Learn about the Women's Army Corps in 'History Speaks: Mollie's War' Jan. 13
The Naper Settlement's next "History Speaks" program will be "The Journey to Mollie's War: WACs and World War II" from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, in Century Memorial Chapel, 523 S. Webster St. in Naperville.
Members of the Women's Army Corps (WACs) were the first women other than nurses to serve overseas in World War II.
Author Cyndee Schaffer's mother, Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, was one of them. Drawing upon excerpts from Mollie's letters written home during the war, this presentation provides a romantic, yet frightful, glimpse into the life of a woman in uniform during this crucial time in history.
This presentation details Mollie's experiences from basic training in Florida in October 1943 to the dramatic moment when the Statue of Liberty came into view upon her return in November 1945.
It traces the footsteps of the women who served in Europe, following Mollie and her fellow WACs who were stationed in London, England, before D-Day and during the post-D-Day German buzz bomb attacks.
This presentation will invite contemplation of the vital and varied roles that women have fulfilled in the American military and as citizens of Illinois.
Cost is $10, $9 for youth, age 4 to 12 and students; the fee for members is $8, $7.
Reservations are recommended, but not required, by calling (630) 420-6010 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
The "History Speaks" program explores prominent historic figures and topics.
On Feb. 3, the presentation by Fern Schumer Chapman will be "Stumbling on History: How Nations Atone for Past Wrongs." How do countries recognize, accept responsibility, and atone for historical crimes? From Australia to the United States, nations have wrestled with this ethical dilemma. Interestingly, Germany provides leadership through a public arts project. Edith Westerfeld, an 89-year-old Holocaust refugee who has lived in Chicago since arriving in the U.S. in 1938, wondered if the memory of the Nazis murdering her parents, along with other victims, will outlive the survivors. Seventy-six years after Edith's parents saved their daughter's life by sending her, alone and terrified, to America, she returned to the German town where her family had lived for years. Invited to witness the installation of an artistic memorial to her family entitled Stolpersteine ("Stumbling Stones") - part of an effort throughout Europe to confront the genocide of World War II - she experienced how art is helping today's generation face and atone for crimes of the past.
On March 10, the program will be "The Women's Suffrage Movement and the Good Roads Movement in Illinois." Is it a coincidence that the freedom to travel offered by the automobile expanded during the time when the Women's Suffrage movement finally became more successful? The automobile freed women from the constraints of train timetables and the physical labor involved in hitching up a team of horses. Improved roads further facilitated the spread of the automobile and thus increased women's freedoms. Illinois was a national leader in both the Good Roads movement and the Women's Suffrage movement. This presentation by Kay Shelton will explore how residents of other states looked to Illinois for inspiration in their own efforts. It will also investigate the intertwined histories of the abolition movement, President Lincoln's role in emancipation, and the Women's Suffrage movement.
On April 7, learn about "Chicago's Sweet Candy History." For most its history, Chicago produced about one-third of the nation's candy. You probably know some candies made or invented here: Brach's caramels, Snickers and Milky Way bars, Wrigley's gum, Cracker Jack, Baby Ruth and Butterfinger, Tootsie Rolls, Frango Mints. Learn the history of these tasty treats and explore what made Chicago such an ideal location for candymakers. Find out why immigrants played a critical role in confectionery history, discover how Baby Ruth and Milk Duds got their names, and take a fun "candy quiz."
The season concludes on May 5 with "Navigating to the Moon and Back."
The Apollo missions to the Moon were a landmark of human exploration. They were also an important turning point in the history of navigation. For the first time, people traveled beyond the vicinity of the Earth during the Apollo 8 mission. This required new methods of determining position. Apollo 8 also proved to be the only time space travelers experimented extensively with traditional navigation techniques using sextants. In this talk, learn how astronauts and space pioneers met the challenge of navigating to the Moon. See how space travelers found their way using techniques long used by mariners, connecting this amazing voyage to centuries of journeys of exploration across the oceans.