Skip to main content

/ Oral History of Alan and Ruth Barnett

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Oral History of Alan and Ruth Barnett
Contributing Institution
Mill Valley Public Library
Collection
Mill Valley History Online
Rights Information
Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
After meeting in New York City and marrying in 1955, Alan and Ruth Barnett took a long time to find the perfect place to live. Alan had grown up in Chicago and Ruth in Germany and Czechoslovakia. It was a job as secretary to Grace Morley, the first woman director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, that brought Ruth to the Bay Area. Alan served in the National Guard and wound up working for the military in the public information sector. He would later take on teaching positions at San Francisco State University and San Jose State. The beauty of Mill Valley called to the Barnetts, and in 1963, with three children in tow, they became Mill Valley residents. In this oral history, the Barnetts discuss life during World War II and their experiences living in different countries based on took a long time to find the perfect place to live. Alan had grown up in Chicago and Ruth in Germany and Czechoslovakia. It was a job as secretary to Grace Morley, the first woman director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, that brought Ruth to the Bay Area. Alan served in the National Guard and wound up working for the military in the public information sector. He would later take on teaching positions at San Francisco State University and San Jose State. The beauty of Mill Valley called to the Barnetts, and in 1963, with three children in tow, they became Mill Valley residents. Alan's Army assignments. Ruth and Alan recount daily life in Mill Valley, school politics, local residents and businesses, celebrations, and disasters. Both Alan and Ruth became politically active, advocating for a number of causes, such as withdrawal from Vietnam, opposition of the Gulf War, raising environmental awareness, an end to local racism, and declaring Mill Valley a nuclear free zone.
Identifier
CAC0124D-CEA2-432B-8E7E-105372521516
2016.084.001
Subject
Allen, Sarah
Andresen, Bob
Bartlett, Jack
Boxer, Barbara
Brown's Hall
Cascade Reservoir
Decker, Eleanor
Depot
Ellsberg, Daniel
Environmental protection
Groves, Joyce
Gulf War
Hayakawa, S.I
Hughes, Dorothy
Hunter, Don
Lytton Square
Marin Peace and Justice Coalition
Martinez, David
Military life
Mill Valley City Council
Mill Valley Community Center
Morley, Grace
MV history - Music and counterculture (1960s and 1970s)
National guards & reserves
Old Mill School
Oral history - Visual, performing, literary arts
Oral history - Volunteerism, activism
Peace
Politics & government
Praszker, Flora
Protests
Racism
Tamalpais High School
Thomas, Gary
Travel
Vesey, Mary
Vietnam War
Woolsey, Lynn
World War II

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.

Explore related content on Calisphere: