Abstract
In Part 1 of this interview, Edna Frances graham discusses her family background and then elaborated on preparing for Pembroke at Classical High School, attending classes with “mature” veterans who had just returned from WWII, her dating experiences, and traveling with the Glee Club. She speaks briefly about her work as a teacher and what she would change in hindsight. She says the worst experience in college was the death of her father, while the best thing about college was the social life and attending dances.
In Part 2, Graham and her interviewer, then-current student Amy Sayfol ’91, compare their experiences of college friendship, food, and the decision to attend Brown. Graham elaborates on her life as a city girl – a female day student who attended Pembroke but did not live on campus, and Pembroke-Brown relations. While Graham notes how deeply her mother steered her life, she explains that Pembroke gave her the self-assurance and confidence to hold her own as she moved forward in life. She discusses how later in life she obtained a master’s degree in Textile and Museum Curating and eventually opened an antique shop in the town of Dennis on Cape Cod.
Part 1
Part 2
Recorded on May 5, 1988 in Brown University Dorm, Providence, RI
Interviewed by Amy Sayfol
Suggested Chicago style citation: Graham, Edna Frances. Interview. By Amy Sayfol. Pembroke Center Oral History Project, Brown University. May 5, 1988.
Biography
Edna Frances Graham was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated from Classical High School before pursuing French studies at Pembroke College. She taught in Rhode Island immediately after graduation, then went to Venezuela where she worked for an oil company. In 1987 Graham earned a master’s degree in Conservation from the University of Rhode Island. She served as a charter member of the East Providence Historical Society, founding and organizing the Hunt House Museum as well as Rumford Antiques on Cape Cod. She was an active chairman of Rumford Girl Scouts and co-founded the East Providence Citizen’s Scholarship Committee.