| Summary: This is an interview with Rita
Hassett. Rita Hassett was born on July 17, 1933. She was born
and raised in Middletown, Connecticut and spent all but five years of her
life there. Ms. Hassett was the third oldest of seven daughters.
She attended a parochial school—St. John’s in Middletown—through eighth
grade and then attended Middletown High for four years, graduating in 1952.
Ms. Hassett then spent one year at Laurel Business School in Waterbury,
Connecticut. She worked at Middletown Connecticut Light and Power
from June of 1952 to 1961, when she had to leave to have her first child,
Kathleen. Rita Hassett married in October of 1959. In her interview Ms. Hassett discusses her opportunities for education (1)(2) and her work experiences—with a focus on being a woman and working. She also describes some of her experiences as a child growing up during World War Two. She goes into what it was like to be a mother and the sorts of things she had to do. There is also a little bit about what it was like to live through the women’s rights movement and Vietnam protesting. Transcript of interview by Meghan Sloan of Rita Hassett Meghan Sloan: Please tell me a little bit about your childhood. What kind of family life did you have when you were younger? Talk to me a little about your parents and your relationship with them and the relationship you had with your sisters. Rita Hassett: Okay, I was the third oldest of seven daughters, seven girls, six siblings and am grateful today that they are all still alive. I was born June 17, 1933 and was born, brought up in Middletown. Our home was located on High Street and so many years later, all with the exception of five years, at age seventy today, I spent these years here in Middletown, Connecticut. Born and brought up as I said on High Street, here in Middletown, Connecticut. I do recall at that time as a youngster, our home and house always did seem adequate in the light of a four-bedroom house. I do recall though probably the only, maybe you would say, major or difficult point was the one bathroom and it seemed as our family continued to grow, maybe at like age five or six the need was just to add a downstairs lavatory. So, that certainly helped in that area. Because anyone ever dealing with women and with girls, you can imagine with seven of us, seven girls, and my mom, one bathroom certainly was anything but adequate. I started naturally school at a private parochial school, which was our parish of St. John in Middletown, and at that point in time, my two older sisters were you know in attendance there and I joined them at age five, a half-day session of kindergarten. At that time school buses were practically unheard of at the private, parochial schools, so I can say that we were you know fortunate enough that we you know daily, more or less walked to and from school. Something almost unheard of today, that I think through my entire grammar school years, with an hour for lunch, we walked there again to and from the home to a hot lunch. And naturally our particular neighborhood we were very fortunate. We had plenty of school chums, school mates, neighborhood friends, and it seemed like everyone at that point in time did go to St. John’s, which was considered the north end of Middletown. We always had friends that we walked with and many, many times we were fortunate if our parents weren’t available that one of the others might be and you just would load up in somebody’s vehicle. Maybe then motor vehicle rulings and laws weren’t quite as difficult because I recall many, many times flying down Grand Street Hill in Middletown. We were probably loaded to the hills and sitting on each other’s laps, but, nevertheless it helped a little bit you know with that last minute ride. MS: Now when you were a little girl…World War Two? Do you recall any of the rationing your family did? RH: I vaguely do…the lines with stamps. Various items, but I guess it was more your meats that the stamps you were given. I don’t know how it worked, maybe the number of persons in your family…determined the number you were entitled too. It must have been difficult to keep track. I do remember the gas, and of course the sugar. Weekends you know, you just….unless it was a complete necessity, you really didn’t get in the car for any joy ride or whatever to get out. MS: Moving on to your education, what were your classes like at St. John’s? RH: I must admit of course the parochial schools, yes, the only disadvantage the only one would say is there were classes as large as forty, and most of the classes were staffed by the religious, Sisters of Mercy. During my time, I don’t know if I ever recall a double class, and I do say, repeating forty in a class, I do say with my graduating eighth grade class in 1948 there were 34 of us that graduated that point in time. MS: Do you remember what your academic curriculum entailed? RH: The essentials, being at a parochial school, naturally we had 45 minutes of our first class, would