Toting two bags, one from the Appalachian Peace Network and another that says, If you're not recycling
you're throwing it all away at age 72 Lois Whealey stands out as one of the most active students at Ohio University.
Whealey decided to go back to school after receiving money from her VISTA position with Rural Action, an organization that promotes economic, social and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. She is currently working on her third master's degree at OU in social sciences with a concentration in history.
Whealey's affiliation with women's groups on campus includes being an officer for the local American Association of University Women branch, secretary of Ohio Women Inc., as well as a League of Women Voters board member. She has also participated in events such as Take Back the Night, where she spoke one year, and global events like International Women's Year, an event that happens every ten years in a different area of the world.
Whealey noticed that so few women are in textbooks after hearing a lecture about it. Once, she opened a science book to find that the only picture of a woman was as a patient, even though most of the authors were women.
I sent them a letter she said. With friends like you
who needs enemies? In 1977 Whealey served as a committee member for the federal government-funded state meetings from which two delegates were chosen to attend the National Women's Conference.
That same year, Whealey ran the first woman-dominated humanity conference in a series of annual conferences.
When I consider 1977
I really can't believe all the things I did
she said.
I think there were a few women around
like Lois and others
in the early '70s who were just really out there and started a lot of things in motion
said Elaine Mather, a fellow activist who has known Whealey for about 28 years.
She really sticks to it and gives credit to everybody
always trying to introduce everyone to each other, said Athens resident Judy Daso, who has marched for women alongside Whealey for 15 to 20 years, and nominated Whealey for an award she received during a past Women's History Month.
Sunday, Whealey will play Frances Dana Gage, a 19th century journalist and women's rights activist, as part of Herstory, a celebration of women's history at Hocking College. Daso is playing Amelia Bloom, whose many accomplishments include wearing pants when it defied cultural norms. And where would we women be without our pants? Daso said.
After graduating from Stanford University in 1951, Whealey taught on an Indian reservation in her home state of Nevada for a year.
Her husband, Robert Whealey, is retired from OU's history department. They met square dancing at the University of Michigan, where Whealey received her master's in education. At their recent 50th wedding anniversary, they only had one square for square dancing, since most the people our age are not up to dancing
she said.
When the Whealeys came to Athens in 1964, OU had about 13,000 students, and by 1969 it had grown drastically to about 19,000.
We came at a time when the college was expanding
