1928-1933 Fabulous, Detailed Diary of a UCLA Musician and Sorority Girl Turned Teacher and Wife Who Succeeds Amidst the Tumult of the Great Depression
11162On offer is the terrific five-year diary of Rosalie Evelyn Cleek Davidson (1909-2003). Rosalie details her senior year at UCLA, where she fits in academics amidst her busy schedule with the Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Pi Delta sororities, her musical hobbies, and her engagement and marriage to Harold Prescott Davidson (1908-1977). The diary then follows Rosalie through the first three years of her married life, working as a teacher in California as the Roaring ‘20s made way for the Great Depression. BIO NOTES on Rosalie and Harold can be found at the end of the listing.
Rosalie begins her diary on her 19th birthday, June 16, 1928. The diary itself was a gift from her then-boyfriend and future husband, Harold. As she begins the diary, Rosalie has just returned home following her junior year at UCLA. She spends her summer helping out at home, spending time at the Rotary Club and hanging out with Harold, making trips to the mountains and Sequoia Lake. She gets a job at a local cannery on July 11, 1928 and is fired the next day, on July 12th:
“Worked in cannery until five. Fired because we wouldn’t work eleven hours”. [July 12, 1928].
Once she is back at UCLA for senior year, Rosalie’s diary is a flurry of academics, teaching practicums, rehearsals with the UCLA Troubadours, sorority events, church, and general senior year excitement with Harold, who is attending Pomona College. Some representative entries follow:
“First day of school. Went early but couldn’t register until afternoon…Saw all the girls and registered with Ella Jo, Peggy Bolt, Jean and Dot G. Went to Pan-Hell [National Pan-Hellinic Council]l as Alpha Xi Delta representative. Meeting at 3 then home" [Sept 15, 1928].
“Harold went out to school with me. I went to teaching. To house for lunch. Class. Sigma Pi Delta meeting and pledging in the afternoon. Alpha Xi Delta meetings and fraternity examination in evening. Lorraine T came to meeting. She is to be married end of Dec…” [Dec 3, 1928].
As they are completing university, Harold gets offered a job teaching in Pomona, setting himself and Rosalie up for their married lives. They graduate in 1929 and get married shortly after:
“Alpha Xi Delta Senior breakfast at the Hollywood Country Club. Harold and I announced our engagement…” [June 14, 1929].
“My wedding day! ... Everything is wonderful. The wedding went perfectly! The reception and get-away were OK. Oh I am so happy and thrilled. Its too wonderful” [Aug 31, 1929].
They go on to have a very happy, loving marriage. It is notable that they seem to treat each other as equals, both with jobs and household responsibilities. Following university and the wedding, Rosalie provides great detail about the life of a new graduate teacher and all the job entailed, from the classroom to extracurriculars to PTA meetings and more. She also follows Harold’s career and the lives of her family members and friends, giving a fulsome picture of life between 1928-1932 in California.
In 1932, tragedy struck. Roaslie’s younger sister, Virginia Sue, contracted Scarlet Fever. She died three days after her 12th birthday. Rosalie writes of visiting her in the hospital, her deteriorating condition and, ultimately, her death:
“Little Virginia died at 6:20 this morning. I just can’t believe it’s true. She has been such a sweet sister. Went to funeral parlor with yellow batiste dress for her. Poor mother is certainly broken hearted. I don’t understand why it should be” [June 17, 1932].
Rosalie wrote a diary entry every single day for five years, ending on June 15, 1933. She filled all 365 pages of the diary to the brim in ink, with an easy-to-read cursive hand. Her diary is unique in its detail about her own life, education, and career, as well as details about the state of California as a whole. Rosalie references many exciting California-specific events (e.g. the 1929 fire at UCLA’s California Hall, the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and many more). She visits many California landmarks and her family experiences challenges relating to the Great Depression (her father loses his job for a time). An absolutely fascinating glimpse into the social fabric of California in the early 20th century.
The diary measures 5.75 inches by 4.25 inches and contains 365 pages. It is 100% complete. The diary is in good condition. The leather covers show some light wear and the spine and binding are undamaged. The binding at the spine is pulling away from the pages but remains intact. The pages are in good condition. Overall G+.
BIO NOTES:
Rosalie Evelyn Cleek Davidson was the oldest of five children born to parents George and Camma (Ball) Cleek. She grew up in Tipton, California.She graduated from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) class of 1929, and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Pi Delta, an honorary musical society. An avid musician, Rosalie mentions playing and competing in festivals with multiple instruments including piano and violin. In 1929, just after graduating from university, she married Harold Prescott Davidson (1908-1977), a graduate from Pomona College and member of Alpha Gamma Sigma. He completed his graduate work at UCLA and taught at Emerson High School and went on to work as a music professor. They lived in San Luis Obispo, California. Rosalie and Harold had two sons, Douglass Sidney Davidson (1935-2016) and Malcolm Bruce Davidson (1935-2010).Please don't hesitate to contact us for more information or to request photos. (Kindly include the SKU, listed on this page above the price, in your e-mail so we can more easily answer your questions.)