be our religion class, if it wasn’t taught by a particular sister, but this was strictly upper grades where we switched around, naturally our religious class brought in one or two of our parish priests. Naturally, the essential of the English was particularly stressed, and I do have to say the English for some reason it seemed you would hear then continuing on to your next area of your high school days, often anyone coming out of the parochial schools, often excelled in the area of English. Naturally, emphasis was stressed on the math, which I always recall wasn’t one of my favorite subjects…. MS: Me either! RH: History and of course the sciences, did we mention geography? Yup, yup. But the English was divided into the area of your…your…reading and the grammar. I do recall especially my 8th grade sister, she was very, very particular within the English with the grammar and defining you know the meaning within the area of sentences and the breakdown and all of the nouns. MS: Now besides school, your friends, what kind of activities did you enjoy doing together? RH: I do recall always going from as far as the girls were concerned, we had our Brownies. Then we went into Junior Scouting and even into eighth grade, we had a very, very active and wonderful scout leader, which took us through senior scouts. Then the other enjoyable bit, was, my sisters and I at young ages, we for many, many years we went to a dancing school, I bet that was for ten or twelve years. In those days, it was two sisters who taught us and they had an enormously large dance studio and in seventh and eighth grade of our parochial school, these two sisters came at one o’clock on maybe Monday and Wednesday to the school, they taught you know for ballroom lessons. And then every few months at their studio, they’d combine the classes and we would have socials, gatherings. And then the finale of that school year, it was like a formal…a formal gathering. And the parents, the women of the mothers would put nice tablecloths on the tables, and we would have a nice meal and the boys would be in a suit, not a tuxedo by any means, but a suit, a blazer, and the girls were in you know, a formal, full-length gown. And that was certainly a social period that you know we enjoyed at that age, and enjoyed and always looked forward to. Another bit in the Catholic parochial school we had at different ages, we had different, well then they would call them societies. And I remember in the lower grades, there was one called the Holy Angels Society. MS: Now, what were the Holy Angels? RH: Oh, they were a group of girls reaching out to youngsters and you know spending time with them in a social atmosphere. You could classify it as a big-sister program. Then when we got to grade six, the elevated next area was called the Immaculate Conception and that was basically well I remember at holiday times, we went with the two sisters to the convalescent homes, maybe with a little cheer to greet and bring a gift. Perhaps especially at Christmas time, we joined in a little musical program where we would sing, and bring this Christmas cheer to the shut-ins. Very active I was within the group, I would say…the teenage years in the Mary’s Young Christophers. That was a very popular, well-known…the Christopher Movement. And their slogan was, “Better to light one candle, than to curse the darkness.” And that was established by Reverend Christopher…oh dear, dear, I don’t know if it was Dylan. Yup in New York. MS: And what did you do with this group? RH: That was regular, very active teenage group, and we did many, many things. Many things within our Middletown, CT community where we reached out…and I do recall, I guess, somewhat with fond memories and a little bit of pride, because it went on maybe twenty years I was the first president of the Mary’s Young Christophers. Originally, we started out with just girls. Maybe forty active young girls, but then we outreached to the parish, and you know within the community, the catholic girls, and maybe year three or four, the boys joined us. There were many fine social gatherings. I remember our first big project, which we thought was a little overwhelming, there were fundraisers, and were proud to think we raised ample funds to purchase this enormous crèche, which today still stands. The Middletown Parks & Recreation department has taken it over and puts it out every year, and it’s on the grounds of our parish up on the North End. You know many, many years ago, say in 1952 whenever that was, that was quite a bit of money, we were proud to have raised the funds. And parents, along with our priest, Monsignor McKenna that went to New York to purchase this, and the enormous, the beautiful statues that make up the crèche. MS: Oh wow, I never knew where that came from. RH: So there were some fun times within those years. MS: Maybe we could move on and talk about your parents, what kind of people they were…. I know Grandpa Tynan was involved with politics. Could