Dorothy Searle Joslin

After graduating from Oberlin College with a B.A. in zoology, I attended U. of Wisconsin, where I met my husband, Jim, a fellow zoology grad student.  Our 45^th wedding anniversary falls on reunion weekend! Our most memorable event was participating in a successful 1963 civil rights protest in Durham, N.C., with students from the local African-American college. Dusk fell as our group blocked the back entrance to the whites-only Holiday Inn.  We apprehensively watched children toying ominously with shuffleboard pucks, while the hostile crowd hurled racial taunts. When the police arrived to march hundreds of us to jail, my first thought was, “What a relief!”  By refusing the jail officials’ questionable offer to release me (I was the only white woman there and seven months pregnant.), I inadvertently integrated the women’s section for a few hours. In 1971 we settled in Fairfax, VA, where Jim taught biology at George Mason U. for several years.  We have two children and two grandchildren.  Our son, his Mexican-born wife and two children (ages 16 and 11) live in San Diego. Our daughter lives in Tallahassee. While the children were young, I was a stay-at-home mom and volunteer. Then, I worked for years as an instructional assistant, teaching learning disabled and general ed students. That led to my next job as a union rep for the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. Avocationally, I continue to be active in my branch of the American Association of University Women. In retirement, Jim and I have more time to pursue birding, walking, and travel. Our delight in nature influences our travels, with birding opportunities a key attraction, along with historical and cultural aspects of our destinations. Visiting family regularly is a priority, especially as our grandchildren grow up so fast!  Sometimes, we head north to visit my sister, Barbara (A.B. Davis ’55), in Chappaqua and Jim’s sister in CT. I volunteered in the 2006 political campaigns of Virginia’s national Democratic candidates and was pleased with Webb’s Senate victory.