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 Historic History Page 2 |
Marjorie Elizabeth Babcock In 1937, Robbie met Marjorie Elizabeth Babcock. Marjorie was a remarkable woman. She was a Phi Beta Kappa, graduate of Wells College, where she majored in biology and minored in French. She ran track, played basketball and field hockey. In 1922 she came to Hawaii to work with Stanley Porteus at the University of Hawaii in The Psychological Clinic. Porteus had invented the Porteus Maze test, which was designed to test an individual's i.q. regardless of education, or ability to speak English. Marjorie tested people all over the territory of Hawaii and did all the statistical analysis for the book "Temperament and Race" (Porteus & Babcock). Temperament and Race posited the "shocking idea" that people of non Caucasian ancestry were as bright or brighter than individuals whose ancestors came from Western Europe. Marjorie herself shocked people, she smoked, drove her own car, played golf, had a Masters degree from the UH, and obtained her PhD. in psychology from Columbia in 9 months (when she left Columbia required a year's residency for a doctorate). Robbie and Marjorie were married in 1938, she gave up her job, her professorship and her profession to move from Honolulu to Paauilo and become a plantation manger's wife. She had absolutely no regrets. Her principal concern was her husband. Robbie was never in good health, his war wounds and the stress of running the plantation, while pursuing his agenda of social reform and industrial innovation took a toll. Marjorie insisted that they find a place to go to get away from the Plantation. At first they took weekends off. They would drive four hours to Kona and stay at the Kona Inn. In 1946, they decided to buy a lot on the ocean. It was a magical place. There were three sandy beaches and a little lagoon where their children could learn to swim and snorkel. The promontory in front of the lot offered views up and down the Kona Coast. They would build a house. The place would come to be known as the Plantation Manager's Beach Home.
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