Interview with Helen Babbitt Breckinridge, October 6, 1989

Interview Summary

Helen B. Breckinridge grew up in Louisville and came to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky. She graduated from an all-girls high school in 1939 and Breckinridge comments on having men in the classrooms during her college experience. Breckinridge's mother, father, and younger brother attended Purdue. She followed her older sister to UK and joined the Kappa sorority where her sister was president. Breckinridge later became secretary and vice president of Kappa. She was also a member of the French club and an usher at the Guignol Theater. She majored in French. Breckinridge states that her first impression of UK was that it was an inviting campus. Her freshmen year was spent in Patterson Hall, and then during her sophomore year she moved into the Kappa house. Breckinridge describes social life on campus. She discusses the different regulations for men and women, and mentions the curfews for women. She talks about various classes like zoology and evolution as well as her favorite teachers. Breckinridge also comments on the effects of World War Two on campus. Breckinridge graduated in 1942 and married. Her husband, Scott, was in the navy and Breckinridge traveled to wherever his ship would come in. Since graduating, Breckinridge believes UK has advanced academically.

Interview Keyword

College administrators College environment College students--Conduct of life. College students--Social conditions College teachers--Rating of. Greek letter societies. Louisville (Ky.) Sex discrimination in higher education. Sexism in higher education Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Interview LC Subject

Breckinridge, Helen Babbitt Breckinridge, Helen Babbitt--Interviews Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941 University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History World War, 1939-1945--Women Women--Education (Higher) Women in higher education. College teachers--Rating of

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.