you expand on that a little? RH: My parents, very proud to say, a very fine Christian couple. With the large family they had, my mother she never worked outside the house, somewhat proud to say she was a stay-home in-charge mom and of course, with seven girls, she was quite active and kept herself pretty busy. My dad, well naturally, frequently was being kidded by the fact he had seven daughters and always said he had to wait for his first grand-son. But a very, very fine upstanding man. Very well thought of and as I recall in our young ages, he worked to be exact 24 years for the City of Middletown, which he was very proud of. He worked as the Tax Assessor, city of Middletown. City Hall, which was a very large, very old city hall downtown, Main Street, Middletown. He was a very active within the community. I recall one thing you know in my younger, probably even pre-school years, my dad I know was the president of the Rotary, Men’s Club which is a very active…you know, throughout I guess the area, or maybe even the country. And one thing that always stood out in my mind, once a year after Christmas, the day after Christmas, we always…we then had a very, very fine, lower Washington Street. The Steuck’s, which were a very prominent family in Middletown who ran this very fine hotel and the day after Christmas, oh I bet for maybe ten years, we knew we were going with my dad. Just a magnificent I’d say a Christmas luncheon, but you could almost say dinner. And I don’t know how many at this point in time, this Rotary Club in Middletown was made up of I don’t know how many gentlemen bringing their family to this Christmas gathering. I remember Santa Claus always being there, and the thriller, the excitement was you were always assured of just that extra magnificent Christmas gift. So that was always fun. And as far as my dad was concerned, I would say in the late Twenties, he became heavily involved in then what was then the Middletown city politics as a very faithful…. He was a Democrat, and for years and the early ages he headed the town committee as General Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee in the city of Middletown. And he was just so well you know thought of and respected and as the years passed…well, my dad’s name was just very much thought of and as I said again I’m repeating myself, respected. Then he moved on to the state. And he held the position of the State Motor Vehicle commissioner, and I think somewhere have the article at the time of my dad’s passing in 1982 that he was the longest acting commissioner at that time in the state. He served as State Motor vehicle commissioner for eighteen years. We recall at home, I guess it was every four years, he would go to the National Democratic Convention. He met many great politicians, Harry Truman, Adlai Stevenson, of course John Kennedy. The Democratic Party within the state was very active, and I don’t know how many election years he went as the state delegate to the conventions. MS: Knowing that your father was heavily involved in state politics, were there any experiences you had affected by your father’s job? RH: Well, I had the pleasure of, I would say back in the late 1950’s, then a very fine, one of Connecticut’s senior state’s senators, Brian McMahon from Norwalk, Connecticut. I remember he and his wife, one Saturday night, they were with a group at my parents that they had entertained at home. Another one, we all know today as our senior senator, Christopher Dodd, his dad Thomas Dodd was a close friend to my parents, my mom and dad. And he too, with his wife Grace visited the house you know on different occasions and…oh dear, dear I’m trying to think. And our own, very respected governor, John Dempsey who I think believed served the state of Connecticut as governor and his wife Mary. Governor Wilbur Snow, who was a very, very fine…well you know born and brought up in Middletown, Connecticut and always a very close friend to my parents and sisters. He was an English…poet instructor at Wesleyan University for many years. It seems to me he acted as Governor of the state of Connecticut, but I believe it was only for the matter of two weeks, during the vacancy of one of the governor’s who had passed on. I do recall it was a very exciting day, his, one of his chauffeur’s drove down in the governor’s car and took my six sisters and myself to the then, it was the old Hilton Hotel, with his wife. Our parents weren’t with us. A wonderful, wonderful tour, and I recall dessert at the governor’s residence in Hartford. At our young age, naturally it was a you know, maybe something out of the ordinary, but very exciting. And down through the years with the many years my dad did spend with his political career with the state, and that job was given to my dad by a very fine respectable governor, then of Connecticut, Abraham Ribicoff, who then went on to the Senate in DC. MS: What were your late teens like? Your high school experience? RH: I spent four years of