GA Tech was an all man's school. They did NOT want women there; however, we came. I was always the only girl in my classes. However, it was kind of funny one guy that always sat next to me in an algebra class was harassing me for being there. I finally ask him if it bothered him that I was there why did he sit next to me. His answer was because I helped him understand what the professor was talking about. He offered his appreciation at the end of the class for my help. Math - algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, accounting, drafting and all my English classes as well as Spanish were fairly easy. I also took a bunch of architecture and architecture history classes that were fairly easy since Tedi had taught me a lot of art and design. I couldn't take any chemistry (which I really wanted to learn) since at that time is was in German so basically had to wait until I went to the University of WY. What was a challenge was structural engineering and physics; I really worked hard on these classes. I spent all weekends doing designs etc. My only recreation was I did attend football games when they were in town. Another problem I had was there were no women's restrooms except in the main administration building and that was closed on weekends. Most of the guys were really gentlemen. When I had to go to the rest room someone would stand guard at the rest room door so I could do what nature requires of us at times.
I had started to work for an architect and one of the school professors, Ike Saporta. I worked for him free at first for experience; but since evidently I did such a good job he hired me. I worked a minimum of 20 hours a week drafting and accounting. There were about 5 people in the office. On Friday afternoon after he paid all his office help he always insisted everyone had a glass of wine. I didn't drink so lots of the potted plants around the office got my glass of wine contents. Everyone chatted and enjoyed relaxing moments. During on of our discussions he revealed during WWII as a child and young person in Italy he hid in caves to avoid persecution. They were Jews. After the war he and his family immigrated to the US. I'll tell you he was a hard worker. I worked on apartment building and a big mall designs. While the mall was being constructed 2 of the construction hands would come to the office with questions. My supervisor was a good friend of them. Both guys were named Bob. One turned out to be Bob Keaten. Sometimes after work they went and had a drink at a local bar. One time they ask me to join them. I had one sip of something and became dizzy. No more for me; I could hardly walk out to get back into a vehicle. I saw both of them at the office quite a while before I started dating Bob. I worked 20 hours/ week during classes and 50 to 60 hours the 2 weeks between classes. It's kind of funny, I told Ike he should pay his employees overtime for anything over 40 hours per week. He said no way. After we moved to AL I received a check from him for all the overtime work I had done. Evidently someone complained to the state and his records had been checked. He had to make up what he should have done originally.
Since I was living on my own I had rent and utilities to pay, food to purchase as well as tuition to pay quarterly etc etc. No phone, no car. That meant a lot of hard work along with a lot of studying. I went to school all 4 quarters of the year taking a full load. Studying and working was all I did; not much playing. The women students did form a sorority which I became a member of Alpha Xi Delta. I was even president one year. I walked to school. I walked around the campus (no bike as some had). I walked to work then from work back home. At home I studied long hours into the night. At times I didn't even have enough money to buy groceries. Sometimes I went 4 or more days without food until Friday's paycheck. Without a phone I had little contact with my folks. Occasionally Tedi would come by and check on me when she found out what had recently happened to me she actively looked for another place close to the school for me to move to. One night I had been siting at my dining table studying when someone knocked at the door. Foolishly I opened the door and a student I had seen attacked me trying to rape me. I kicked, screamed, bit etc to fight him off. He finally left. Thank God. My residence was on the ground floor of a corner building house on a very busy street. She found me an apartment on the 3rd floor of a very old building; 3 more blocks for me to walk. When they helped me move they discovered I really had no food in the refrigerator or pantry they inquired why. From then on at least one time a week they picked me up after work and the 3 of us had dinner at a local restaurant. We got to chat a bit too. When I say old building it had been build when lights were gas. Electrical lines had been installed and all gas piping had been cut off at floor level. What this did was create tunnels for mice to run through out the building. I set a mouse trap by the cut pipe and would wake up 2 or 3 times a night to the trap snapping shut, get up and dump the mouse in the toilet and reset the trap. It also had lots of roaches in especially the kitchen area. Surprisingly some of the men students driving to campus would stop and give me a ride to school. I was always grateful.
Back to studying. I had one particular hard class in engineering structural design; I just wasn't getting it. So I found out where the engineering professor worked and showed up there to ask for help. He stated they were so busy that he didn't have time to help me. I offered to do free drafting for help for his time he spent helping me. He was surprised but agreed. I did pass that class and did enough drafting for him that when my other job slowed down and I didn't have enough hours to make a living he hired me. I continued working for him until after I graduated. My work again consisted of drafting, as well as accounting. They also ran a construction firm which had to pay workers each Friday. The gal who had been doing his accounting stole a lot of money from him; she was eventually arrested for theft. I took over quite a bit of chores there including walking his poodle. He had a big black dog he brought to work; but at work that dog just clung to me. Evidently I attract animals. He just loved me; however, he had not been trained very well to walk on a leash without pulling very hard. I really missed dogs and had a fun time with him.
