File f104 - Wiley, Lilyan, nee Cochrane

File consists of a recording of Lilyan Wiley. Topics of the conversation include Gananoque farm background. Queen's degree in sciences; success in Civil Service professional exam, motivated by teacher surplus, unemployment; seed-testing career with Dept. of Agriculture. Participation in Queen's Alumni: Toronto branch executive positions; representation at founding meeting, Canadian Federation of University Women, 1919. Position as Secretary, Professional Institute for Civil Service scientific employees; members' belief in arbitration (strike action seen as beneath professional dignity); meeting in abbatoirs, chemists' labs,etc. Red Cross sewing group, Bloor St. United Church. Women's acceptance of sexual discrimination in early 1900s. Female teacher's advice to study sciences; subject's thankfulness she is not a teacher. Experience (aet. 17) summer-teaching Norwegian immigrants on prairies; fascination for different culture, 'it opened up a whole new world for me'. Parental support of teacher's advice that subject should attend university. Dr. Marty; Grace Miller. Separate dining establishments run in private homes during rooming-house days. Quiet student life reinforced by lack of entertainment. Queen's contribution during ww1 : sewing for specific French hospital. Sewing circles at Bloor St. United Church, Red Cross Toronto Headquarters. Subject's multilingual 'white Russian' friend. Trip to Russia, 1975 (United Church Observer tour) : easy passage through Russian customs compared with treatment in Montreal; safety walking the streets at night; lining up three times for department store purchase; magnificent railway station decor; comparison of Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev. //Striking up friendship with Russian young woman, remaining nameless for fear of surveillance; young woman's thrill being treated to orange juice (out of season luxury). Marvellous Russian entertainments. Travels throughout Canada, United States, Mexico; holidays in Gananoque area previous to parents' deaths. Peel County Alfalfa Growers' fortunate dealings with Russia: gift of two bags seed to Russia, Russia purchasing large Canadian surplus late in season. Temporary intelligence of Columbo Plan administrators in importing native seed analysts from backward countries, rather than exporting North American 'experts' to implement systems in foreign countries. Pleasure derived from professional use of metric system, Latin nomenclature; international traffic through lab, broad professional horizons. Depression period: longer hours, reduced pay. Visiting Frenchman's horror at Canadian women's compulsory sacrifice of job upon marriage; Civil Service salary reduction for women upon marriage; subject's opinion that women's energies weren't thwarted but redirected (into community work etc.). Queen's reunion for 60th anniversary graduates, 1975. Effects of old age, depriving subject of volunteer handiwork; appreciation of own good fortune, experience as committee chairman of Toronto church discussion group for down­and-outers. Impressive Easter address from 7 handicapped persons, each earning part of his own living: moving experience not only for audience but for speakers also, none of whom had ever been invited to share his experience.