send me a card when you ship my dissertation so that I can be on the lookout for it. The student who is doing his M. A. thesis under me is ready to use it now. I just can't tell you how much I appreciate all your work in hunting it up for me. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Lola Walker 1925 South 8th Street Waco, Texas January 18, 1954 Dear Mrs. Stantial, For a long time I've intended writing to you, but it seems that life gets more complicated all the time, and I find myself doing the things that I have to and neglecting the things that I'd like to do, such as writing to my good friends. About the time I began to feel better this fall, the middle of November, the woman with whom I lived the year that I taught in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, at Cornell College, came to visit with me a month. Between trying to get my work done and endeavoring to entertain her, I just didn't get my letters written. Then it was Christmas with a rush of activities, and now the starting of the new year with its attendant requirements and responsibilities. As an example, I'm supposed to be three places tonight. I did enjoy your letter so much, but of course i was so sorry to hear about Mrs. Park and Mary Gray Peck. It's too bad that so often when one gets older there are physical and many times mental disabilities. Last week a friend of mine gave a speech at the neighboring town of Temple. Her subject was "Women Between Two World Wars." In laying her background she paid tribute to Susan B. Anthony and several of the earlier suffragists, as well as to Mrs. Catt. She told specifically what they had accomplished and showed how modern woman's achievements were made possible by their work. She gave some of thte material that I had in my dissertation. I felt a deep glow to think of all that those women really did. Then I asked myself the question, "Are we living up to our duties and responsibilities today?" I belong to a group of business and professional women called the "quota Club." It's very much like Rotary for men--only one from a group or type of work--supposedly the highest woman as far as executive responsibility is concerned. I'm struck by the various types of work that these girls do, and their accomplishments. It's a good broadening influence for me; it forces me to take an interest in various lines of work and to go beyond the confines of the classroom. Have you heard of this group there in the East? In certain parts of the country they are more numerous than in others. I've just come home after a luncheon at which Jesse Stuart, the poet and prose writer, was the guest of honor. You may be familiar with his story of the first year he taught a country school, "The Thread That Runs So True." I read a sketch about him that stated his father couldn't read or write and his mother had just gone through the second grade. He really has come up the hard way. The luncheon was just for some of the faculty--about 50 were invited. After the meal Mr. Stuart read some of his poetry for us. His ideas were wonderful and so original and well expressed. Thursday a diplomat who has just been in Damascus and is home on furlough and will return to Jordan will be a luncheon guest and will talk on his experiences. He has taught Economics at Rangoon University, also. Mr. Gerben will talk in the afternoon--without charge--and the students will have the opportunity to hear him. The students here in the university really do have some good opportunities to hear some outstanding people. You asked me what price the typists here would charge for copying a dissertation. The price is 25ยข a page. If you have a good stenographer, there, I imagine that it would be better to have her do it. If she finds any misspelled words, I'd appreciate it if she would correct them. The typist who did mine was not the woman whom I had engaged originally, and I had several corrections to make on the finished copy. You could get the paper at either the Harvard or Radcliffe bookstore. The paper for the original copy would be the best to by--I got it for the first three copies of mine which I had to turn in to Northwestern University. The typist will no doubt know the kind of carbon paper that is the best. If you want me to have a picture of Mrs. Catt made here, I can do that and send it to you. It cost me $12. dollars to have the two made before. It would be that or maybe a little less to have one made by itself. If I can save enough money, I want to go to England this summer. A cousin of mine there has asked me to come and make their home my headquarters. We'll take week end trips, and then I hope to go up into Scotland and maybe Ireland. I may be foolish to go since I don't have my debt paid for my doctor's degree, but I thought that it might be better to make the trip while I could and get out of debt later. This is my cousin Ethel whose maid of honor I was at her cathedral wedding in Leicester, England, twenty years ago. I would like to go by freighter, but I don't know about accommodations. I find that several of the boats both on freighter and regular passenger lines have no space at the time that I want to go--the last week in May or the first week in June. I now that is the crowded tourist season. Saturday I bought some new white rayon marquisette curtains for my living room and dining room. I got those put up in the living room, but I still have to press the ones for the dining room. I plan to take the old ones in these two rooms and put up in the bedroom. I got the plain white ones because I thought they would probably fit better and look nicer in almost any kind of apartment or house. I may have to give up my apartment when I leave this summer, as I don't intend to pay the $150. rent for three months to hold it. I first got 90 inch length curtains and discovered when I started to put them up that they were too long-- so I got the 81 inch ones which are just exactly the right length. They surely do make a difference in the appearance of the place. I surely will be most pleased to have my dissertation copied, and a copy put in the Congressional Library. I think it's lovely of Mrs. Park to want to have it done, and more gracious and lovely of you to supervise and manage the copying of it. If there's anything I can do to help--I'd be glad to do it. Oh, would you please have the fate of my birth omitted. I don't know that my age would have anything to do with it--and I'd just rather it were left out. In fact, I didn't want to put it in the dissertation, but I had to. I trust that you, Mr. Stantial, and Mrs. Park will have a pleasant and happy 1954. Love, Lola Walker LOLA WALKER SEE MICROFILM OF HER THESIS ON "THE WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT" in Lib. of Congress Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.