Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography
MARY SUE BAKER Correspondence 1942
TAGS: Mary Sue Baker Correspondence, semester letters, Richard E. and Lutrella Baker, Arthur W. Dodd, WWII, PMSS students, Girl Scouts, Vesper programs, PMSS high school studies, vocational books
CONTENTS: Mary Sue Baker Correspondence
[020] Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Baker from PMSS Acting Director, Arthur W. Dodd, June 10, 1942. Carbon copy of typewritten letter. An image of this letter is displayed in the Gallery below.
June 15, 1942
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Baker
Gilley
KentuckyDear Mr. and Mrs. Baker:
We have reached the end of another school year at Pine Mountain; a year in which sweeping changes have come about in our national life; a year in which we as teachers and students have tried to find out just how we can be of most service to our country.
I am enclosing a letter from Mary Sue in which she has tried to evaluate herself both in her studies and in other phases of her life at Pine Mountain. We feel very strongly the importance of self-analysis and criticism, for the best personal development comes as a result of this.
I am pleased to add to Mary Sue’s letter that she has done outstanding work both in her studies and in her Industrial work. … Her teachers feel that she shows very definite qualities of leadership… In the house her conduct was ideal and she has contributed in many ways to the life of our school community.We feel certain that the work of the Co-op Group will be more challenging to Mary Sue academically and that she will have a fine chance to develop the many fine qualities that she has.
With good wishes to you, I remain
Image titled “[baker_mary_s_020.jpg],” shown below.
Cordially Yours,
[unsigned]
Acting Director
The following are transcriptions of two handwritten letters by Mary Sue Baker to her parents. The images of these letters are displayed in the Gallery below.
[014] Semester letter to her parents, Dec. 18, 1942, p. 1.
Reported on her progress in school the past 3 1/2 months; worked at West Wind and on the dish crew; describes improvements and ways toward further improvement.
[015] Semester letter to her parents, Dec. 18, 1942, p. 2.
English – “[I] have especially enjoyed the discussions of the Angle-Saxon period of history in England.
History – “I will say that Man’s Work and World is a very interesting book.”
[016] p. 3.
Biology – “I have learned more about the wood and leaves of different trees than I ever knew before.”
Co-op – “We have kept books, taken inventory, clerked, worked at the cash box and…”
[017] p. 4.
“ … figured up rebate.” ; Home Economics ; Taking a special mathematics course.
[018] p. 5.
Joined the Girl Scouts ; practices music lessons.
[019] p. 6.
Liked the Sunday evening Vesper programs “best of all” and the dancing parties “very much.”
[021] Mary Sue’s Semester Letter to her parents, May 17, 1942, p. 1
Home Economics ; Civics – “[W]e studied government and Kentucky history, wrote our vocational books, made a class constitution, and …”
[022] p. 2
…carry on parliamentary procedure every day in class.”
“I didn’t have much of an idea what I wanted to be until I decided I would write my [vocational] book about a librarian. Now I am really interested in this vocation.”
Science ; Bible – “… We wrote a play centered around Bible characters. I like to write and imagine things so this was of great interest to me.”
[023] p. 3
Sports – baseball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, ping-pong.
Music – sing ballads, learn about opera, read musical notes.
See Also:
LINE FORK SETTLEMENT
LUTRELLA BAKER ALBUM Line Fork Settlement
MARY SUE BAKER Biography
RICHARD AND LUTRELLA BAKER Records
GALLERY: Mary Sue Baker Correspondence
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 June, from Acting Director to her parents. [baker_mary_s_020.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 May, to her parents, p. 1. [baker_mary_s_021.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 May, to her parents, p. 2. [baker_mary_s_022.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 May, to her parents, p. 3. [baker_mary_s_023.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 May, to her parents, p. 4. [baker_mary_s_024.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – Mary to her parents, Dec 1942, p. 1. [baker_mary_s_014.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 Dec, to her parents, p. 2. [baker_mary_s_015.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 Dec, to her parents, p. 3. [baker_mary_s_016.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 Dec, to her parents, p. 4. [baker_mary_s_017.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 Dec, to her parents, p. 5. [baker_mary_s_018.jpg]
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- Mary Sue Baker Correspondence – 1942 Dec, to her parents, p. 6. [baker_mary_s_019.jpg]