I began having some sort of painful medical problem. I went to the clinic on campus for students. They talked a bit and examined me. They gave me a shot for pain. The clinic had no beds for women students as provided for the men. Evidently as they were talking I passed out. I woke up in an Atlanta Hospital. This was just before Christmas break. The Atlanta Hospital notified my folks. They came and got me discharged and took me home. I am allergic to medical shots. Mostly they make me very dizzy (can't drive) however, they have (as well as alcohol) made me go unconscious several times. The medical problem was never diagnoses. However, they told me I was extremely allergic to narcotics and never take any of them again for pain.
GA Tech had a large campus. Around the main administration building were various buildings where general courses such as math, English, physics and structural courses were taught. There was a small building with the doctors clinic in it for students. Then north of that on the edge of a embankment was a very large library where I did lots of studying; it was air conditioned or warm in there depending on the time of year. The summer time there was very hot and muggy. Down the embankment was the architecture department. To the east of that area were all the fraternities as well as men's dorms. Further east was the football field as well as a big gym with a swimming pool which women were not allowed to use. Lots of walking between classes which at least meant fresh air - rain, snow or sunshine. When I walked passed the fraternity houses hoots were hollered at me. I just ignored them. What hurt was Malcolm Walker was in one of those frat houses and just ignored me like I was a pariah.
One time I was cutting across a parking area. I jumped from the sidewalk down to the parking area. I was holding an arm load of books. I was ' wearing a straight skirt typical of that period. A re-bar was sticking up past the top of the 2x12 wood bracing of the bank caught my skirt. I tumbled on my knees and elbows and lower arms. I really hurt my knees bad landing so hard. They eventually healed. However, from then on when I as went down stairs or a steep hill my knees would occasionally give away on me without any warning. I have fallen many times over the years because of this accident. I did come out of the Physics building after a class one time and started down some concrete stairs that had no railing. My knees just gave away. I tumbled down a whole flight of concrete stairs. Boy did that hurt. I was pretty bloody. A professor wanted to pick me up. I finally said 'Please let me be until I stop hurting some.' They eventually got me to the school clinic where they cleaned me up somewhat. I believe someone transported me home that day. My walk home was about 3 miles. It took me a couple of days to recover. To this day when I go down stairs I make sure I hold onto a railing tightly. Embarrassing.
One other embarrassing event: I was extremely tired one morning. I had just walked from my apartment (3 miles) to my first class at 8 am. I sat half way back in the center of the room at a desk. In that class, as with many, the teacher would ask students questions of his lecture. I got ask a dis-proportionally larger number of questions. But that day I fell asleep sitting up. The teacher asks very loudly for another student to open the window to let fresh air in since Miss Craig had gone to sleep. Every one broke out loud laughing. I had really tried to stay awake and immediately popped awake to that. It was a very boring class. Funny thing that time he used Miss instead of Mr which was common.
One time for winter registration we were standing in the typical long long lines to pay fees. It was so cold that they finally funneled everyone thru the men's gym and change room. When my portion of the line got in that building I actually took my shoes off and that cold concrete and tiled floor felt warm on my feet. As we funneled thru the indoor pool area I was extremely surprised. I had no idea there was a swimming pool on the campus. I was a senior by then. I did feel uncomfortable being in the men's dressing room.
Most of the students were Korean Vets. They all answered their professors with 'Yes Sir or No Sir' very formal; but this was a typical military practice. I began answering to Mr Craig too with 'Yes Sir' or 'No Sir'. They did not usually call me Miss Craig. It was a man's school. To this day I still use the terms 'Yes Sir' or 'No Sir' (or Mam).
I was talking with my advisor one time and he was trying to encourage me to apply for Rhodes or some sort of Fellowship. By then all I wanted to do was finish my schooling. This was a 4 year college where most people attended 3 quarters a year. I had been going all 4 quarters and could have graduated in 3 years except I had missed one required course and had to wait until spring to take that class (only offered in spring). By then I had started dating Bob Keaten. He finished all his classes that summer quarter 1959. We got married in the Presbyterian Church on Buckhead drive 9/9/59. My apartment was small.
We moved from my 3rd floor apartment to one on the first floor. It was unfinished. So I learned how to plaster wooden strips and again sanded the wooden floor. We painted walls and cleaned up the little back yard of all it's weeds. I got a small black spaniel dog. Oh how happy. I had a dog again. We did some digging in history and the lady that wrote 'Gone With the Wind' had lived in that apartment and written that book there.
