In the spring of 1999 I mailed out a questionnaire to approximately half of the people with whom I graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1953. The list was obtained from Lois Popken Saunders, the person in charge of organizing our class reunions. I wanted to know if my perceptions about the changes that had occurred in Oak Park were shared by my classmates. (See http://astro.temple.ed/~ruby/opp/ for a more detailed description of my research). To my astonishment I received back over one-half of those mailed out (54%). I can only speculate on the high rate of response. I think that it may be because my classmates and I are at an age - in our sixties - when reflecting on our childhood has become important. I asked questions that gave people a chance to evaluate changes in their hometown and not questions that asked them to evaluate their personal lives. As many of my classmates are college educated, the notion of doing this sort of study was not foreign and just may be they wished to be cooperative with a classmate.
I had a place where people could give me their name and address if they were willing to allow me to contact them further about the study - over sixty percent revealed their identity and indicated that I could contact them again about the project. While I left no space for additional comments, one-third of the respondents offered comments that elaborated on their answers and occasionally critiqued the adequacy of my questions. While some of the comments we simply "good luck with the research." Others were more extensive. Twelve people wrote lengthy comments - one was a seven page biographical letter.
The questions I ask were straightforward but clearly provoked a strong reaction. First I asked for some demographic information - marital status, education, income, where they currently live and how long did they live in Oak Park. The remainder of the questions dealt with three areas of change and whether or not they thought these changes were good for the community: 1. The change in Oak Park from WASP to ethnically diverse, 2. Oak Park's transformation from a temperance community to a place where one can obtain alcohol and 3. the shift in attitude toward native son, Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright. I will briefly summarize the results in narrative form. For those who enjoy the numbers, you can move directly to that section.
A brief profile of the Class of 1953 - My assumptions about who my classmates were proved to be correct. 92% graduated from college with 40% acquiring graduate degrees. Having been born into a relatively affluent middle-class world, most of us have been able to maintain that economic level - 61% report an annual income of over $50,000 with 20% making over $100,000. Most of us are married (73%) and we have reached the point where many are beginning to retire (54% are already retired). While only 6% currently live in Oak Park, over 50% live in the Midwest. Most people lived less than five years in Oak Park after graduation but 15% have lived there between five and ten years.
The presence of alcohol in Oak Park - While we grew up in a publicly tee-totaling world that thought drinking in public was immoral, few of my classmates thought that being able to have a drink in a restaurant was improper or a problem. 64% approved of the change and 50% thought it was good for the community. The approval rate did not seem to vary with where you lived or many of the other characteristics. The higher your income the greater the approval rate (45% for those earning less than $50,000 and 74% for those earning over $100,00). The same held true for education - people with more education tended to be more approving (31% for those with only a high school education and over 50% for those with a B.A. of greater).
Most of the marginal comments about the availability of alcohol focused in the less than honest past when Oak Parkers publicly called for temperance but drank in private or frequented bars in the bordering communities. The change was thought to "eliminate hypocrisy." The boundaries of Oak Park used to be ringed with package stores and bars. As one person noted - "Now they don't have to cross North Ave., Austin or Roosevelt." Another commentator thought that the change was good "because now Roosevelt Rd. does not have a liquor store and a bar in every block." Even one respondent that mildly disapproved acknowledged that - "admittedly my opinion is 'not in my backyard' but convenience of next door is OK." While another voiced a somewhat grudging tolerance - "I don't drink but realize that it is important for restaurants to be able to offer alcohol."
The use of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway as village icons - If, as I contend, there was a time when some people in Oak Park were morally outraged about the private lives of Hemingway and Wright and sought to play down their place in Oak Park, those attitudes are long gone. Some of my classmates thought I was wrong about that attitude. 84 % approved of the use of these people to promote a touristic interest in Oak Park and 81% saw it as a good thing for the community. These high rates of approval do not appear to vary as to the income level, sex, marital status or other variables I examined. So I was either incorrect or time really have changed in Oak Park.
Some people who made marginal comments disagreed with my assumptions.
