When I was in school, learning how to type was only for girls.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
When I was in High School (1960-64), we had one free period where we could choose any subject we wanted. I wanted typing. I had to submit papers , and most were supposed to be typed. Banging away with two fingers took forever. I was told typing was only for girls. After H.S., all the typing would be done by my secretary.
Well, this is how I type now. just two fingeras and iy takes fgorever. And I have to go back and fix all the errors. And that secretary hasn't shown up in 50 years.
When did schools finally get with program, or is there still sexist stuff?
 

Oy that I still remember the basic drill " asdf space space jkl;, asdf space space...." . I didn't get typing in school. Both of my parents taught business and secretarial courses so there was no question I would learn to touch type. Something that comes in handy now but I didn't use for many years. Interesting though, I suppose back in the day typing=secretary=female. My Dad wasn't anywhere as fast as my Mom but credits being able to type as the skill that saved him in the service.

He would have ended up at the front lines except the chaplain needed a secretary. Dad was the only one in the group who could type.
 

Smartest thing I did when I was in high school was to take a typing class. Class was suppose to be for future secretaries but I took it thinking I would need it for business classes. Now of course I use the skills I learned for the computer keyboard which is important for my current work. Ironic that I am writing this by swiping on my phones keyboard though !
 
When I was in high school,typing was for girls. So guess what class my hubby took? He was no dummy. We didn`t meet in that class-we met a floor above, in the English wing. But a couple of years later,when he was in the Army,knowing how to type gave him a very nice "office" job. He never regretted knowing how to type :)
 
fuzzybuddy said:
When I was in High School (1960-64), we had one free period where we could choose any subject we wanted. I wanted typing. I had to submit papers , and most were supposed to be typed. Banging away with two fingers took forever. I was told typing was only for girls. After H.S., all the typing would be done by my secretary.
Well, this is how I type now. just two fingeras and iy takes fgorever. And I have to go back and fix all the errors. And that secretary hasn't shown up in 50 years.
When did schools finally get with program, or is there still sexist stuff?
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I would have been a few years after you but I think there were boys in my class. A few, I would say, not many. You could still learn, it's pretty easy. Does your local h.s. offer adult evening classes maybe?
 
I haven't thought about going back to school. I guess I'll stick with the hunt, peck, re-hunt and re-peck system. It's amazing how sexist that was, and it was only a few years before the Equal Rights Amend. gained steam.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I haven't thought about going back to school. I guess I'll stick with the hunt, peck, re-hunt and re-peck system. It's amazing how sexist that was, and it was only a few years before the Equal Rights Amend. gained steam.
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Yes, we certainly did think differently. There seemed to be set rules for either gender. There was "women's work" and "men's work". When I started working, it was like that. Then there was that big change. Just think back--there were no woman anchors on TV or any male nurses or operators. We have come a long way, just hope we don't lose ground in the next four years. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that many young working women today do not know that it's only in recent years women gained equality or at least almost. Men have also acquired roles traditionally held by women, how about flight attendents and stay-at-home dads?
 
I took a typing class in summer school. I remember the typewriter keys were blank.
I was able to write a few phrases but that was it!

Now I'm still on the hunt-and-peck system, even on this forum.

I have to hunt for the ampersand key whenever I need it . &&&&&.....OH, There you are.
 Back in business!
 
In my unenlightened schooldays the girls did typing, cookery and needlework and the boys woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing.
I typed this answer one finger style, can't sew a button on a shirt and like gas mark six for twenty minutes.I would have loved to have swapped.
Also had to fight to be allowed to study Biology - the science that interested me. I think things are better these days.
 
I took a one semester elective called Personal Typing in high school. One of the best decisions I ever made. The keys on the typewriter were blank, but they had a huge chart on the wall with the keys labeled, so you were forced to look up instead of down. It was fun. Big class. It seems like I remember a couple of boys in the class. They hid in the back row I think. :)
 
I was given the choice of tennis, hockey or swimming.

