The Search for Miss Kelly

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a news item featuring the "search for Miss Kelly", a woman attending the University of Connecticut who had applied for astronaut training.  NBC news has a copy of a rejection letter from February of 1962 where NASA said "We have no existing program for woman astronauts...nor do we contemplate any such plan..."  Of course, in 1963, the Soviet Union launched the first woman into space but it took many years for the United States to catch up.

We don't know if Miss Kelly ever fulfilled her dream in some other way.  NASA did not officially hire female astronauts until 1978. 

As of the time I blog this, Miss Kelly has not been found.  But, interesting, I saw that this Miss Kelly letter had been published online in 2013 - nine years ago.

Back in 2020, I wrote this about women in the space program, and something I was never taught, even as I watched launches live in my 1960's elementary school classrooms:
"I grew up in the 50's and 60's, a time when we were in a space race with the Soviet Union.

All the astronauts were men.  The people in the control room were men.  That's the way it was back then.

Little did I know about the female "computers", who, starting as early as 1939, helped to put airplanes in the air and, eventually, the United States into space.  No one talked about them.  No one taught us about them in school, even in the science oriented high school I attended in New York City in the late 1960's.

No, NASA's face was totally male. 

I did not pursue a science career (I was never able to conquer mathematics) but the space program always remained of interest to me.

Some of these computers, not machines, but humans who did their calculations by hand, were women of color.  They rode to work in segregated buses, consigned to the back.  They worked in segregated rooms.  Some had to go to the bathroom in a different building than they worked in.

In those days, a "computer" was a human.  Machine computers were primitive, and not trusted for many calculations.

Eventually, a book called "Hidden Figures" told some of the stories of three female computers of color..  Among them was a woman by the name of Katherine Johnson, who did the calculations for some of the first Mercury missions and Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the moon, among many other accomplishments.  She retired in 1986.

In an interview several years ago, she humbly said "I did the best I could".

Fast forward to 2017, when spouse and I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina to view the total eclipse of the sun.  

At the museum where we saw the eclipse, there was a NASA trailer and a long line to get in.  We saw their display and, at the end, were invited to the Langley, Virginia NASA facility where Katherine Johnson and others had worked, for an open house that October.  They only hold the open houses every five years, and this one was special - their 100th anniversary.   Health permitting (Ms. Johnson was in a wheelchair by then), Katherine Johnson was planning to attend.

But my elderly mother in law's health was starting to fail, and we could not make the trip."

We never did see Katherine Johnson.  She passed away in 2020. 

I've still kept my interest in the space program, and I'm aware there is a hope of seeing a woman on the moon by 2025.

Now, to see if we can find Miss Kelly.  Maybe this time, we will.

Women's History Month - Margaret Chase Smith

International Women's Day was Sunday, but a comment on my blog Saturday where I incorrectly indicated that there were no more female candidates in the Democratic race for nomination to run for President reminded me of a woman who made her mark years ago in politics.

She may not be well known today, but for today, which is an important primary day, I want to remember a Senator who was the first woman to run for a major political party's nomination for the candidacy for President of the United States.

But years before her run, she gave a speech considered one of the most important speeches in the United States Senate of the 20th century.  It's called A Declaration of Conscience and was given on June 1, 1950, during the Joseph McCarthy era.  I invite you to read the summaries online - in many ways it is as relevant today as it was back then.

Margaret Chase Smith, Republican Senator from Maine in the mid-20th century, gave that speech, and almost 14 years later announced her candidacy for President of the United States.  Smith was not the first woman to run for President, but was the first to be nominated at a major party convention.

The running for President clip of January 27, 1964 is about 17 minutes long.   No need to listen to all 17 plus minutes if you click the link below, but if you listen to the first few minutes and the last five or so minutes, you will note a lot of one thing:

Laughter.  Lots of laughter.

Was a woman announcing a run for President that funny?  But let's remind ourselves that we listen to this recording with 2020 ears.

Link to Announcement of Margaret Chase Smith's candidacy for President - take note of about 13:00 and onward

Smith did not win any of the Republican primaries she was entered into in 1964, and lost her nomination bid to Barry Goldwater.  But she lived to the age of 97.  At the time of her death, in 1995, she was the last living Senator to be born in the 19th century.

The century where women worked tirelessly to get us the rights we enjoy today.

Hopefully, since 1964, we have come a long way, baby.

International Women's Day - The Declaration of Sentiments

Tomorrow is International Women's Day.

