The collection contains one bound diary, Date Book 1932, written by Nancy Mitchell Neill when she was fifteen and sixteen years of age in 1932. Cards and letters dating from 1932 to 1933 that were folded between the diary pages have been dated according to their locations among the pages, if they were undated, and placed in a separate folder for preservation. Items in each folder are arranged chronologically. The first entry in the diary is dated December 26, 1932, altered from its printed entry for January 1, 1932. Nancy explained in her December 1st entry, which she marked as Thanksgiving Day, that she got a week ahead in her diary. This explains why entries for December 1932 appear on the first pages of the volume. Nancy’s first chronological entry is January 26, 1932, the last day she was vacationing in Florida with her parents. The entries continue with a few periodic gaps, i.e., blank pages, through December 1932. Nancy’s diary entries focus on her social activities with friends and dates. When she mentioned school, it was often to report on its dullness. Nancy wrote the earliest diary entry just before she and her parents left Florida to return to St. Louis in January 1932. The Mitchells left St. Louis for their summer home in Grand Haven, Michigan, on July 18th. Nancy recorded many of her activities while in Michigan and friends that visited them. She was happy to return to St. Louis on September 8th. On October 4th, Nancy and her friend Betty Freeman left to attend Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut. However, Nancy was homesick and then became ill. She returned to St. Louis on October 16th and shortly afterward resumed classes in St. Louis. Nancy mentioned many friends and boyfriends in her diary, many only by first name or a nickname. She spent a lot of time with Ruthie but did not record her last name, and with Flitz (Flitzie) and Ruth Jane. Among those that Nancy mentioned by complete name are: Billy Leigh, Billy Upthegrove, Billy Stanard, Peggy Cahill, Buck Ewing, Nat Ewing, Billy Bixby, Billy Durham, Ellard Heffern, Jimmy Payne, Johnnie Peckham, Billy Van Wiese, Betty Caulk, Jack Caulk, Virginia Gareshe, and Bob Charles. The teens dined at various spots in the Ladue and Clayton area such as: Bellerive Country Club, the Grove (Busch’s Grove), Dorr and Zeller’s, Boehnar’s, and the Parkmoor. They also swam at St. Alban’s, went to the Kirkwood Roller Skating Rink, saw movies at Loews, and danced at events by the Fortnightly Dance Club. Nancy had her hair done at Anthony’s. The friends often met at one of their homes to play games such as bridge or red light-green light, and to dance. In March and April, Nancy rehearsed for a play performed at St. Louis Country Day School. On her sixteenth birthday, October 19th, she had her photograph taken for the newspaper. Nancy had her first art lesson on November 19th and she received flowers from Billy Leigh and Billy Stanard on Christmas Day. On December 27th, she attended Kate Pulitzer’s dance. One document inserted at the back of the diary was a claim for damages to Gertrude Grove’s car at the Geyer Road train crossing on November 5th. The letter from the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company and the accompanying witness questionnaires are dated February 1933.