course at Middletown High, graduating in ’52, then spending one year additional year, just at a very, very small business school, called Laurel Business School which was in Waterbury. MS: Now when you went to the business school, did you drive there every day? RH: No, I bused it. Frequently had a ride home on the return…but no. Then after the year there, I was very, I considered myself fortunate with this position at one of the utilities right here. There was an office in Middletown at Connecticut Light & Power, CL&P. MS: What were your job duties? RH: Well, secretarial work…there were only two girls in the office. Constantly waiting on, and meeting the public. MS: People coming in for appointments? RH: Exactly, yes. MS: There was just one other women who worked there, it was all men? RH: Yes, only one other woman. MS: How many people would you say worked in the office? RH: Well their main office was in Berlin, Connecticut but they had these little district offices, almost within every city in the state of Connecticut. Probably the only outside added feature was mine. They put out a fantastic a…publication, a book every month. And it was my chore and duty each month, you know you had to write in continuing updates about what was going on in the office in Middletown, Connecticut. And I got a lot of enjoyment out of that. Once a month, it would take me to a different office, to a you know a luncheon meeting, and frequently to CL&P to its headquarters, where there would be a speaker. So to me that was such an added feature which got me out of the office, and I was able to meet a lot of new people, so that was great. And believe it or not, I, three months shy of ten years I was at CL&P. MS: So you started when…? RH: I started in I think it was June of ’52 and was there until April of ’61 because all of the companies, they had pregnancy, you know rules, in the light of, you had to, you were terminated, or you left. MS: You had to leave? RH: Yes…imagine? And I had to leave three months in April before Katie, our oldest daughter was born, in July of ’61. MS: Interesting. So, there was no choice? I know now women have babies and go back to work…was that even an option for you? RH: Oh yeah. I could have. MS: So women back then, could do that? RH: Oh, certainly. I do remember the night they had a party for me at the old Monte Green in Middletown. It was nicely attended by…I mean it was just the two of us women in the office, but I bet there were twelve men, and their wives. Over the years, close to accumulating ten years, I just met so many people. Our closest contact was our Meriden office, where frequently I grew to know so many people, because of that one contact which was over and above your daily duties in the office. And I met so many wonderful people, so it was amazing, how many I recall, at that farewell, well not a farewell, maybe a gathering. I was just amazed at so many people that came. MS: How about we move on now and talk about when you met Grandpa and moving into your first apartment? RH: Oh yeah, golly be. (Laughing) Was it 1957 or 1958 when we met? MS: Okay, so you met Grandpa in? RH: Okay, in 1958, in June, through I guess you would say a mutual friend. Until that time, Grampy hadn’t been in Middletown too long. His parents had, but he was in service, okay. And now he was doing part time, I mean full time duty at the Armory, before settling down to a regular position. And this friend, who I believe I knew lots longer than Grampy, I mean joining his parents who were in Middletown now, upon returning from his service, and chatting with his friend, I guess throughout he might know somebody he was interested in meeting. And I guess he specified credentials, that he was looking for an Irish Catholic Democratic gal. So his friend, you know made it a point, you know to see me, and asked me if I’d ever be interested, in meeting this friend of his. And that’s how really he more or less arranged this blind date. MS: Oh wow. RH: And that was in ’58 and we were married in October of ’59. MS: So you got married and moved into an apartment? RH: I would, we’d say a very lovely, very fine, five room apartment. That too was in Middletown on Liberty Street. MS: Then my mom, Kate comes into the picture? RH: Then our first child, our first very beautiful daughter was born. We named her Kathleen and using my maiden name, Kathleen Tynan Hassett was born on July 20, 1961. We were still here on Liberty Street. MS: And you decided to stay home? RH: It worked out that I was fortunate enough to be the stay-at-home mom. And eighteen months later, Kathleen, which we called Katie, her brother Kevin joined the family. In ’64, Maureen, ’66 Patty, ’69 Michael, and in ’72 Erin, the youngest of our family of six was born. MS: It was obviously stressful with all of the children? RH: Well, yes, at times very hectic, and sure there was stress but a very fine, lots of fun, and many exciting times. Where I came from a big family and was always fortunate to