Doris Holmes Blake - Correspondence with Doris Sidney Blake, February - October 1949

“It seems to me I am getting worse + worse in studying,” college student Doris Sidney Blake wrote to her parents, Smithsonian entomologist Doris Holmes Blake and botanist Sidney Fay Blake, in 1949. Doris Sidney then listed all of the nights she was busy that week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ah, to be young, but at least she could study on Friday! Join a group of volunpeers in transcribing this project to learn more about college life and social norms in the ‘40s. You might even find some of her worries about grades, romantic relationships, and roommates to be somewhat familiar. Tip: Start from the last page to work chronologically. *Content warning: mentions of suicide* Funding for the digitization of Blake's correspondence, and its inclusion into the Transcription Center, was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee. For more information about this collection, explore the finding aid.