Imagine - the Democratic list of candidates for the 2020 election of the President of the United States for the next four years started out with several female candidates.   This week, the last one (with a serious chance at the nomination) suspended her campaign.

I am inspired by the realization that my spouse's aunt, who died in 2019 at the age of 107, was born into a world where she did not have the right to vote.

Let's rewind history a little.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton's House, "The Center of the Rebellion",  Seneca Falls New York

In Seneca Falls, New York,  in  July of 1848, the First Women's Right Convention was held.  Out of this convention a document called the Declaration of Sentiments came, signed by 68 women and 32 men.

In 2016, I "wrote" a letter to all the signers of this document, but especially, the women:

"Dear signers of the Declaration of Sentiments:

"I owe so much to you, as a married woman living in the United States.  Due to your courage:
-I have the right to vote
-I can keep the wages I make
-I have the right to own property and to pass it down, upon my death, to the person or persons I choose
-I have the right to an education...

...and I have other rights women in some other countries don't have - the right not to have their bodies mutilated,  the right to marry or not marry, the right to become or not become pregnant, the right to attend school without worrying about being kidnapped and sold into slavery, or being killed, and even the right to drive a car.

If I wanted to write a book, I could do that under my own name.  I wouldn't have to pretend to be a man.

It took so many years for you to win those rights for me.  Instrumental in getting these rights were your efforts in getting women the right to vote.

And now, too many women take these rights for granted.  Many of us don't vote.  We don't take advantage of educational opportunities.  We devalue ourselves.

A sad thing about history is, if you didn't live it, you tend to forget it.  I can remember the days of "Male" and "female" help wanted ads, just as one example.  I can remember when one of my high school teachers became pregnant, and had to leave when she started to show. (This, incidentally, was in 1969.)

You all taught me never to take rights for granted.  Rights taken for granted are rights lost.

Worst of all, there are places where women have never had those rights, and both men and women suffer for it. That's part of women's history, too, the story of the present.

Those once called suffragettes, thank you for your courage.

Thank you for what you did for generations yet unborn. Like mine.

Sincerely,

AM"

She Did the Best She Could

I grew up in the 50's and 60's, a time when we were in a space race with the Soviet Union.

All the astronauts were men.  The people in the control room were men.

Little did I know about the female "computers", who, starting as early as 1939, helped to put airplanes in the air and, eventually, the United States into space.  No one talked about them.  No one taught us about them in school, even in the science oriented high school I attended in New York City in the late 1960's.

No, NASA's face was totally male. 

I did not pursue a science career (I was never able to conquer mathematics) but the space program always remained dear to me.

Some of these computers, not machines, but humans who did their calculations by hand, were women of color.  They rode to work in segregated buses, consigned to the back.  They worked in segregated rooms.  Some had to go to the bathroom in a different building than they worked in.

In those days, a "computer" was a human.  Machine computers were primitive, and not trusted for many calculations.

Eventually, a book called "Hidden Figures" told some of the stories of three female computers of color..  Among them was a woman by the name of Katherine Johnson, who did the calculations for some of the first Mercury missions and Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the moon, among many other accomplishments.  She retired in 1986.

In an interview several years ago, she humbly said "I did the best I could".

Fast forward to 2017, when spouse and I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina to view the total eclipse of the sun.  

At the museum where we saw the eclipse, there was a NASA trailer and a long line to get in.  We saw their display and, at the end, were invited to the Langley, Virginia NASA facility where Katherine Johnson and others had worked, for an open house that October.  They only hold the open houses every five years, and this one was special - their 100th anniversary.   Health permitting (Ms. Johnson was in a wheelchair by then), Katherine Johnson was planning to attend.

But my elderly mother in law's health was starting to fail, and we could not make the trip.

Yesterday, we lost Katherine Johnson, aged 101.
May she rest in peace.

The Center of the Rebellion - #WordlessWednesday

Such an unassuming house, this house on Washington Street in Seneca Falls, New York, a short walk from some canal locks.

But consider who lived in this house from 1847 to 1862 - a woman by the name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Born in 1815, this woman, like all women born in our country at the time, could not vote.  Despite being the mother of seven, she decided to do something about that.  She called this house "The Center of the Rebellion".

Today, too many of us ignore what our foremothers (and the men who supported their efforts) had to do to win us the right to vote.

Voting is a right, for many in our country (not just women).  I ask that you consider that in November -then get out and VOTE.

Join Esha and Natasha for #WordlessWednesday.

