It's Good to be a Woman—Voices from Bryn Mawr, Class of '62 (review)

It's Good to Be a Woman is a compilation of oral histories from the graduates of Bryn Mawr College Class of 1962. The book does an excellent job of weaving together the social and political trends of the 1960s by showing how the lives of these women were impacted and shaped by the political and social movements of that era. The book provides insight on how these women were the vanguard for the feminist movement and the changing role of women in American society.

In their oral interviews, the women talk about their earliest memories, parental expectations, and the cultural, societal, and political influences of the sixties. They explain how sexism, racism, the women's liberation movement, civil rights and free speech movements, gay rights, and antiwar rallies helped them to define who they were and what they stood for. In spite of barriers and obstacles they encountered, many of them pursued advanced degrees and established distinguished careers in journalism, education, law, and medicine.

The author specially emphasizes that the Bryn Mawr graduates were not typical of the young women of the 1950s since they were educated at an elite women's college with a strong feminist tradition that believed that women could achieve anything they set out to do. Those achievements included attending graduate school, getting married, having children, traveling, working in other countries, publishing books, volunteering for the Peace Corps, and entering professional fields that were normally not open to women.

Many of the women who were interviewed articulated Bryn Mawr's strong feminist tradition. Dr. Frances Conley, the first tenured professor of neurosurgery at the Stanford School of Medicine, who resigned her position because of the pervasive sexism she experienced, states that she was able to take a stand against sexism because her Bryn Mawr education gave her the confidence to see that she was capable of accomplishing whatever she wanted to do in life. Dr. Conley persevered in spite of obstacles and went on to become chief of staff at the Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System.

The organization of the book is easy to follow with each chapter featuring different women and their stories along with both college and recent photographs, giving a complete snapshot of them then and now.

The methodology used for these oral histories included class reunion surveys, taped interviews, telephone conversations, e-mails, personal papers, letters, news clippings, photos, and miscellaneous notes. The author interviewed many more graduates than were included in the book but she mentions all participants and thanks them for their input.

The section of the book explaining the use of demographic notes provides substantive information for the oral histories. These notes include data on education, employment, marital status, life expectancy, and retirement trends. Forty percent of the women interviewed attended graduate school and, of those who married, some divorced, while others found ways to blend career and family. Twenty percent of the graduates had no children.

In addition to demographic notes, the book cites excellent resource materials on oral history, college studies, the history of Bryn Mawr, women's issues, and the social movements of the times. From an oral historian's perspective, the author draws upon a wealth of information that adds a depth of understanding about how certain historical events helped shape these women's lives. By reflecting on their passage from young women to mature women, they gained a better perspective and fuller awareness of how they came to be who they are today. Their stories leave a rich legacy of wisdom and resiliency for future generations.