Helen Korngold Diary: May 26-June 1, 1919

Helen Korngold, December 1919, New York City

One hundred years ago Helen Korngold kept a diary that documented her senior year at Washington University in St. Louis, her social life, and trips she took across America. I found the diary and researched Helen and the places and people she wrote about. Every week this year I am sharing her diary and my research.

May

Monday 26

Tired!

School. All dolled up for May Day & then it rained. Tough luck! Have to study at last! Final Exam tomorrow in Ed. 18.

Tuesday 27

School – practiced dancing with Eva – rotten. Keod Tea. Athletic Meeting- banquet – Farewell to Miss Grant – Won Baseball Honors & song for Senior Contest Honors.

Wednesday 28

School – Rehearsal with Eva in evening – junk – I’ll stay out of that dance.

Thursday 29

School – Rehearsal with Corrine. Home – To concert with Summer – lots of fun. Saw Mr. Miller – fair proposition.

Friday 30

School. Home – study

Saturday 31

School – downtown. Grandma’s – Uncle Joe leaves for Colo. & Grandma for Oaksville – Don’t like my new dress.

June

Sunday 1

Home – Rehearsal. Vaudeville was perfectly marvelous. We were all so thrilled & had such a glorious time. Also a big financial success. Some class to celebrate.

Notes:

May 26

Ed. 18 course description: Contemporary Educational Problems. Recent experiments on making schools more efficient will be discussed. Investigations will be made and reports prepared by members of the class. Three hours a week. Credit 3 units. (Wells)

May 27

Keod was the woman’s senior honor society at Washington University. 

Helen was active in sports. Her senior yearbook shows she was on the rowing team as a 'coxswain' and the hockey team. She wrote about playing baseball and basketball in her diary. 

          

May 28

Final Examinations Week was May 29 through June 6 

May 29
Perhaps Summer and Helen went to the opening Park concert

May 31

Joseph Frey (1884 to 1962) was Helen’s maternal uncle. His WWI draft card shows he had black hair and eyes and was of medium height and build. On the 1930 Census, he was boarding with Louis Lieberman in the home of his sister Jeannie Frey Rosenbaum. Lou was a pharmacist and Joseph a newspaper editor who started The Modern View, a weekly Jewish newspaper. In 1940 he was living with Jeannie and worked as a collector for a hospital. His WWII draft card showed he worked in Hot Spring, Arkansas and traveled nine states, and used his sister's address as a contact.

Oaksville is located just south of St. Louis, along the Mississippi River.

June 1

The Satellites Vaudeville

from The Jewish Voice, May 30, 1919

June 1, 1919, St. Louis Post-Dispatch article

Articles and ads from the newspaper that week:

May 27, 1919 St. Louis Post-Dispatch ad

May 29, 1919 St. Louis Post-Dispatch photo Soldan H. S.
'boys...who gave up their lives in the war"

St. Louis Post-Dispatch photograph of Memorial Day Parade

From the May 29, 1919 St. Louis Post-Dispatch

June 1, 1919, St. Louis Post-Dispatch