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Boggs, Betty Jeanne (audio interview #1 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Boggs seemed self conscious in this first interview, concerned about relating her story "well." Nevertheless, she spoke openly about her feelings and was not self-censoring. 5/1/1981
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- 2021-04-01
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- *** File: rrrbboggs1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-1:57)... Boggs was born in Fort Lewis, Washington, August 10, 1926. She discusses her family background, focusing on her grandparents. (1:57-6:28)... Boggs' parents met and married in Seattle, Washington when her mother was in her early twenties; her father was in his early thirties. Her mother graduated from the Holy Names Academy and then took business courses, going to work as a secretary until she married. She returned to secretarial work when Boggs was a senior in high school. Boggs recalls feeling sorry for herself at this time because she came home to an empty house. Boggs was born in a hospital at Fort Lewis, but does not know any details about her birth. However, whenever Boggs' mother was "provoked at her child," she reminded Boggs about the difficult time she had giving birth. When Boggs was in the first grade, her family began moving around the country and she attended many different grade schools. (6:28-9:08)... When Boggs' was born, her father was in the army infantry. He then transferred to the engineer corps and worked in the topographical section. The family began moving around at that time to small cities in Washington where her father conducted surveys. Boggs and her mother always followed her father to his posts. He was usually only away a few weeks in the summer on army maneuvers. Boggs usually finished out the quarter or the semester before she and her mother joined her father at his new station. (9:08-10:46)... She was an only child and considered herself "spoiled rotten." It was often difficult for her to make friends because the family moved from one city to the next. She was very shy and took her time making new friends. Then, by the time she got acquainted with someone, her family was on their way to a new location. (10:46-14:01)... Boggs and her family lived in Washington and Oregon while she was in grade school. After she finished first grade, Boggs went directly into third grade because her mother felt she was smart enough. When she was in eighth grade, her father was transferred to the East Coast and she went directly into high school. Rather than taking a bus to a high school in the city, Boggs attended her first year of high school on the army base where her father was stationed. Students attended only half a day of classes; the rest was spent doing homework. The constant movement from one school to another never caused her to fall behind in grade levels although she often had to work harder than the other students just to catch up. Despite this, she was the youngest in her class when she graduated high school at age sixteen. (14:01-16:02)... Boggs talks about her childhood friends and the games they played. Her parents did not place any restrictions on her activities or have any concerns about her playing with boys. (16:02-17:17)... Describing the clothing she wore when she was a young girl, Boggs notes that she was quite embarrassed by the long, brown socks and bloomers that her mother made her wear during the winter. She recalls that she began wearing pants when she was in high school. However, it was not until "women went into defense work that they had to wear pants and that is when fashion began to change." (17:17-19:10)... Her family didn't really experiencing any financial difficulties during the Depression. She talks about her family's lifestyle during the Depression and the automobiles they owned. (19:10-20:05)... She talks about her family's living arrangements and describes a home in which they rented rooms out in order to help with their living expenses. (20:05-21:44)... Her family's economic status was lower than average. Her father's army salary was not very good and her mother pinched a lot of pennies. Although her mother made some of her clothes, a lot of her clothing was purchased at Goodwill. In high school, she became conscious of the fact that other girls dressed better than her. One girl wore a different cashmere sweater every day and Boggs remembers thinking, "Oh boy, that girl really has a lot of money." (21:44-23:15)... Boggs talks about her education and identifies the subjects she enjoyed. While in grade school, she took a class in which students were supplied with a small bag of tools that included a hammer, nails, and a small saw, and once a week they "would work on something and saw something out." (23:15-24:30)... Other than occasionally being told to clean her room, Boggs' parents did not give her any specific household responsibilities or chores. (24:30-29:09)... Boggs describes her reaction when she first started her period at the age of thirteen. Her mother did not prepare her for menstruation. When Boggs told her mother that she started her period, her mother merely responded that it would happen once a month for the rest of