Life In Newburyport: 1950 to 1985, Newburyport Public Library, Thursday, July 29th

July 21, 2010

When: Thursday, July 29th 2010, 7:00 pm
Where: Newburyport Public Library, Program Room, State Street, Newburyport, MA

Life in Newburyport: 1950 to 1985 by by Jean Foley Doyle

Interested in Newburyport’s more recent history? Want to learn about what was going on in Newburyport from 1950 through 1985?

If you are, you may be interested in attending local author Jean Doyle’s discussion of her newly published second book, Life in Newburyport: 1950 to 1985 at the Newburyport Public Library on Thursday evening, July 29th at 7:00 pm.

Signed books will be available pending publication.

The years 1950-1985 were, in many ways, the most tumultuous years in Newburyport’s history. This follow-up to Life in Newburyport, Book I, chronicles the city’s struggle as it rises from its designation as a distressed area to achieve the role of a “model city.”

Reassembled through accounts in the Daily News, city documents, pictures, and the memories of its people, Life in Newburyport, 1950-1985 is a gift to the city and to future generations.

Some of the topics and events covered in her book include:

- The Korean War: its affect on Newburyport, and the stories of those who served in the armed forces.
- The “last hurrah” of Andrew “Bossy” Gillis
- Stories of those who served in the Vietnam War, and those of the anti-war movement
- The struggle for historic preservation during the restoration of the downtown district
- The stories of the controversy that ensued over the waterfront, including the views of the commercial interests, the Friends of the Waterfront, and those who supported an Open Waterfront;
- Five Vignettes featuring Special People, including George Cashman, John “Hacky” Pramberg, and Bill Plante;
- Five favorite Dining Places, including Fowle’s, Webster’s, Taffy’s, The Grog, and The Park Lunch;
- Sports, including the statistics and highlights of the football, basketball, and baseball teams at NHS 1950-1985
- Memories of Newburyport’s Neighborhoods and Schools
- and Anecdotes, brief memories of earlier years, many of which were supplied by a group of Newburyport history buffs on Facebook.

About The Author:

Jean Foley Doyle, a lifelong resident of Newburyport, Massachusetts, is the mother of seven and grandmother of eleven children. She graduated from Newburyport High School (NHS) in 1947 and joined the ranks of her peers who married young and started their families after World War II, thus contributing to the baby boomer generations. She stayed at home for the next nineteen years.

Finally able to achieve her dream of a college education, she graduated summa cum laude from Merrimack College in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in history. In 1972, she earned her master’s degree in history from the University of New Hampshire.

Returning to her alma mater, Jean taught history and international relations for thirty years until her retirement in 1999. While teaching at NHS, Jean was responsible for implementing the highly successful community service program which allowed hundreds of students to get to know and contribute to the Newburyport community.

An avid gardener, she lives in Newbury, Massachusetts.