"I do not share your recollection. It seemed to me the community was proud of Hem and Wright even in the 1950s
"Several of the teachers I had at OPRFHS who had taught Ernest Hemingway spoke very highly of him in 1949-1953."
"Note that in our graduation program Hemingway was noted as having won the Nobel prize in literature along with other alumni awards. I thought they were held in high esteem and see no change today
Others thought that while their private lives may not have been exemplary their public accomplishments warranted recognition.
"Never heard much about Hemingway. F. L. Wright has always been known for being off the wall. He was brilliant, but slightly nutty architect and has a lot of influence on building. He is known for leaky roofs (My son has been working this past year on repairing the stained glass windows in some Wright houses) Besides, I think most people know Wright for his architecture not his immorality. I don't think most people care about it. Look at Clinton. It should only matter to his wife and family as long as he doesn't bother me." No opinion
"Every place has their 'colorful' figures. It's part of history."
"Since both Wright and Hemingway are well known for their accomplishments in their respective fields Oak Park may as well reap some recognition from this. Hopefully Oak Park won't get credit for their moral character or lack of."
"Whatever I may think of Wright's or Hemingway's 'moral fiber' I recognize that Wright was a truly great architect. The Wright buildings in Oak Park and River Forest are in a most literal sense part of the fabric of the community. Visitors should be directed to them. It is neither good nor harmful but the community's diversity is what should be celebrated."
One person strongly approved "because of their genius not their morals." I am a great devotee of F.L. Wright. I am a designer and use his ideas."
"Most people especially out in the West, remember these people as 'heroes of their trade' Everyone has their skeletons in the closet, but not all have such great talent. Most people don't even think about the personal lives of these two people, only the legacy of their gifts, namely writings and architecture."
"I think Wright's architecture is engineeringly unsound...maintenance expensive - So I don't care for it." I leaned somewhat late in life to distinguish between who a person is and what they can do. O.J. Simpson comes to mind quickly. Hemingway was rather unpleasant. Perhaps the 'fault' lies with current proponents of Oak Park looking for O.P. 'Heroes.'"
The emergence of a Gay and lesbian community - My classmates were more divided about their approval of a gay/lesbian community and whether or not they thought this community was good for Oak Park. While 49% approved, 42% thought it was bad for the community. Education has a major effect on people's attitudes about their approval and whether they thought the change was good for Oak Park - only 6% of the high school educated thought the presence of gays and lesbians was good for Oak Park and the same percentage approved of the change, while 38% of those college educated and 41% of those with graduate degrees saw it as a positive thing and approximately the same numbers approved of this change. A similar overlap occurred between approval the belief the change was good when marital status and sex was examined. Divorced(43%) and Single(47%) people saw this change as positive for Oak Park than those who are married (35%). Similarly 47% of the divorced respondents and 53% of the singles approved of the change, while only 38% of those married approved. Women(47% approved and 50% thought it was good for the community) are more positive than men (25% approved and 29% thought it was good). One result that is somewhat confusing is the fact that while 50% of those who have lived in Oak Park from 10 to 20 years since graduation, those who have lived there more than 30 years are less certain it is good for the community (20%) with a similar result concerning their response to whether or not they thought it was good for Oak Park (50% of those living in Oak Park for 10 to 20 years but only 26% for those living in the community for over 30 years).
Several respondents claimed that they knew gays and lesbians in high school. "I knew some." While others thought we were oblivious to the existence of homosexuality. "In 1953 we weren't "tuned in" to that aspect of life. Never thought about it."
Some expressed the need for tolerance. "There is a gay woman in my mother's block. I knew her as her cousin was in our class. She says neighbors avoid her because she is gay (dresses more like a man) and it's not right to dislike someone for their sexual preference any more than you should dislike someone because of race or religion. If you don't like someone it should be because they are a jerk, egotistical or have a rotten attitude." "They have their rights as long as it isn't militant like here (Calif.)
Some expressed basically negative feelings
"This is getting scary! The more publicity and notoriety these people get the stronger they are. Bad influence on the younger people and AIDS could become rampant. They are all 'sickos' and, I'm sure, dysfunctional."
