EKU Institutional History
Description
The Institutional History projects consist of interviews with Eastern Kentucky University alumni, faculty and staff. Alumni discuss their personal and family histories, their careers, their student days, the university, its clubs and organizations, and the changes it has experienced over the years.
Former faculty and staff discuss their personal and family histories, their careers at Eastern, the curriculum, the faculty and students, the university, and the changes it has undergone.
Former faculty and staff discuss their personal and family histories, their careers at Eastern, the curriculum, the faculty and students, the university, and the changes it has undergone.
Title
EKU Institutional History
Project Interviews
Interview with Fredric Ogden
Fredric Ogden is a native of New York. In this interview Ogden discusses growing up on a farm and his education. He was in the military during World War II and married. He discussed racial tensions while at University of Alabama and the Arthree Lucy incident in 1956. Ogden first heard of EKU from a former student, James King, who recommended him as…
Interview with George W. Robinson
This is part five of a five part series with George W. Robinson. In this interview, Robinson continues his discussion over history department changes. He discusses the tension between Central University College and the College of Arts and Sciences. Robinson also comments on the masters program, student recruitment, and the changes made to EKU in…
Interview with George W. Robinson
This is part four of a five part series with George W. Robinson. In this interview Robinson continues his discussion on teaching at EKU. He comments on both President Martin and President O'Donnell, and various EKU programs. He also discusses his teaching methods, the AAUP, student performance, and his personal life.
Interview with George W. Robinson
This is part three of a five part series with George W. Robinson. In this interview Robinson continues his discussion on college teaching. He is hired at Washburn University. Robinson left Washburn and returned to Wisconsin for classes. He discusses a position he accepted the summer of 1953 with the University of Maryland Overseas Program. He…
Interview with George W. Robinson
This is part two of a five part series with George W. Robinson. In this interview Robinson continues his discussion on being in the V-12 program and at Oberlin College. After World War II ended he joined the NROTC and his unit was in Florida. He compares Miami University and to Oberlin. He continues with his college education at University of…
Interview with George W. Robinson
This is part one of a five part series with George W. Robinson. Robinson's family is from Wisconsin and Iowa. In this interview he gives his family history and reflects on growing up in Iowa. He was in a program called V-12 during World War II at Oberlin College.
Interview with Herman B. Moore
In this interview, Herman B. Moore, an Owesley County native, describes growing up on a farm and his early education in a one room school house. He reflects on his campus life and some of his teachers in the interview. Moore expresses his continued support for EKU's programs after retirement.
Interview with Clyde Lewis
Clyde Lewis was a EKU faculty, a World War II veteran, and an EKU Alum. In this interview, Lewis recalls his early education and Great Depression memories. He also shares his memories of campus life and the instructors he had while attending EKU.
Interview with Henry Martin
Henry Martin served as Dean of Students at Eastern Kentucky University under President Martin. In this interview, Martin reflects on his education at Berea College, his military service in the Navy, and his role as the EKU dormitory director.
Interview with F. M. Burke
F. M. Burke is a Pike County, KY native. He attended Eastern State Teachers College and Normal School. In this interview, Burke, gives detailed information about his family history, growing up on a farm and his father's timber business. After being rejected for not meeting the requirements for admission to Eastern, he boarded a train and headed to…
Interview with George Fugate
Letcher County native George Fugate describes his life while growing up on a farm where he was raised by his grandparents. Fugate mentions that John C. Mayo bribed his grandmother for coal rights after they moved to Whitesburg. When Fugate finished eighth grade he attended Eastern Normal School, which was the first time he saw running water and…
Interview with Hazel Little
In this interview, Mrs. Hazel Little shares her memories of growing up on a farm in Lincoln County KY and her later experiences while living in Richmond KY. She details campus activities, dormitory life and various teachers. She also comments on a story where President Donovan unknowingly contributed to the theft of musical instruments from the…
Interview with Chad Middleton
Chad Middleton, a native of Lincoln County, Kentucky, shares his memories of the Great Depression and WWII in this interview. After his military service he returned to school at EKU. Middleton also discusses various EKU instructors, his time as an Elizabethtown educator, and his path to becoming the Director of the EKU Physical Plant.
