Irene M. Conole Collection
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, yearbooks, WAVE handbook.
Dates
- Creation: 1942-1992
Access
There are no restrictions regarding access to this collection.
Use
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use in any current or future manifestations must be obtained in writing from the Rochester Public Library Local History & Genealogy Division.
Biographical Note
Born July 25, 1927, Irene Marion Conole grew up on Glenwood Avenue, on the northwest side of Rochester. She attended elementary school at Holy Rosary and graduated from Nazareth Academy in 1945. She worked as a solderer at Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, then as a long-distance operator for the New York Telephone Company before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1952 where she achieved the rank of Seaman First Class
(NAS Patuxent) and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
Like many young people, Conole joined the military because she wanted more out of life. Ambitious and self-reliant, she left home at a time when many of her friends were settling into more traditional roles as wives and mothers. Her story offers a compelling contrast to the prevailing image of the 1950s housewife, shedding light on the opportunities—and limitations—women faced in the postwar era.
Extent
1.75 Cubic Feet (4 boxes.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Irene M. Conole collection consists of materials dating between 1942 and 1992 and includes correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, yearbooks, and a WAVE handbook.
Arrangement
The collection has been organized into the following rough series: correspondence; scrapbook; photographs; newspaper clippings, printed materials.
Custodial History
The Local History Division of the Rochester (NY) Public Library received a package of Irene M. Conole’s effects in January 2004 from Joshua Noble Hammitt, United States Navy, residing in Erwin, TN. Mr. Hammitt, who had come across Irene’s belongings while stationed in Norfolk, VA, had attempted to locate Irene’s family with no success. Several other attempts, most likely made by library staff, were made to locate relatives. Curiously, a small notebook full of clippings and other items that post-date Irene’s death were among the items; the notebook also includes a list of what appear to be deaths of the extended Conole family. Therefore, the Local History Division has determined that at some point after 2004, somebody in the Conole family had contact with either the collection or a library staff member. In addition, several other items have been identified in the collection as belonging to people other than Irene (for example, Henry Conole).
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Local History & Genealogy Division Repository
115 South Ave.
Rochester 14604 USA
585-428-8370
585-428-8353 (Fax)
lochistref@libraryweb.org