Angus, Margaret, nee Sharp - Tape One, Side One

File consists of a recording of Margaret Angus. Topics of the conversation include TAPE ONE University education as foregone conclusion since childhood; large number of women attending university; parents' belief in higher education, expectation that daughter should maintain high grades, scholarships. Marriage to professor during junior year; family expectation that subject should complete education, outrage at social commiseration,' what a waste of a good education'. Position as faculty wife during final year; amusing relations with mildly disapproving Dean of Women as chaperone of student contemporaries. Student acceptance of limited career opportunities for women; 'put-down' by male law students as sole female non-law student in class. Student concern for campus politics (U. of Montana), lack of interest in national affairs. Transfer to Cornell Univ. with husband and newborn daughter; role supporting husband through doctoral studies; effect of Depression on Cornell, restriction of husband to quarter Assistantship. Employment after birth of second child with Publications Office (Agricultural Dept., Cornell); 'tight living' on joint salaries combined with previous savings, close friendships with other couples in consequence. Cornell as one of three contemporary American universities to offer PhD in Drama. Belief that difficulties would pass; concern for husband's post-doctoral employment, weekly purchase of Sunday New York Times to check for deaths among current us Drama professors. Fear of growing trend toward payment for services in goods not money. Optimism, individual initiative in face of Depression difficulties; freedom from modern weakness of expecting government to solve everything. Lasting inhibition of personal extravagance; lifting of poverty in next situation, indulgence of desire for play-going, etc. Resentment of narrowminded feminine society ('bridge, babies, and recipes') during husband's employment at Teachers' College; transfer to Queen's, contrast of active intellectual atmosphere. Arrival in Kingston after abdication of Edward VIII; apprehension of Royalist Canadian resentment of Americans; self-consciousness of accent, banished at multinational faculty tea. Familiarity with Canada through university course in comparative government, Montana awareness of prairie provinces; impression made by Canada on us as source of alcohol during Prohibition. Postponement of Canadian citizenship till death of patriotic American father; feeling that lack of voting privilege did not restrict important civic activities; application for citizenship (postponed by shock of Kennedy assassination) following research contracts with Canadian government. Vivid recollection of surroundings on hearing of Pearl Harbour bombings; ability of shocking news to imprint visual impressions on memory indelibly. Public approval of inland transfer of Orientals during 'Japanese scare'; blackout measures in Washington, DC; fear for younger brother (in submarine at bottom of Pearl Harbour bay, 'depth charges breaking all around him'). Queen's faculty provision in private homes of accommodation and entertainment for training officers (WWII); amusing evening entertaining trainees, Babel of mixed foreign accents.//Personal involvement in WWII: death of younger brother, daily apprehension for remaining brother. Effect of brother's position as Supreme Commander (Pacific region) in qualifying subject's response to Viet Nam War.; brother's silence on war issues as ideal discreet officer. Scorn for inexperienced, irresponsible criticism of Viet Nam war effort; approval of criticism in conjunction with active political responsibility; feeling that many critics didn't accept their share of the burden and the blame, expected solutions to be 'handed to them on a platter'. Queen's control of student reaction to Viet Nam war owing to excellent communication, quick transfer of educated opinion in small community. Queen's Drama Dept. during husband's chairmanship; ambitious student production schedule; subject's love of sewing, challenging work in costume design. Close relationship with Drama students. Campus fame of costume help as 'sticky bun crowd', source of several student romances. Student recollections of subject's kindness, visits to 'Doc and Mrs. A' in Kingston; sizeable Angus 'Christmas letter list'; 'nice warm feeling' of being so affectionately regarded, frequently visited. Successful 'team' relationship with husband; continuous engagement in historical interests, stimulated by move to Kingston; incessant writing of historical short stories, plays, scripts for radio; surrender of full-time radio station job (after husband's retirement) to make time for writing work, ironic discovery that more demands were made on her as an informally employed woman than when she had work. Current 'peak' in personal activity (past age 70) as certainly enjoyable, sometimes tiring. Involvement in radio: writing work, Queen's summer course in radio work originated by husband, attended by staff of esc; responsibility for entertaining CBC students. Decision to challenge extent of personal abilities in radio; 11-year Directorship of CFRC (offered by Queen's administration alarmed by degenerate tendencies in Engineering students' broadcasting). Initial student resentment of subject's high standards, changing to dedicated enthusiasm; original work done by students for no official credit; excellent work of female students involved, including technical operations. Kingston as an 'historic goldmine'; astonishment at people who take it for granted, travel to Charleston to see what they ignore here. Queen's Prof. Rex Trotter's suggestion of local material as an unexplored source for subject's novel-writing activities. Positions as President of Ontario Historical Society, first female President of Kingston Historical Society; scatheless involvement as sole female representative in many official capacities - it's pretty hard to put me down'. Concern as newly-elected President to alter Toronto-based character of OHS; travels to chapters throughout Ontario, reputation as 'crusader for involvement'. Sensation of loneIiness as sole female committee member, soon conquered; position as sole female participant in Ontario Heritage Act deliberations at Toronto's exclusive York Club, required as woman to enter by side door, appointed to OHA Board nonetheless. Receipt of Heritage Canada's first travelling award for contribution to preservation of historic buildings. Conclusion (as executive/board member of countless historical associations) that despite conclusions of younger members, exciting progress is being made. Desire not to be identified as 'women's libber' despite recognition of sexist discrimination; doubt as to gains made by women's movement, opinion that some notorious feminists act the role through inability to do much else.//TAPE TWO Necessity to be 'better' in various capacities than male counterparts; approval of male colleagues' identification of her approach as 'masculine' (i.e. realistic, practical). Tendency of women active in historical preservation programmes to damage causes through blind idealism; contribution of Depression experience to subject's successful 'masculine' approach. Effect of personal success on daughter, granddaughters; closer proximity to daughter's outlook on life than to mother's. Importance of realistic estimate of personal talents and limitations; limitless fund of subject's ambitions within the range of her own abilities. Doubtful value of excessive introspection; importance of taking responsibility for personal happiness, working to achieve goals; own experience of disappointments, good sense not to dwell on them.