I chose swimming, little knowing that it meant actually going for the bronze medallion in life saving.

I manged to pass, but I now longer longer swim in the ocean - too many sharks or other nasties. lol

Didn't learn how to type until after I left school.
 
fuzzy - I was in High School the same time as you (1964 graduate) and I took typing. I think it was just for a half year (one semester). I was not the only boy in the class.

This was in Southern Ohio which is not known for progressive thinking...
 
I went to a Catholic High School, with nuns. The stuff about the rulers was true. We had one nun, who looked like a sumo wrestler. She'd pick up guys by the back of your shirt with her left hand- your feet completely off the ground; and she'd punch you in the face with her right hand. But typing was for girls only. "Yes, Sister."
 
I guess things changed a lot in the '70s. At my school the typing classes were both genders, and anyone could take shop so many girls did. Home ec wasn't offered any more. The only restriction I didn't like was that you had to be a calculus student to use the computers, which were quite new then, and for some reason the teachers thought math had something to do with computer logic.
 
I graduated high school in 1963. I took typing and shorthand. There were no boys in those classes, but they weren't closed to boys. I'm so glad I took those classes -- what I learned in them has served me well for many years.
 
When I was in high school in the mid 50's our school had just gotten those new fangled electric typewriters. It was my misfortune to take typing as after a few minutes I would start getting small shocks. I had gotten a nasty shock as a kid and I don't know if I was super sensitive but I truly hated that class. as a result I use 2 fingers to type with today. Hunt and peck even though I know where the keys are.

I also am very careful in the meat departments in grocery stores. One day I was kind of sliding along the metal rim in the meat section and got a jolt from that too. I never touch the the metal rims now.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
When I was in High School (1960-64), we had one free period where we could choose any subject we wanted. I wanted typing. I had to submit papers , and most were supposed to be typed. Banging away with two fingers took forever. I was told typing was only for girls. After H.S., all the typing would be done by my secretary.
Well, this is how I type now. just two fingeras and iy takes fgorever. And I have to go back and fix all the errors. And that secretary hasn't shown up in 50 years.
When did schools finally get with program, or is there still sexist stuff?
Click to expand...

When I was in High School (grad. 1977) boys were allowed to take typing, and many did.
During the last couple of years that I was there, girls were allowed in metal shop and wood shop classes, too.
But there were still some 'sexist' ideas- by the time I graduated, boys still could not take home economics classes, and girls couldn't take auto shop. I don't know when the policies changed, but guys need to know how to cook, and women need to know the basics about cars. The latter is the main reason why I've never owned a car- concerned something would go wrong with it and I wouldn't have a clue unless it was either out of gas or had a flat tire- and car basics weren't taught in Driver's Ed.
 
I took typing in the 9th grade in 1954. I may have been the only boy in the class. What drew me to it was the machine itself. The idea of pressing keys to get text just seemed neat. I loved the Royal typewriters we used. My folks bought me a Remington portable that I still have.

Don
 
I took typing around '65 or 66 in Jr. High(Middle School), pretty much co-ed.

I took a home economics class- or more specifically it was called Chief's Class, a cooking class for boys.

It was a popular class because as teen age boys we liked to eat!
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I went to a Catholic High School, with nuns. The stuff about the rulers was true. We had one nun, who looked like a sumo wrestler. She'd pick up guys by the back of your shirt with her left hand- your feet completely off the ground; and she'd punch you in the face with her right hand. But typing was for girls only. "Yes, Sister."
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I hope your Nun's name wasn't Sister William Mary, because she was really quick with the ruler and even throw kids out of their desks. She threw me on the floor one time and said Oops I meant to throw Carol. She didn't even help me get up. Of course she was my typing teacher. I was in an all girls High School. The all boys high school didn't teach typing.
 
When I went to work in an office there were stenographers and we used dictating machines. Computers were in the computer dept and used punch cards.
 

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