Dossier f24 - Galt, Mabel Claire, nee Johnston

File consists of a recording of Mabel Galt. Topics of the conversation include attraction to Queen's by extramural programme. Parents' interest in education; early notion of self as teacher. Payment for own education through teaching; hope of biological research career, dashed by lack of funds. Subject's use of university for self-development: 'I was thinking, and I needed more material to think with.' Teaching certificates c.1918. Predominance of female students at Queen's during WWI. Hilda Laird. Hen Coop residence; Charlotte Whitton as 'grubber', first editor of Queen's Journal. Subject as vice­president of dramatics club. Queen's student war work. Charlotte Whitton. Influence at Queen's of Nellie McClung. Teaching continuation school; subject's four-year engagement, waiting for husband's bank employers to approve marriage (according to financial standing);affection for husband. Forfeiting teaching career for marriage with no reservations. Customary student summer-teaching out west. Helping people in Depression years: only one bad experience. Depression victim's self-reliance, not looking to government for change, aid. Changes in public attitude to war: glory of first world war effort, duty of second. Changes in public attitude to WWI conscription-resistance in Quebec. Neighbourhood women's social-political study group, started in 1930s,still extant; husband's participation in Ruskin Literary and Debating Society. Disapproval of sexual promiscuity, thoughtlessness of modern marriage, irresponsible abortions; approval of male domestic support and cooperation, own husband as example. Subject's daughter. Family interest in painting. Belief in male-female character differences, caused by conditioning; encouragement of both son's and daughter's educations. Happiness residing with daughter; European and Canadian travels since late 1950s. Rewarding family volunteer-work teaching English to new Canadians.