Interview with Carolyn Holmes, April 12, 2022

Interview Summary

Holmes describes growing up in a small town in Michigan. Her father was a mortician and her mother was an elementary school teacher. She attended college at Michigan State University in the 50s. Her parents were registered Republicans but were not particularly politically active. Holmes lived in San Jose, California for a year after graduating college as part of a fellowship working at a local YMCA. She then took a job at Washington University in St. Louis, where she met her husband. They moved to Lexington in 1960 when he accepted a job at Transylvania University. All 3 of her children were born in Lexington. Immediately upon her arrival she joined the League of Women Voters. She remembers chairing the International Committee. In the 60s, members would meet in each other's homes and at night, as well as on Saturdays, to accommodate working members as well as mothers. Holmes remembers the League working on a study surrounding water in the city. She also recalls the merging of the city and county governments and attending naturalization ceremonies. In the 80s, she went back to school and received her Master's at UK. She also worked at the International School at UK for 17 years.

Interview Keyword

Michigan Kentucky California St. Louis Missouri Flint Detroit German Irish Scottish Lexington San Jose Transylvania University University of Kentucky Michigan State University school teacher elementary Eisenhower Kennedy Republican Democrat siblings League of Women Voters water naturalization International studies sociology anthropology political science fellowship YMCA children working husband World War I World War II WWI WWII World War 1 World War 2

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