Rebecca SmithFollow

Date Collected

Fall 11-22-2018

Place item was collected

Brigham City, Utah

Informant

Jerri L. Brown

Point of Discovery/Informant Bio

Jerri Lynn Brown is my mother. She is 58 years old and has lived in Brigham City, Utah for the last 30ish years. She was a hairdresser for over 40 years and just retired a few years ago. My mom’s shop was in her home so she was always there when I got home from school. My mom is very unassuming and extremely supportive of those she loves.

Context

My mom knew of my collections project for my Introduction to Folklore class (English 2210). She said she didn’t have anything to add as she didn’t attend USU herself and my collection project focuses on stories, legends, and traditions pertaining to Utah State University. After my family talked for a while about my project she remembered she had been given a certificate on the day that my dad graduated that awarded her a “PhT” putting hubby through. After digging though files for 2 hours on a Saturday she was able to find the certificate. She couldn’t remember a lot of the details about the certificate, but found a site for another university that describe the tradition they also had in awarding the certificate. From Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina:http://blogs.wofford.edu/from_the_archives/2013/01/11/putting-hubby-through/

Text

RS: This is with Jerri Brown on umm, 11/22.

JB: Ok, so, Miles and I were married in 1969 and instantly went up to Utah State, where he had two years left and umm, we lived in a little basement apartment. I worked at Baugh Motel in the reception, office and he worked for varsity, umm, cleaners and cleaned the telephone ahh, building, but anyways so I was probably the most finical support although he had grants and we did have student loans so, yeah, that’s how we made it. Anyway [said enthusiastically]! So, it was a tradition then that umm, the department would give a certificate to the wives who were not going to school, and uhh it was a PhT, putting hubby through. And it was an official certificate with a, an official stamp on it and it’s cute, I still have it.

RS: So, umm and that was at the end when dad graduated?

JB: Um-hum yeah it was on the same day as graduation.

RS: So, was it- so did dad walk?

JB: Dad did.

RS: And then was it after that or do you- don’t remember that?

JB: I don’t, remember that. I, I don’t remember at all the situation as to when they gave it to me. And they probably had like a wives group but I probably didn’t go I was pretty, pretty shy but, so, I wish I do remember how I got it but I don’t I just remember that…

RS: I think it’s awesome that you still have it.

JB: I know [laughing while talking].

RS: It’s dang cute. I love that there’s the seal on it.

JB: And well that article that, that I- I don’t know if you had a chance to read that-

RS: I just looked at it for a second.

JB: It said that it, it kind of started when so many were coming back from the a war and umm mostly men were in college. And even you know fifty years ago when we were in college the majority of it were men because it was at that point more- not as many women were working and it was more important for the men to get their education at that point and…

RS: I’ll put a link to the article that you sent me in my [JB: ok] thing umm, and you said it wasn’t- so dad graduated in business, but-

JB: He graduated in, well marketing.

RS: But that was through the bus- College of Business.

JB: Yeah, the certificate says Humanities, College of Humanities. So the Business maybe

[gets certificate off dresser to look at] at that time, I don’t know if it was part of the Humanities or not, but yeah this says [reading from certificate] umm PhT in the school of Applied Humanities.

see attached image

RS: That’s fun.

JB: I don’t know [laughing while talking].

RS: And then you said it has the presidents’-

JB: Has the presidents’ signature, and it has umm an official, well it’s a sticker I guess on it RS: Yeah, but still it has the seal on it [JB: yeah] and is there a date on it?

see attached image

JB: Yes, it is the 5thday of June 1971 which I think was graduation day. I know he graduated in 1971.

RS: Well that would be right around then in June so…

JB: Yeah yeah.

RS: Cute. It’s fun, it’s fun that you still have that.

JB: Yeah.

RS: All right.

JB: And that I could find it [laughing while talking].

RS: That’s half the battle right there [laughing while talking]. Ok thanks mom.

JB [laughs] Yeah-

Texture

My mom was a little hesitant at fist to tell the story because she didn’t think it was important. I told her I thought the certificate was sexists and she took offense to that because she worked hard to support him and was glad for the recognition. She was more confident and inclined to tell the story after that.

Course

English 2210

Instructor

Lynne McNeill

Semester and year

Fall 2018

Theme

G1: Groups/Social Customs

EAD Number

3.1.8.42

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Additional Files

Jerri Brown PHT certificate.jpg (2525 kB)
certificate

Jerri Brown PHT seal.jpg (1250 kB)
university seal

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