Estelle Badger (1927-2017), 1994 February 23
Abstract
In this interview, Estelle Badger discusses her work as a secretary in a law firm. Badger describes her day-to-day tasks, the education she recieved that led to this job, the impact of World War II on her career, and how her marriage effected her job.
Dates
- 1994 February 23
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Biographical / Historical
Badger attended Eastern High School which prepared her for secretarial work. She started working for a law firm starting in 1944 when she was 17 years old. She worked in a secretarial pool and was expected to adhere to a strict dress code. She stopped working when she got married and became pregnant, because employees were not permitted to work while pregnant. Badger started working again in 1949. During World War II, Badger remembers gas and sugar rationing in particular, and how both continued for some time after the war ended.
Extent
1 Items (60-minute audio recording)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Bibliography
Scope and Contents
This collection includes 10 oral history interviews. The interviews were conducted by Andrea Lewis, Dale Jones, John Direll and one other unnamed individual.
The individuals interviewed were all secretaries for a variety of different organizations during the 1940s, including but not limited to the Social Security Administration, law firms, the National Art Gallery, high schools, and hospitals to name a few locations. The interviews focus on work and life during World War II, as well as what it was like to be a woman working in male-dominate professions.
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org