UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #242
FAHIEN, ROSE B.

FAHIEN, Rose B. (1933- )
Wife of Leonard R. Fahien (Professor of Pharmacology)

Interviewed: 1983	
Series: Faculty Wives
Interviewer: Anne Boyer
Length: 48 minutes

Background; Employment; Supporting husband Leonard Fahien through medical school; Life as faculty wife; Activities of University League; Volunteer work; Influence of husband's profession on their life.

Tape 1/Side 1

00: 00:10	Born in Union, Missouri in 1933.

00:00:50	Childhood in Missouri.  Father in automobile business.  Mother at home.  	Business poor in late Depression.  Moved to St.  Louis around 1940.  Attended 	public schools, Kirkwood High School. 

00:02:46	Father had irregular business hours; on weekends family got away to second 	home in countryside.  "Special times" here, away from business of lives.  Grew 	vegetables, raised chickens; family enjoyed nutting, berry picking, roaming 	countryside.  RF enjoys these activities as an adult.

00:05:37	RF attended Washington University in St. Louis, a "streetcar college", while 	living at home. 

00:06:24	Expectations about adult life.  Majored in English.  After graduation, wanted to 	teach high school.  Began by teaching English in a junior high, then was 	qualified to teach at old alma mater, Kirkwood high school (1955).  Interesting to 	teach as peer of her former teachers.  Thought she would eventually marry, raise 	a family, but would not work then.   

00:08:46	Met husband Mike while undergraduate at Washington University.  Both 	attended same church group.  He was a pre-med student.  They did not date until 	he was in medical school.  Married while he was in medical school.  RF taught 	for seven years, supported them while Mike was in training.  Were caretakers at 	Lutheran Student Center, did janitorial duties and got housing.  1960, Mike 	graduated from medical school.  

00:11:04	Moved to Madison.  RF suggested Mike Fahien do internship in Madison (she 	liked summers spent in Madison as graduate student).  Spent a year in Madison, 	taught at Central High School.  Returned to St. Louis for a year of Mike Fahien's 	postdoc work, then transferred this to UW under Dr. Cohen in Physiological 	Chemistry. Spent another two years in Madison.  Moved to Bethesda while 	Mike Fahien did military duty at N.I.H.  

00:12:56	Moved permanently to Madison when Mike Fahien appointed assistant professor in Pharmacology. Mike Fahien has spent career here doing research and teaching in this field. 

00:14:01	Role in husband's career.  Financial support while he was in medical school.  	Has typed many of Mike Fahien's manuscripts.  Entertaining, frequently hosted 	visiting scientists, gave dinner parties for professional friends and associates.  	However, limited departmental entertaining in pharmacology, except for visiting 	scholars. Not a highly social department.  

00:16:40	Entertaining has increased since Mike Fahien became an associate dean of 	medical school.  RF enjoys the entertaining.  Mostly dinner parties she does 	herself.  Likes to cook, takes this for granted. Enjoys entertaining perhaps more 	than Mike.  RF likes people, finds meeting new people interesting, exciting. 

00:18:27	Non-departmental social life.  RF does much non-departmental entertaining.  	Have many good friends in Madison.  Most of their entertaining done for fun, not 	professional reasons.  Enjoys outdoors, hiking, canoeing, mushrooming etc. with 	friends.  RF's love of nature.  

00:23:00	University League, volunteering.  RF heavily involved in University League.  	Found it interesting, has met people from many different departments, learned 	something from each of them; quite a learning experience.  Joined League when 	Mike Fahien an intern but not active until later, when had more free time.  Finds 	it fun to be involved in a variety of projects as long as she sees them as 	worthwhile, like scholarship benefit.  Despite increasing number of working 	wives, University League has grown, due to projects' worthwhile nature and that 	projects are centered on campus.  Interest of faculty wives naturally gravitates 	toward campus.  Other memberships: Shorewood Garden club; square dance 	group; P.E.O. (a social sorority).  Has served as a troubleshooter for various 	organizations, advising them on tailoring programs to member interests, branch 	out in new directions.  

00:27:36	RF's philosophy about volunteering.  Women have limited amounts of personal 	time and organizations must respond to this by providing meaningful activities. 

Tape 1/Side 2    

00:29:47	Has not taken courses at UW.  Has taken courses at MATC-- quilting, drapery 	making. 

00:30:06	Nursery school teaching when children small.  Did not find it very challenging, 	but became buyer of supplies for seventeen Madison nursery schools.  Found 	contacts with business interesting.  Took MATC drapery-making class for five 	years, made all draperies for house and just kept plugging away.  Only worked 	on them during allotted class time.  Enjoyed class where she learned something 	and met interesting people.  

00:34:23	Decision about not working outside home after children born.  Has considered 	going back to high school teaching but hasn't, partly because of present poor 	market.  Has also considered writing children's books and may try this in future. 		Has preferred to find projects she could do at home.  

00:36:21	Feels being home is comfortable, satisfying.  Hasn't felt need to be employed.  	Now volunteering at Attic Angels Nursing home.  Has enabled her to learn about 	another aspect of life, of aging, and to meet new people.  Meeting new people 	and learning may be a substitute for teaching.

00:39:53	Volunteering has filled her life.  RF wouldn't be happy staying at home all the 	time.

00:40:18	Attitude towards women who look down on volunteering--no anger at those who 	don't respect what she's doing.  Many who will criticize volunteerism have never 	really done it and should reserve judgment until they have.  RF satisfied with it; 	others must find what satisfies them.

00:42:15	Women who have a strong need for a job outside home should probably take one 	rather than fight that attitude.  RF has not felt that need, even though she's felt 	such pressure from others.  Recalling questions at gatherings when children 	small.

00:42:52	If you've done something, you know you can do it and don't feel threatened by 	those feelings.  RF doesn't feel threatened by opinion of others that she should 	have job outside the home. 

00:43:43	Influence of husband's faculty position: University League-gained circle of 	friends;  free time activities--concerts, cultural events that come as being part of 	campus.  RF and Mike Fahien probably spend more time on campus than at Civic 	Center.  Mike Fahien is busy many evenings writing manuscripts, so they use 	what free time they have together selectively.  

00:47:20	Mike Fahien's profession has influenced her life, perhaps given her fewer times 	when they could do things together.

END