Nov. 27, 2022. We first met Mildred Hardeman in 2013. Below is our article from then with an interview. And below this is an update regarding her historic home.
Mildred Hardeman on the porch of her Mt. Tabor Way, Ocean Grove home. Paul Goldfinger photo and video. July 2013
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor, Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ. update 11/27/22
2013:
Mildred Hardeman was born in Alabama in 1921. At the time of the depression, her family moved to Texas so her father could find work. Then they moved to Georgia where she went to high school. Her mother urged her to seek higher education, so she obtained a scholarship to an all-girls college in Athens, Georgia in 1942.
Shorter College had 200 students then. They encouraged careers for women. Today it is Shorter University and has several thousand students.
While at Shorter, Mildred got a job as assistant to a faculty member who encouraged her to move to New York City. Mildred obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy and psychology at Columbia University.
No university in NYC would hire her to teach philosophy–that field was reserved for men— but Queens College hired her to teach psychology. Over the years she taught at the college level while living in NYC.
She purchased a home in Ocean Grove in the 1970’s after reading an article about the town in the New York Times. She came by train, and it was love at first sight.
The historic home that she purchased required a complete remodeling, but since then she has had to do very little work on the building. At first she only came here on weekends, but after her retirement, she moved here full time, leaving her beloved New York City behind.
Mildred used to love to walk all over town, but lately she pretty much stays home. Some years ago she bought a car, but she parked it in front and never drove it. It was sold after three years.
At the age of 92, Mildred’s love affair with Ocean Grove continues. She enjoys chatting with folks walking by. When I went over to interview her, she was sitting on her porch reading all the news that’s fit to print. She was happy to tell her story to me, but she was a bit baffled when I tried to explain Blogfinger to her (sometimes I baffle myself). But we’ll bring our iPad over to introduce her to the Internet.
—Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger
MUSIC. What do you choose for a philosopher? We decided on “Across the Universe” by John Lennon and played beautifully by guitarist Bill Frisell. It is said that Lennon ‘s melody for this piece was influenced by his interest in Eastern religions.
(note: If you know any fascinating Grovers who might be willing to be interviewed, please send me a brief summary and contact info. )