have very fine friends, it seemed like everyone was raising children, and frequently we would get together on special occasions. I felt fortunate I was really only a block away from my home that I knew and grew up with on High Street. It was always a lot of fun to wheel the children down to my parents on any given day. MS: Did you have a lot of friends in the neighborhood? RH: Believe it or not, one of my sisters wasn’t far, my sister Pat and her Brenda, first child was the same age as Maureen. But, yes, my very close girlfriend, Joan and her husband Pete LaMalfa, were not even a block away from us. We were on upper Liberty and they were on Park Place. Maybe the first two or three years of marriage, of course they moved and went on to Portland. But the neighbors, were very much at home. MS: Now Middletown today is very much crowded, was it like that when you were raising the kids? Was Main Street different? RH: No, I have to admit, rather regret, that Main Street…with the kids growing up in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s you were very comfortable walking downtown to some you’d say, very fine stores, and restaurants, and then the theatre. Today unfortunately, so many of our you know, the stores and shopping enterprises they’ve gone all to you know, these malls and have really moved away from town. So, we still have our drug stores, and there are maybe a couple of small stores, but it just isn’t the same as we remembered it to be. MS: So you could do all your grocery shopping, clothes shopping on Main Street…there was never any need to travel long distances? RH: I’m going to say that. Of course, today, you’re traveling, you are to either the West Farms Mall, Manchester, or the Meriden Square to find your needs. Nevertheless of course, supermarkets, your Stop & Shops, Wal-Mart and all are handy in that respect, in that area. MS: When you moved to Highland Avenue, there was obviously a lot more space…you sent your children back to St. John’s…what were their routines like? RH: Of course then, buses were provided, and yes…they too were active and kept busy within you know the usual programs of…the girls repeating you know…the interests within Brownies and Girl Scouts…was there for them right within the Church. And of course with Kevin, Boy Scouts, but then of course he had his Little League sports functions…leagues that his father always was interested in to have you know both Kevin and Michael to participate in. And, the girls too went to dancing school with their dance recitals. MS: Family vacations? RH: Family vacations…a few summers we visited you know on the Cape for a couple of weeks. And, it seems there were many summers we’d go to the beach, to the Connecticut shore. But as the kids grew, their interests varied and Katie our oldest, seems to me, maybe her junior or senior year, she held a summer job at one of the quick restaurants, McDonalds. Kevin, of course had a paper route, which kept him busy. I believe it was the Hartford Courant. Michael repeated, but I believe he had the Middletown Press route. Maureen worked with the Parks and Recreation Department, and at McDonalds for a little while. Patty was with you know recreation. Maureen was with our pool, a lifeguard. MS: Obviously, during the 1960’s and 70’s there were a lot of critical issues facing our country, with Vietnam and women’s issues. Do you remember anything significant happening in Middletown during this time? RH: I do…and it would have been in the early ‘70’s. You witnessed and this would just be what you read in the paper, or your commuting, your drive runs when you were exposed to the Wesleyan campus. They would be out picketing and you’d notice, I guess what you’d notice was a complete change in how they would present themselves in their attire. You just kind of wondered, where Wesleyan is considered one of your finer colleges. It was almost the kind of take-over…militant…the exposure. Forever picketing…I don’t know…the appearance was just so changed, with the real long hair, and their, you know…appearance. Their attire of clothing was just such a radical, drastic change. MS: Now as the kids one by one moved out of the house, you obviously kept yourself busy with social and church activities? Could you tell me about your church activities? RH: Well, I still enjoy on occasion going to our St. Vincent’s DePaul soup kitchen, which you know are known throughout whether they’re church wise…or maybe now sort of diocesan sponsored. Very popular food and shelters for the homeless and now most of them provide living quarters. Every other month, our parish provides a complete dinner on two Sundays a month. I guess the other one continually on a monthly basis is a visit to the convalescent homes, where parishioners are there…just bring them some cheer and a bit of friendship. MS: And you still continue to have a good relationship with your family, children, sisters? RH: Yes, we continue to have a great relationship with my family and friends…. |