Women in Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday.  It's time for another #MusicMovesMe. 

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only on this music train, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ .  Last but not least, there's me.
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We are a musical group, so we would love you to join us - but if you want to join in, please bring some music, so we can get our dance shoes on and boogie with you!

Last week we celebrated International Women's Day.   So why not feature some songs sung, or written by, women? 

This first song, You Don't Own Me, was sung by Lesley Gore when she was only 17 years old.  Consider this:  this song was a hit in 1963, and if you think of it in that way, the lyrics are revolutionary. 

Carole King - singer, songwriter.  This may not be her best song, but I love the singing and the music both.  From 1975, Jazzman.

Carole King also wrote songs sung by many different artists.  This hit, One Fine Day, charted for the Chiffons in 1963.

Prepare to cry, listening to Dusty Springfield, sing still another Carole King song, Goin' Back.

My spouse suggested Laura Nyro.  My choice here would be "Dedicated to the One I Love", covered here by the Mamas and the Papas. sung by Laura Nyro, as there was a problem with the Mamas and Papas video.

Virginia Patterson Hensley (better known to us as Patsy Cline), was taken from us at the age of 30, in 1963.  Her loss was a great one.

Here is "Crazy", sung live on the Grand Ol' Opry.

Women  We are strong. We are talented.  And I could devote many, many more blogs to women in music.  Karen Carpenter, Patti Smith, Linda Ronstadt, Petula Clark (still active at age 86), and so many more deserve time in this blog.

Perhaps I should make this a series.

Come back on March 18, when I reveal my Blogging from A to Z theme, and bring music back to the #MusicMovesMe dance floor!

Women and the Vote Part 1

Now the Landmark Church, once the Centenary Church, downtown Binghamton New York, built in 1866

Every year, I vote.  I stop at the desk where I identify myself, and sign my name.  I am handed a ballot and I fill out the voting circles with a designated felt tip pen.

I insert it into the voting machine.  I vote. So easy, even a woman can do it.

But once, it wasn't so simple.   Until recently, I never knew how close to history I walk each day.  I address this post to women, but men are more than welcome to read it, too.


It wasn't until this sign went up last month that I even knew of this chapter in the church's history.

When this church was built in 1866, women had been active in the abolitionist movement to free enslaved blacks.  But, as the Civil War ended in 1865, women still found themselves unable to vote.  (Men of color also had a history of having to fight for the right to vote, a post for another day)

Activist women turned their attention to gaining the right to vote.

It was sometimes a bloody battle.  Other women went to jail.  And not all women supported the suffragettes.

In 1913, their convention was held in this same church in downtown Binghamton.

In 1917, 101 years ago, women were finally able to exercise their right to vote in New York.  And that first vote in New York State was held a few miles from Binghamton, in Lisle, New York (a story for another day).  By 1920, women were able to vote everywhere in the United States.

If you are a woman, will you exercise that right this November 6?  The same right that women fought for, sometimes at great peril to themselves? 

Because now, storm clouds gather, imperiling the right to vote for some in our country - women AND men.

Don't be fooled:  Election Day is the same day, regardless of party.

If signs go up in your neighborhood warning of penalties for voter fraud, know that you DO have an absolute right to vote.

Know your rights concerning a tool called the provisional ballot.


Don't let your hard earned right to vote be challenged.

Day 23 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Body Image

I remember how I was crushed as a teenager when a so-called friend called me "plain looking".  It took me years to recover from that.

I grew up in the 1950's and 60's.  Could I imagine growing up now, where people on Instagram would be telling me how I should look?

The newest blow to body image is something called the "Toblerone Tunnel" and I won't dignify it by giving it any kind of link or hashtag.  The women above do a better job of explaining it than I would, anyway. 

I like toblerone, by the way.  But "candy" and "thighs" should never be uttered in the same sentence.

Seriously, though, folks.  We women spend too much time tearing each other down, and trying to think of ways to make us feel even worse about our body self image.  I say that because one of my cousins battled anorexia as a teen, and although she is healthy today, she (and her family) went through a hellish time.

That body image thing?  It can kill.  It does kill.  And maim.

Isn't it just time for all of us to STOP?

International Women's Day 2017 #Womensday2017

Today is International Women's Day, so I am skipping my usual Winter Wonders Wednesday post.

“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

Today, in the United States,  has been declared "A Day without a Woman".  Some bloggers are going silent today.  I am not.

At one time, this was the fate of many women - an endless round of hard labor for little or no reward.  Many people work to make this a thing of the past.