Interview with Valley Megee
Valley Megee grew up in rural Mercer County, Kentucky and began attending EKU in 1925. Upon completion it was suggested she go teach in the Appalachian Mountains, in which the community accepted her. She discusses the funds to build and teachers from Boston to help start the school. She describes the conditions of the area and recreations.
Interview with Glenna Sprinkle Dean
Glenna Sprinkle Dean, a native of Pennington Gap, Virginia, was influenced to become a teacher. In this interview she discusses attending college later than she wanted due to economic hardship in the family.
Interview with Harvey Lafuze
Harvey Lafuze, an Indiana native, came to Eastern in 1939 and retired in 1976. He was Eastern's photographer from 1950 till 1960. In this interview he discusses his educational background, the Great Depression, and his first teaching job. Lafuze also discusses Eastern in the early 1930s and the construction of the Memorial Science Building.
Interview with Glenn Carey
Glenn Carey was a professor of English and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a Korean War Veteran and he is a author. In this interview Carey discussed his writings, his dissertations on Faulkner and the Korean War.
Interview with Henry Hanly Funderburk Jr
In this interview President Henry Hanly Funderburk Jr.,a Carolton AL native, shares his memories of growing up on a rural area farm around the time of the Great Depression. He became president of Auburn University in 1980, and he later became president of EKU in 1985.
Interview with Rodney T. & Viola Gross Jr.
Rodney and Viola Gross both discussed their educational backgrounds in this interview. Mrs. Gross was from Danville KY and Mr. Gross was from Dayton OH. He recalled the role as Regent and being a Regent at EKU.
Interview with Mary John & Kelly Thurman
In this interview, Kelly and Mary John Thurman both discuss the Great Depression, the WPA and other Government Programs. They came to EKU in 1966 where Mr. Thurman taught and Mrs. Thurman worked at the library. They felt students had changed over the years. They discussed personnel had PhD hiring issues in the 1960s and the government was making…
Interview with Alfred S. Portwood
Alfred S. Portwood attended UK and played football, before he came to coach at EKU. In this interview, he comments on various sports cultures, including football, basketball, baseball, and tennis, and the players he coached. He also discusses his EKU teaching career and how he worked for the Revenue Department under Governor Chandler.
Interview with Fredric Ogden
In this interview, Fredric Ogden, a New York native who came from a dairy farm background, discusses a certified position in Maryland, his marriage, and his military service. Ogden came to EKU in 1961, to serve as Political Science Department Chair.
Interview with Milos Sebor
Milos Sebor, a Zbiroh, Austria native, became Professor of Geography at EKU in 1968. In this interview Sebor reflects on the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, and various aspects of WWII and Europe.
Interview with Dean & Grace Gatwood
Dean and Grace Gatwood married in 1940 and came to EKU in 1947. Mrs. Gatwood worked as a secretary and an Administrator in Central University College, before becoming an art professor at EKU. In this interview, Mr. Gatwood comments on some designs he created and his involvement in developing the EKU water tower lettering. In general, the couple…
Interview with Fred E. Darling
Fred E. Darling was an EKU faculty member, track coach, supervisor of the athletic tower, assistant dean of men, and the intermural sports director. In this interview, Darling details his career and the reason why he voluntarily ended his coaching position to devote himself to teaching full time.
Interview with Smith Park
Dr. Smith Park is a native of Madison County, Kentucky. Park was a faculty member of EKU for over forty years in Mathematics. In this interview he discussed living on a farm which was taken over as part of Blue Grass Army Depot in the early 1940s.
Interview with Dixie Mylum
Dixie Mylum, a Kentucky native, joined EKU's faculty in 1965 and taught in the Department of Social Science until her retirement in 1984. Mylum was instrumental in the development of the department's curriculum and served the university for four years as ombudsman. This interview surveys her life and career.
Interview with Robert Hungarland
This interview with Robert Hungarland is part three of a three part series. Hungarland continues to describe his military service during World War II in this interview. He discusses his travels to Calcutta, India to join OSS communication units operating in the area, and his service with an intelligence-gathering party. He also comments on his…
Interview with Robert Hungarland
This interview with Robert Hungarland is part two of a three part series. Hungarland, an Arkansas native, entered the Army Signal Corps in 1942. In this interview he reflects on the training he received and his decision to volunteer for hazardous overseas duty. Those duties led him to Great Britain where he volunteered to go to Burma.