Bob got a job on Jeckle Island off the coast of southern GA. He commuted between there and Atlanta while I took some fall classes and continued working. I dropped out the winter quarter. On his way home one time he got arrested for speeding over 25 mph in a little town speed trap. I got a call from the sheriff to mail him $25 and he would release Bob to come home. I had to make the check out to the sheriff's personal name. Talk about bribes and illegal stuff. The job was completed and he got laid off. My work was our only income. We were strapped. Tedi and Jimmy offered the basement in their house. Bob and Bob installed a bathroom and kitchen and we moved back to their house. I started to get sick in the morning and told Tedi that. She suggested I see a doctor. Oh surprise. I was pregnant. Well by the time spring quarter came around I was beginning to show. Pregnant women got kicked out of schools back then. For registration I wore a big floppy wool sweater; it was cold so my pregnancy didn't show. I only had that one class I needed to take to graduate. I went for it. I passed. By graduation day I really began to show but that long black robe used for graduation ceremonies hid my condition pretty well. I applied for various jobs as an engineer and was offered one at minimum wages in Washington DC. I was ready to leave the south and its predigest-ism against women.
I was the third woman to graduate from GA Tech.
Both families attended our graduation ceremony. Tedi and Jimmy, my parents and Elon and Koburn Keaten, Bob's parents. Jimmy told Bob later he was very surprised that I had made it through school. I was really surprised since Jimmy had taught us as little kids how to use a circular slide rule on our vacation trip leaving Ca then later a rectangular one. Back then were were no computers. Slide rules used logarithms for multiplying calculations.
Woopy. We brought our certificates home, tossed them on the dining table and flopped down on the couch. It was hot muggy day. My certificate, hit a flower vase and knocked it over. Water crumpled up my goat skin certificate. I eventually had to order a new certificate so I could get it framed. I continued working for the same engineer until about 2 weeks before the baby was born. I got so big I couldn't reach the drafting board. No income. We were desperate. Bob started working with his friend Bob on small part-time jobs.
We moved to an apartment building in the Buckhead area. One morning I began to hurt. I called Bob's friend to get a hold of him and got his wife who was a nurse. She suggested I go to the hospital. After an exam I called her again; she hadn't heard from the guys. She came down and was my private nurse. They had on record written on the front of my file that I was allergic to narcotics and even with that info they had given me a shot that knock me out. I must have had an extreme reaction. My arms, legs and wrists were extremely bruised when I eventually came too. She told me she really chewed them out for giving me that shot. If she hadn't been there I would not of know this. They had strapped me to a gurney. Later that night Bob showed up. The baby was a month early; however, she weighed over 9# and was very strong. She could lift her head up in the crib and look around. She had long curly dark hair. We named her Rendy Keaten. With all the stitches I continued bleeding; the doctors eventually cauterized me (very painful but I began to heal.) Bob was offered a job-construction engineer for the Columbia Dam on the lower part of the Chattahoochee River on state boarder between GA and AL. We moved to Dothan, AL then later to Columbia, AL.
A completely new phase of Life: Motherhood begins. It took me a while to realize this but having children puts an obligation on us to both enjoy them and put their needs ahead of our desires in our careers. I was a mother first then 10 years later I started to continue my career development along side motherhood when Julie was ready for school.
In Dothan Rendy was very sick most of the time. I had to sit by her bed at night. When she stopped breathing I pop awake to clean out her nose etc. I would would look at the walls with roaches crawled around on them at night. Yuck. For a short while I worked as a draftsman but with Rendy sick I made the conclusion my main job now was take care of our baby. I had to put priorities first. I had a responsibility to take care of her, love her, teach her the right ways to live.
We purchased a single wide mobile home and found a spot in a pasture by a pecan grove to park it. The property owners just fell in love with Rendy and would pick her up and take her to their little local gas station/store in town for everyone to play within their store each afternoon. While she was there I rode their TWH horse around the back hills country side. I got pregnant again. While I was carrying the baby it cut off the circulation in my left leg. I became confined to bed most of the time; however, I could still ride. I again kept getting poison oak from Bob's clothes. I finally told him to strip at the door and stick his clothes in the washer where they got washed without my touching them. Mary Ann, Bob's younger sister, came and spent the summer with us. Cary was born Nov 1 1961. Later after the dam was completed, Bob was transferred to a job in LA. We moved the mobile home trailer to swampy LA area. Mary Ann visited us in the summers.
We did a lot of moving in the following years. To be continued ....