Mary Brett

Mary Brett was a student from fall of 1942 to summer of 1944. She participated in plays and focused her studies on history and Russian. She married Neal Daniels in December 1947.

According to Mary Emma Harris' interview with Mary in 1996, she received her Ph.D. in early childhood education and worked with the Booth Maternity Center in Philadelphia. Her publications include “The Birth Experience for the Sibling: Description and Evaluation of a Program,” Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health (1983).

Alternative Names: Mary Daniels

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Mary in 1996 (transcript) and 2001 (transcript) which are available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics 1996: Hearing about BMC – sister Elizabeth Brett Hamlin – childhood in Detroit – dance curriculum with Elsa Kahl – Ruth Currier – importance of small size of college– European refugee faculty – Eric Bentley, Robert Wunsch and drama curriculum – Bentley clique – 1944 conflict – 1944 Summer Music Institute – Jacques Barzun as graduation examiner of sister

Topics 2001: 1944 summer conflict and leaving BMC – family background – study at Wayne State University and attempt to transfer credits – post-BMC study and professional work – EricBentley at BMC and Bentley clique – Frances de Graaff – infusion of arts in BMC community – work program – Elsa Kahl – Ruth Currier – Betty Brett Hamlin

Relationships

Sister: Fellow BMC student, Elizabeth Brett

Courses Taken

Fall Quarter 1942-1943: Psychology of the Human World (Dr. Strauss), Readings in Literature (Kenneth Kurtz), Advanced Spanish (Frances de Graff), Piano Lessons (Cohen), Fundamentals of Eukinetics (Kahl). Community Work (Wood)

Winter Quarter 1942-1943: Elementary Physics (Hansgirg), Psychology of the HumanWorld (Straus), Advanced Spanish (de Graff), Current Affairs (Bentley), Elementary Harmony & Eartraining (Cohen), Piano Lessons (Cohen), Community Work (Wood)

Spring Quarter 1942-1943: Psychology of the Human World (Straus), The Twentieth Century (Bentley), Elementary Harmony II (Cohen), Elementary Physics (Hansgirg), Piano Lessons (Cohen), Advanced Spanish (reading) (de Graff), Community Work(Wood)

Winter Semester 1944: Psychology of the Human World (Dr. E. Straus), European History (Eric Bentley), History of Music (Ed Lowinsky), Piano (F. Cohen), Eukinetics (Elsa Kahl), Russian (Fran de Graaff)

Spring Semester 1943-1944: European History (Bentley), Beginning Russian (de Graaff), History of Music (Lowinsky), Eukinetics–elementary (Kahl), Piano Lessons (Cohen)

Summer Semester 1943-1944: XVIII Century (E.R. Bentley), Russian (F. de Graaff), Community Chorus (H. Jalowetz), Psychology of the Pianist (E. Steuermann), Public Rehearsals of the Schoenberg (R. Kolisch), Eukinetics (E. Kahl)

Psychology class at Black Mountain College, ca. 1942-1943. Left to right: Mary Brett, Bob Marden, Barbara Payne, Erik Haugaard, Jackie Tankersley, Erwin Straus (Psychology and Philosophy instructor, 1938-1944). Courtesy of Western Regional Archives.