I spoke to my grandmother about life for women in the 50s

This past week I visited my Grandma in Boston. During my stay I sat down and talked with her about how things have changed for women since she was my age.

Covering topics from dating and fashion to what she got paid for her first job, I learned things about my Grandma that I didn’t know about before. This conversation gave me insight into how women lived during the 1950s and experiences that my Grandma had when she was twenty-one.

A little background…

My Grandma was born in 1934 to Jim and Kitty Cotter in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She lived her teenage and young adult life in the 1950s, marrying “the boy across the street” in 1959. She’s been a small business owner, a world traveler, and a role model for her grandchildren to look up to.

Dating in the 50s

“A boy would call on the home phone and ask to take you out. We would go to a movie, dinner, bowling or a party. My girl friend’s parents owned a bar room, and we would get free coke and potato chips. The drinking age was twenty-one, so there was usually no drinking until we reached that age. He would pay for everything on the date. Boys were so respectful, and the date always ended at a decent time and with a goodnight kiss.”

Fashion

“50s fashion was a lot of full skirts, like a broomstick skirt, sweaters, and cardigan sets were big. There were no slacks. I wore dresses to work, and wore the poodle skirt on dates. My mom made a plaid outfit, which was a vest and a fitted skirt. She sewed the clothes at home. When we did shopping, it was always at a big department store – Jordan Marsh or Filene’s – in downtown Boston.

“Late 50s fashion had long hemlines, the shortest being to the knee. We wore our hair long and with bangs, but I got a pixie cut in the late 50s. For shoes, we wore heels or flats, but never sneakers to work.”

Entertainment

“We would go to the beach, and movies were 10 cents. I would go to baritone concerts in Boston at the old Paramount. A popular singer I saw was Vic Damone. Big celebrities at the time were Elizabeth Taylor, William Holden, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett.”

Work

“The first job that I had was as a sales girl at Jordan Marsh in 1952. I got paid 50 cents an hour and had to take the train into Boston. The second job I had was at a post office. I was the only girl who worked there, but it was the easiest job of my life. Everyone was so nice and respectful.

“My first professional job was selling Smith Patterson jewelry. However, I wasn’t getting paid much more than $1 an hour.

“My first job out of college I got paid $40 a week. I was living at home, because everyone stayed at home until they got married. There were no apartments.”

First car

“I bought my first car when I was 21. It was a maroon Dodge convertible. I had recently broken up with your grandfather, and when I drove past his house his mom told him, ‘look at what you’re missing out on.’ I had that car until I got married.”

Women’s Rights

“We didn’t have and didn’t know we had women’s rights. We got married and bought a house. The husband took care of the lawn and the wife stayed at home. We did not think of a career, we worked until we got married – it was the way it was for mothers.”

Travel

“I went to Washington D.C., and Lennot, Mass. to see my brother, Jimmy. And my sister Mary took me to see New York.

“It was a big thing to go on an airplane. I went to Cuba when I was 21 for vacation and a tour – Castro had recently come to power, and government relations were bad. It was one of the last years Americans could go to Cuba.”

Healthcare 

“Health insurance was really great. We didn’t have to pay for anything, and when we did it was always a small co-pay and not expensive. Insurance did not cover me when I had my first baby. It was 1960, and I had to pay $600. However, the insurance policy changed by the time I had my second baby, and I was covered then.”

What has stayed the same? 

“Women have not caught up in pay. I think men were always paid more because they were the ones who had to support the family.”

What changes have you seen for women since you were my age?

“In regard to dating, respect for women has declined. Also, birth control changed everything. In terms of morals, no one ever went ‘all the way’ on dates because getting pregnant out of marriage was bad.

“Women are also not expected to stay at home and have kids, they have more freedom, and the ability to travel solo. You would not have seen a woman working in jobs such as the police force, firefighting, or engineering. And women never became bosses, like CEO or a head of a company.”