School News

BY
James Drzewiecki

Marsha E. Barrett, a Northwest Catholic alumna and daughter of former faculty member Ana Barrett, has authored a book titled Nelson Rockefeller’s Dilemma: The Fight to Save Moderate Republicanism. 
Marsha was inspired to write this book because, as a political historian of twentieth century United States, she was drawn to politicians with conservative or liberal reputations who sometimes advanced policies that did not fit expected ideological molds. 
“Growing up in Connecticut made me aware of a long tradition of moderate or liberal Republicans in New England, so I decided to pair those interests,” said Marsha. “Once my focus turned to moderate Republicans, specifically, I decided to choose Nelson Rockefeller because his long career in politics gave me lots of material to work with. He was also a perennial presidential candidate, which allowed me to examine national party politics.” 
She began this project with an understanding of the arc of Rockefeller’s career and the policies he worked on that would allow her to trace change over time. 
“With those ideas in mind, I went to the archive — his personal and gubernatorial papers are in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. — and let the sources guide me,” said Marsha. “The time in the archive shaped this project tremendously. The work could be daunting, but the thrill of f inding a document that shed new light on Rockefeller kept me going.” 
After completing her research, Marsha found countless directions to explore. It took a long time for her to settle on the central themes of the book. 
“I wrote a lot of material that I ended up cutting, but I developed a narrative that allowed me to highlight the ways in which Rockefeller’s career sheds new light on the conservative turn of the Republican Party,” she said. 
Her history courses at Northwest Catholic High School played a significant role in preparing her to write this book. She recalled that her freshman history classes with Mr. Ron Swanson were always her “happy place.” 
“I wouldn’t have predicted that I would become a writer when I was a teenager, but Northwest Catholic did play a role in my current career,” said Marsha. “I can still picture the note cards I used to organize my research for a paper I completed in a class with Mrs. Joan Keating-McKeon. Teachers like Mrs. Keating-McKeon took my ideas and writing seriously, and that positive presence was invaluable as I transitioned to college and graduate school.” 
Marsha’s interest in 1960s-era Republican politics continues. Her next project will examine U.S. Senator from Illinois Everett Dirksen’s relationship with his constituents. 
“I am particularly interested in this era in congressional history because it is associated with bipartisan cooperation and the passage of blockbuster legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” said Marsha.