Women can be our own worst enemies.  We will tear other women down.   Today, let us pledge to support each other.


There is no question that our society could not run without women for more than a few seconds.  In my 64 years, I've seen women make great strides but we have so far to go, here in the United States.  But we have such a far way to go.  This past year has shown us just how far.

This was my post for 2016.

Today, I am taking baby steps to become more politically involved, as the world demands it.  I am also thinking of some type of participation in events related to VoteTilla, celebrating the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in New York State.

Just imagine that - my spouse's 105 year old aunt was born into a world where she could not vote.  She could not help decide who would make decisions on her behalf.

Let's keep the world moving forward.  Let's celebrate strong women, but pledge to lift each other up in an atmosphere of positivism.

Will you join in bettering the lives of women throughout the world?

Civil War Sunday Throwback- The Jackson Women

This month is Women's History Month in the United States.

Today, let us think back on the sacrifices made by women, and how they starred in our history - contributions too often ignored.

Over the years, I've had several blog posts related to Stonewall Jackson, one of the most famous Confederate generals (and perhaps one of the top generals this country has ever seen, although military history is not one of my main interests).

But what about the women in his life?

I wrote this post on Mother's Day in 2013 - and repost it today, in honor of women everywhere.

Civil War Sunday - The Jackson Women

Today, in the United States, it is Mother's Day.

It is important to remember that during the Civil War, life could be short.  Dying during or right after childbirth was common.  Infant mortality was high, as was death from a number of illnesses that are treatable today.

Many casualties of the Civil War came from infection, and illness, not directly from the hazards of the battlefield.  A number of Civil War generals (on both sides) died in action.  Perhaps the most mourned was a Confederate general by the name of Thomas ("Stonewall") Jackson.

150 years ago Friday,"Stonewall") Jackson died from pneumonia.  This followed Jackson's wounding several days earlier, towards the end of the Battle of Chancellorsville, by friendly fire.  His left arm was amputated in a field hospital not long after in an attempt to save his life.  150 years ago today, Jackson's body lay in state.  And in more modern times, candlelight vigils were held on the anniversary of the last night of his life.

But, this made me think of Stonewall Jackson's family, and what their fates were.  What follows is a little slice of 19th century life.  (A genealogy of Thomas Jackson is available online, if you are interested.)  As tragic as Stonewall Jackson's death at the age of 33 was to many, we may want to consider this:

1.  Julia Neele Jackson, Thomas Jackson's mother:  Two years after Thomas (the youngest of her three children) was born, his 6 year old sister and his father died from typhoid fever.  Jackson's mother was 28 and was 9 months pregnant with her fourth child at the time.  The day after Jackson's father died, Julia gave birth to his sister Laura.

A young widow, Julia Jackson supported her three remaining children in various ways, eventually remarrying.  She died from complications of childbirth when she was 33 years old.

2.  Eleanor Junkin Jackson, Thomas Jackson's first wife:  married less than a year to Jackson, she died in childbirth.  A son was stillborn.

3.  Mary Anna Jackson, Thomas Jackson's second wife:  Mary and Thomas had two daughters.  The first daughter died in infancy.  The second daughter, Julia Jackson Christian, was an infant when Jackson died, with Anna (the name she preferred) at his side.

Anna lived into her 80's.  She never remarried and wore clothes of mourning for the rest of her life.  She was a published author of two books.

Julia lived into adulthood, married, and had two children of her own (a boy and a girl) before she died, a young mother, of typhoid fever.  Anna raised her two grandchildren.  The boy, Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian, died the year I was born.

Julia Preston, Thomas Jackson's granddaughter, lived to 104, passing away  in 1991.

But, in a story so tragic in many ways, there is one more tragedy to explore.  We talk about how the Civil War tore apart so many families. As it happens, Thomas Jackson's family was one such family.  Remember his sister Laura, the sister born a day after their father died?  Her sympathies were with the Union.  And, she paid a huge personal cost for that loyalty.

Laura Jackson Arnold became estranged from her beloved older brother and never reconciled with her family after the war. Her husband divorced her over her Union loyalties.  She died in West Virginia (a part of Virginia that split from that Confederate State and joined the Union on June 20, 1863, the only state to join the Union during the Civil War - in another bit of irony) in 1911.

All civil wars are tragic.  Ours was no exception. As we pay tribute to the mothers in our lives today, let us take a moment to remember the many mothers who suffered (and continue to suffer) in war.