her life. Her mother provided her with a pad and instructed her to affix it to her bloomers using safety pins. Boggs educated herself about menstruation and the "facts of life" by secretly reading books. She also learned about a woman's reproductive system while studying biology in college. Her mother never talked to her about sex, except for telling her that men were dirty. End of tape. *** File: rrrbboggs2.mp3 (0:00-2:39)... Boggs' mother made most of the decisions and her father "seemed to go along with everything she said." Boggs' relationship with her father was tumultuous and they argued frequently. The arguments, typically, started at the dinner table and ended with her father yelling profanities and/or hitting her. Whenever they fought, her mother would become hysterical and attempted to stop the argument by claiming that she was going to have a heart attack. Boggs remembers threatening to hit her father with a milk bottle when she was about eighteen years old. He never put a hand on her after that. Whereas Boggs argued with her father, her mother used "psychological warfare" when the two were at odds. (2:39-4:09)... When she was growing up,. Boggs had a good relationship with her mother. They talked often about Boggs' schooling and social life. Inexplicably, Boggs stopped telling her mother about her love life when she met her husband. When she married, her mother became "unraveled" and had a difficult time adjusting to life without her. It also took her a long time to accept Boggs' husband. (4:09-7:46)... Boggs and her parents frequently went on family outings, such as picnics and long drives. Whenever they moved to a new city they spent the weekends visiting historical places and points of interests. She recalls only one occasion when she and her father went out together, indicating that her mother was very possessive and wanted Boggs all to herself. This possessiveness also meant that Boggs could not stay overnight at girlfriends' homes or go on weekend excursions with other families. (7:46-8:40)... Even though her parents had an argumentative relationship, they never divorced and were married for more than forty years. During the marriage, her father was always home and never went out and drank with his friends. Occasionally, he would be gone overnight or for short periods of time when he was called in for duty. (8:40-10:21)... Boggs did not participate in very many social activities when she was a young girl on account of her shy personality. When she started college her shyness began to subside and she became involved in club activities. She also enjoyed listening to music and collecting records. (10:21-11:33)... Boggs had very little exposure to tools and mechanical devices at home when she was growing up. In high school, however, she took a wood shop class, marking the first time she learned how to use tools. After she married her husband, she began doing needlework more often and also took some craft classes. Other than these experiences, the only other time she worked with tools was when she worked in aircraft production during the war. (11:33-14:10)... Boggs aspired to become a pilot. When she started college at Seattle College (now Seattle University), she enrolled in an aeronautical engineering program and was encouraged by the Jesuits there to pursue this course of study. When her family was transferred to California, the Jesuits referred her to a priest at Loyola University. However, when he learned of her intentions, he told her: "Women just don't do that sort of thing....You should be taking something that will give you an education in the home." Boggs switched to a math major and eventually graduated in biological science. Her mother initially encouraged her to pursue flying, but changed her tune when Boggs started taking flight lessons. Boggs also attempted to join the Women's Air Force Command, but her mother refused to sign the enlistment papers. Other than flying, Boggs did not think about her future. She certainly did not see herself getting married and having children. (14:10-14:58)... She graduated from high school in 1943, and went to work in a library part-time, also earning money baby sitting and doing seasonal work at department stores. She kept her earnings and remembers spending her money on frivolous items. (14:58-17:51)... During her senior year in high school, Boggs took a wood shop course where she learned how to use various tools and make furniture. There were approximately twenty-five girls enrolled in the class. The purpose of the course was to acclimate women to the machines and the noise of the aircraft factories. Boggs notes: "This was during the war. So, of course, you were going to help your country and go into a defense job." She enjoyed this class and often thought about returning to college to pursue a degree in industrial arts. (17:51-21:48)... The day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, Boggs and her family had just finished breakfast at the Puget Sound Naval Academy. Her father was close to retiring from the army and accepted the headmaster position at the academy. When the war broke out, he received a commission from the army and was sent to officers training school in California. Her mother got a job at Boeing when Boggs was a senior