Bowker
Biography:
Cynthia R. Oakley
Cynthia
Oakley lives in Boulder City, Nevada. She is a mother of two
adults. Ms. Oakley received a B.A. in Labor Studies, in 1988,
from Antioch University (Yellow Springs, Ohio) and the George
Meany Center for Labor Studies under a co-operative program.
She has worked in many jobs including newspaper production
and secretarial. She was employed with the Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Hoover Dam as a Guide for
over six years. She researched Hoover Dam history to present
technical information in an entertaining manner to visitors
from all over the world.
Ms.
Oakley formed Toothpick Productions to publish, Hoover
Dam Cooks, 1933. Toothpick was a nickname her daughter
unwillingly acquired in grade school. It was also a term her
son used to describe his Mom's ability to make ends meet.
He once told an aunt, "You know mom. She could build
a home out of toothpicks."
As
a Guide, many people asked her, "Did any women work to
build the Dam?" Ms. Oakley would reply, "There were
a few in administrative assistant positions, but the majority
of women were working in the home." She advises, "The
book documents a little bit about what women were doing in
the 1930's. It wasn't easy."
When
not promoting Hoover Dam Cooks, 1933, Ms. Oakley
enjoys swimming, hiking, and camping with friends. She especially
likes watching sunrises and sunsets in the desert or anywhere
with companion, Phil Aurit.
