Smith, Esther

Historical Background

In the summer of 1935, Esther Smith, a 23-year-old high school teacher, was a member of a group of young, professional, single women on a bus tour of the American West. The tour was offered by the summer travel program, "University of Tours." The group was chaperoned by a male college professor, a principal driver, and a back-up driver. The University of Tours was described as "an educational institution on wheels." The California portion of the tour included stops in San Francisco, Yosemite, Los Angeles, and San Juan Capistrano.

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