Judith Thompson Witmer

Growing Up Silent in the 1950s: Not All Tailfins and Rock 'n' Roll Judith Thompson Witmer

Growing Up Silent in the 1950s likely will become the definitive social history of the Silent Generation. Whether you were a part of this generation or have no idea there was such a generation, here you will find the answer to the central question: Who are the Silent Generation and why were they not acknowledged? Those of the Silent Generation have been called deferential, well-mannered, and book smart conformists. They did what they were expected to do, putting responsibilities first, always postponing who they wanted to be. They were reared in a contradictory world, living their youth in the safest time in history, yet always worried about "the bomb." Curwensville Joint High School Class of 1955, already identified by researchers as the year most representative of the Silent Generation, serves as the archetype of what it really was like growing up during the 1950s with comments and recollections from twenty percent of the class members.