"...strong disapprove of it anywhere. I am a child of the 50s - discretion."
"I believe gays and lesbians should be celibate."
The emergence of an African-American Community - Most of my classmate felt positive about the planned integration of Oak Park. 54% approved of the change(many expressed no opinion (28%) and thus only 15% disapproved) and 58% thought it was a positive thing for the community. Interestingly enough of those currently living in Oak Park, 62% were positive and only 1% negative with 23% expressing no opinion. As with other changes people with more educated were more approving (57% of those college educated and 60% of those with graduate education) and the more likely to think the change was good for the community(60% of those college educated and 65% of those with a graduate education). Income, marital status, or whether working or retired were not relevant factors in deciding if they approved of integration. Although sex did make a difference(66% of women approved while only 44% of men agreed and 72% of the women thought it good for Oak Park, while only 44% of the men did).
Some who commented on the changes in ethnic composition reluctantly accepted the change.
"I am not a 'continental' person. I am a citizen of the U.S. Do I have a choice? When outnumbered?" and "(a) sign of the times and the law these days. We lived in a "white bread" world not the real world.""Because they've tried hard to keep minority levels to national percent, i.e., blacks make up 12% of the U.S. population but are the majority in Chicago & other big cities, can't contain them, so what's the answer?"
"If integration truly works I'm all for it. I still remember problems in Cicero in the 40s and 50s. No way to know."
Many expressed positive feelings.
"I'm all for diversity. I think we need it to make this a better world. We were so sheltered.""It shouldn't matter what race people are."
"When we have lived where there's a diversified population it generally produces a more interesting, productive neighborhood. The key, to my way of thinking, is that it remain a melting pot so that ethnic and racial groups don't congregate to create ghettos. If Oak Park is becoming a true 'melting pot' this is good for the community."
"Oak Park did an excellent job of preparation." Good for community "The world is diverse."
Some voiced a concern that an influx of African-Americans would have a negative impact on the crime rate.
"Not as safe. Would be fine if all these new residents were law abiding.""The important thing is that crime was very low in the past. Has the population change affected this?
"This is good for the community Assuming crime rate has not been effected."
Others were concerned about the kind of people who were moving in.
"Depends on things such as education and income also values and lifestyle."
"Are they subsidized? (I assume this means on welfare or other forms of public assistance.) If yes, then strongly disapprove."
"good but only if the intellectual and moral character do not change."
"I guess it's OK if all are a higher class and educated group of individuals. I was born in Austin and have seen the devastation of what was once a nice older neighborhood. Now the blacks have taken over and many windows of residences are boarded up. I can only hold onto my childhood memories of Austin which was once respectable."
"I'm glad I don't live there anymore."
Some anxiety was expressed about the possibility of the change having a negative impact on the quality of education.
"Have no opinion as long as school have retained high standards and ambience is the same."
"I would hope 'gang' activity is not a concern in Oak Park and that students at OPRFHS can experience the secure feelings we did."
One person thought the change caused the high school to lower its standards - "The once 'best' H.S. in country doesn't rank up there anymore."
"I approve of having African-American and Hispanic in any community. However, they should be expected to maintain comparable property care and academic goals in schools."
It is interesting to note that most of the people who made marginal comments about ethnic changes and the emergence of a gay and lesbian community had critical things to say. It is difficult for me not to see the observations as fairly racist and homophobic. For example, some respondents assumed that if African-Americans moved into Oak Park they would not have the same values, or socio-economic levels as old Oak Parkers is blatantly racists to my mind and that AIDS was solely a gay problem. On the other hand, the anxiety about these changes lowering the quality of the educational system is unfortunately correct. African Americans tend not to perform as well as Euro-Americans in the public schools.
What did I learn from
the survey? I guess I made the assumption that my classmates had
become more conservative than I and that they retained many of
those values until today. I was partially correct but about half
of my classmates seem to reflect a fairly liberal point of view
towards ethnic difference and gays and lesbians. My generation
came into adulthood when Oak Park decided to transform itself.
I can better understand how this was possible from reading the
survey results.