in high school. She graduated from high school and attended one quarter at Seattle College before her family moved once again. (21:48-23:20)... Boggs did not participate in any blood or bond drives while she was in high school and she does not recall her high school every sponsoring any wartime activities. She remembers that boys would occasionally leave half way through the semester for military duty. Everyone was conscious about pulling down the shades and restricting the use of their lights. Boggs never thought about going to work at Boeing like her mother. She believes that her mother went to work because she "probably got bored at home." (23:20-25:49)... After graduating high school, Boggs took a part-time job at a library until the fall semester began at Seattle College. Even though her family was not Catholic, she attended this Jesuit college because they agreed to admit her without a high school diploma. She did not receive a diploma because she lacked three courses. In 1969, Boggs contacted her high school and was finally issued a diploma. End of tape. *** File: rrrbboggs3.mp3 (0:00-1:42)... Boggs expected to attend college after graduating from high school. She wanted to pursue aeronautical engineering and work as a test pilot. Her parents supported her decision and her mother tried to keep her in line by telling her that any bad behavior would ruin her chances of becoming a pilot. However, once Boggs began taking flight lessons her mother stopped supporting her decision to become a pilot because flying was too dangerous. Boggs was crushed when she was persuaded to abandon her aeronautical engineering program. (1:42-2:30)... She did not have an active social life during her first semester in college because she was still very shy and knew very few people. She occasionally went to a movie with a friend, but that was the extent of her social activities. (2:30-4:34)... After finishing the fall semester at Seattle College, Boggs moved to California with her family in December 1943. They then moved to Portland, Oregon around 1944 and lived there for a short time. They returned to Seattle because Boggs' mother felt that she was dating too much. Boggs returned to classes at Seattle College. In the fall of 1946, she started dating her husband who was also a student at the college. They married in 1947. (4:34-7:24)... Her father was transferred to an army base in San Pedro at the end of 1943, at which time the family moved to California and settled in Redondo Beach. Boggs inquired about the aeronautical engineering program at Loyola University, but decided not to enroll in courses after the priest at the university told her that "women don't belong anywhere else but home." Boggs and her mother decided to go to work at an aircraft plant rather than "sit around in an apartment all day." Her mother was hired as a drill press operator and Boggs was hired as a riveter. Boggs developed a carefree outlook on life during this time, indicating that she did not think about the future nor did she feel like she had a great deal of responsibilities. Her social life picked up when she befriended a male co-worker who was thirty-four years old. He owned a car and took Boggs sight seeing and to nightclubs. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Betty Jeanne Boggs was only seventeen years old when she went to work at Doaks Manufacturing shortly after the family moved to Los Angeles.. Born in 1926, Boggs was raised in the northwest, and when graduated from high school, at sixteen, enrolled in the Jesuit-run Seattle University with the intention of majoring in aeronautical engineering. When her father was transferred to Los Angeles, she planned on continuing her course of study at Loyola University. However, when the Jesuits there quashed that idea, she and her mother both went to work in the aircraft industry instead. Before war's end, the family moved back to the northwest, and Boggs eventually enrolled again at Seattle University, where she met her future husband. After they married, they alternated finishing their college studies and working. She worked at Sylvania Electric until the birth of her second child, at which time she left the work force. As Boggs' children grew older, she returned to school and eventually earned an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts Degree). The spacious back yard of her hilltop home in Eagle Rock was graced by her sculptures: a massive ensemble of life sized stone figures. The three interviews with Boggs were conducted by Jan Fischer. Although she was initially self conscious and concerned about relating her story "well," she became more relaxed as each interview progressed. She was often dressed in the clothes that she wore to work at her table saw, and was delighted to show her work area and her art. TOPICS - family background; parents; schooling; childhood; play activities; clothing; economic status; menstruation; and mother's attitudes towards men;gender roles; family life; relationship with parents; schooling; social activities; career aspirations; defense preparation; college; father's career; and Pearl Harbor;college; career aspirations; husband; move to California; defense work; and social activities;
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