Interview with Mary Eileen Barry
IntervieweeInterview with
Mary Eileen Barry
(American, 1931 - 2019)
InterviewerInterviewed by
Bruce M. Stave
(American, 1937 - 2017)
InterviewerInterviewed by
Sondra Astor Stave
Date2006 October 3
Mediumdigitized audio cassette tape
DimensionsDuration: 1 Hour, 11 Minutes, 16 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number2009.85.5
DescriptionAudio cassette tape of an interview with Mary Eileen Barry. She was interviewed on October 3, 2006 by Bruce M. Stave and Sondra Astor Stave at her home in Niantic, Connecticut.
Mary Eileen Barry was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. She attended St. Thomas' Grammar School, Mount St. Joseph Academy, and St. Joseph College. She worked at G. Fox & Company through high school and college.
Through the Experiment in International Living, Barry was a Community Ambassador from Hartford in 1956. She went to Chile, Uruguay, and Iran.
Mary Eileen Barry started working at G. Fox in 1947 when she was 16 years old. She worked in the Stationery Department to fill-in stock from 1947-1953. She later became a Hosiery Buyer. In 1953, she left to go to college at NYU to study retailing. She later returned to G. Fox in the Executive Training Department. She became the head of Stock in the 7-14 department (pre-teen) and was the youngest buyer in her department. She was the buyer of the Young Junior shop in 1956.
The dress code for women required them to wear black or navy blue, they could wear scarves, wear black or navy blue stockings, heels or low shoes. Men wore a suit and tie. If staff were not following the dress code, they were sent home.
Beatrice Fox Auerbach held a family circle lunch in the employee's cafeteria. Staff members were invited once a year. Mary later was a hostess with BFA.
The Training Squad was a program taught by the G. Fox executives. She then taught in the Training Department teaching retailing, salesmanship, and how to do things in the store.
Mary discusses merchandise buyers at G. Fox and the Go-Getter newsletter. She also discusses the Auerbach family and Ann Uccello. She explains the process of what a buyer did at G. Fox. She also discusses the changeover in leadership from Beatrice Fox Auerbach to the May Company.
Barry left G. Fox & Company in 1969 to get her doctorate at Penn State. She then discusses the changes that occurred in Hartford in the 1960s and 1970s. Mary Berry taught at Auburn University from 1973 until 2000.
Mary Eileen Barry was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. She attended St. Thomas' Grammar School, Mount St. Joseph Academy, and St. Joseph College. She worked at G. Fox & Company through high school and college.
Through the Experiment in International Living, Barry was a Community Ambassador from Hartford in 1956. She went to Chile, Uruguay, and Iran.
Mary Eileen Barry started working at G. Fox in 1947 when she was 16 years old. She worked in the Stationery Department to fill-in stock from 1947-1953. She later became a Hosiery Buyer. In 1953, she left to go to college at NYU to study retailing. She later returned to G. Fox in the Executive Training Department. She became the head of Stock in the 7-14 department (pre-teen) and was the youngest buyer in her department. She was the buyer of the Young Junior shop in 1956.
The dress code for women required them to wear black or navy blue, they could wear scarves, wear black or navy blue stockings, heels or low shoes. Men wore a suit and tie. If staff were not following the dress code, they were sent home.
Beatrice Fox Auerbach held a family circle lunch in the employee's cafeteria. Staff members were invited once a year. Mary later was a hostess with BFA.
The Training Squad was a program taught by the G. Fox executives. She then taught in the Training Department teaching retailing, salesmanship, and how to do things in the store.
Mary discusses merchandise buyers at G. Fox and the Go-Getter newsletter. She also discusses the Auerbach family and Ann Uccello. She explains the process of what a buyer did at G. Fox. She also discusses the changeover in leadership from Beatrice Fox Auerbach to the May Company.
Barry left G. Fox & Company in 1969 to get her doctorate at Penn State. She then discusses the changes that occurred in Hartford in the 1960s and 1970s. Mary Berry taught at Auburn University from 1973 until 2000.
Collections
Funding Note: In 2006, the Connecticut Historical Society received a grant from the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to support the collection of oral histories, the cataloging of G. Fox & Co. materials and Fox and Auerbach family materials, and the creation of web pages. Additional funding for the oral histories was provided by The Prospect Fund, The Brookside Fund, and The Maple Tree Fund. The Connecticut Historical Society gratefully acknowledges these generous supporters. Without such generosity, this project would not have been possible.
Status
Not on view2007 June 7