June Szirotny (nee Skye) Scrapbooks, 1929 - 2015

June Marjorie (Skye) Szirotny (1929 - ) was an assistant professor of English at the University of Illinois from 1968 to 1976, and has since been a visiting scholar at the university. She received a bachelor's (1950) and master's (1951) degree in English from the University of Michigan, and received a Ph.D. (1966) in English from Stanford University. Her dissertation focused on the religious background of the novels of George Eliot, and Szirotny has since published articles on George Eliot, as well as the book: George Eliot's Feminism: The Right to Rebellion (2015). Szirotny worked as an instructor of English at the University of Missouri at Columbia (1952-55), Stanford University (1957-59, 1962-63), and Queens College of The City University of New York (1963-66), before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Illinois. Her fellowships include University of Illinois faculty summer fellowships (1969-1970), Fulbright grant for study in England (1966-1967), and the Stanford Wilson graduate fellowship (1962-1963), and she was a member in the honorary scholastic societies: Phi Beta Kappa (1950), Phi Kappa Phi (1950), and Alpha Lambda Delta (1947).

Szirotny's papers include her CV, a list of her publications, information about her husband, Karoly Szirotny, the book: George Eliot's Feminism: A Right to Rebellion, four issues of the magazine "Children's Activities for Home and School" from 1938-1939–these magazines contain stories written by June Skye as a child–and ten detailed scrapbooks about the early life of June Marjorie (Skye) Szirotny created by her mother: Esther Pearce Skye.

The scrapbooks cover the years from June Skye’s birth in Riverdale, Illinois, in 1929 to young adulthood at the University of Michigan. They include extensive notes on Skye's childhood, collected memorabilia, and hundreds of photographs by Esther Pearce Skye. The scrapbooks summarize genealogical details about June Skye's family, and record details such as the types of cries Skye had as a baby, the date she first grasped an object, the books she read growing up, the quality and price of various clothing items she wore, the presents she received, Skye's different illnesses and injuries and how they were treated, among others. The scrapbooks show life in the Midwestern United States in the 30s and 40s from the perspective of a small town mother documenting the lives of her children.

In one scrapbook anecdote of small town life, June Skye split her lip as an infant, and the wound was treated by cauterizing it with silver nitrate and washing it with boric acid. Other medical details are e.g., a receipt from the dentist and a prescription slip for glasses. Esther Pearce Skye kept a plethora of memorabilia that shows the activities that the family enjoyed, including dozens of brochures and programs from shows that the family went to, such as: Puppet World 1940 Tour, Chicagoland Music Festival, and operas such as Rigoletto and Aida.

Another aspect of small town life seen in these scrapbooks is a comprehensive look at schooling from Kindergarten through high school at Thornton Township High School to the University of Michigan. Included are photos of June's Kindergarten room--complete with a goldfish pond and a windmill in the classroom itself-- and a floor plan and rules sheet for the Thornton Township High School library. Memorabilia here include class photos with names of students, Skye's report cards, homework, school awards, class schedules, school supply rental receipts, study hall slips, letters from the superintendent, newspaper announcements, and more.

The details of family life in the scrapbooks include descriptions of how the family celebrated each holiday and birthday, the trips they went on, family pets, and more. Esther Pearce Skye records the gifts that June Skye was given on her birthdays and who they were from, and journals about their family trips. One notable excursion for the family was to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Included are photographs from various rides and exhibits, newspaper clippings of photos and articles about the fair. Esther Pearce Skye describes the model homes in the fair in great detail and included photos. Another family trip was to Mexico and includes photos taken of various people and places, and maps of locations they visited. The scrapbooks also show life at home, including photos of the house and room that June Skye was born in. Esther Pearce Skye records that she decided to leave the hospital that she was supposed to give birth in, as the doctor got angry at her for requesting her husband stay in the birthing room. Other photos of home life show the family's Boston terriers playing with the children. One of these photos shows June dressing up their dog with a little bonnet to pose for pictures.

The stories in these scrapbooks also show the larger contexts of daily life. For example: 7 year old June Skye wrote a letter to Republican candidate Alf Landon expressing that she wished he had won the 1936 presidential election, as she thought he would make a better president than Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the World War II era, a favorite high school teacher of June’s left to join the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). Rather than showing the usual historical contexts from the view of those with power and money, these scrapbooks show history from the perspective of a small town family, and the woman that was raising them. Filled with hundreds of photographs, memories, anecdotes, and diary entries, this collection preserves the childhood of a woman scholar in the early 20th century.

The author of the scrapbooks, Esther Pearce Skye, obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1922, a Master of Arts in 1925, and additional schooling at Iowa State Teachers' College. She worked as a mathematics teacher in Manistique, Michigan from 1923 – 1926, and at Georgia Wesleyan College from 1926-1927. The scrapbooks also mention Esther Pearce Skye substituting as a math teacher at June's high school. Esther Pearce Skye's interests and accomplishments include: editor of the Chicago Park District Dog Training Magazine and Dog College News, secretary of the Calumet Dog Training Club, publicity chairman of the Chicago Park District Dog Training Association, and the secretary of the Woman's Club, the Garden Club, and the Washington P.T.A.

This series is arranged chronologically, and Szirotny's CV is at the end of the series. More information about the family's history can be found in the collection: Andrew O. Skye papers [11/8/420].