Interview with Robert Hungarland
This interview with Robert Hungarland is part one of three part series. Part one is omitting his World War II service so as to be included in parts two and part three. Hungarland, a Arkansas native, obtained his MBA degree and decided to enter college teaching. He joined EKU's faculty in 1964 and retired in 1984. This interview covers his early…
Interview with Donald Smith
Donald Smith is a veteran of World War II and the Vietnam conflict. He was commissioned in the US Army and retired in 1964 with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Military Police Corps. He obtained bachelor's and master's degrees from EKU and became the Registrar in 1976. He retired from EKU in 1985. This interview is a survey of his military…
Interview with Ivol Parker
Ivol Parker is a native of Kentucky. A graduate of Berea College, Columbia University, and the University of Louisville where she received her PhD. Parker taught at EKU in the English Department from 1977 until her retirement in 1984. This interview covers her early life and education, including graduate studies at Yale Dvinity School and working…
Interview with Leon Rottersman
Leon Rottersman is a native of New York. He taught psychology at EKU for several years. In this interview, he discusses early experiences in New York, military service in World War II, and his education. He also comments on his reasons for going into teaching, his doctoral work, and his reasons for coming to EKU.
Interview with Fred Brizendine
Fred Brizendine is a EKU faculty member. He taught Social Science upon his arrival in 1963. In this interview, he discussed his early life, going into the Air Force and his education at Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky State College. He discussed his early positions before coming to EKU.
Interview with Mabel Criswell
Mabel Criswell is a Kentucky native. She attended EKU and worked for EKU as Director of Housing. In this interview she reflects campus life as a student, changes that occurred, and being employed by EKU.
Interview with Henry Pryse
Henry Pryse is a Kentucky native. He served in many positions in recruiting at EKU from 1959-1985. In this interview he recalls various people he has worked with on campus and trips taken with Dr. Robert Martin.
Interview with Henry Pryse
Henry Franklin Pryse, a Kentucky native, served in many recruiting positions at EKU. In this interview, he recalls his many experiences on the campus and his recruiting methods. He also discusses the problems he encountered with staff concerning conferences and President Martin's support.
Interview with Henry Pryse
Henry Franklin Pryse, a Kentucky native, served as the Director of Community School Relations and the Placement Director at EKU. In this interview, he recalls his early life, education, and US Army and Air Force service record. He also discusses his interests in sports and his professional baseball career, which spanned from 1939 to 1948.
Interview with J.C. Powell
Dr. J.C. Powell retired as president of EKU in 1984. In this interview Dr. Powell recalls the buildings that were built and the condition of the existing buildings in the early 1960s. He also describes the needs of the campus, such as new dorms, classroom buildings, and lab school. Interestingly, he also comments on "graves" that were found when…
Interview with J.C. Powell
Dr. J.C. Powell retired as president of EKU in December, 1984. In this interview, Dr. Powell recalls his military service and his time at the University of Kentucky. He also comments on his years of teaching, and his State Department work.
Interview with James Wyatt Thurman
J.W. "Spider" Thurman was born in 1917 in Rhea County, Tennessee. He moved to Benham, a coal mining camp in Harlan County, Kentucky. In this interview, he recalls his military experiences and his duties as a physical education officer in the Air Force and US Army. He also reflects on his years spent in athletics in Kentucky and his job at EKU. He…
Interview with James Wyatt Thurman
J.W. "Spider" Thurman was born in 1917 in Rhea County, Tennessee. He moved to Benham, a coal mining camp in Harlan County, Kentucky, when he was seven years old. In this interview, Thurman comments on coal camp life, his years in Kentucky Athletics and his time as the EKU Director of Alumni Affairs.
Interview with A.L. Whitt
A. L. Whitt was born in Crittenden County, Kentucky. He came to EKU in 1948 as a professor of Biology and remained until his retirement in 1982. In this interview, Whitt continues his discussion over his time at EKU and the changes that took place during his thirty-four year tenure. This is the second of two interviews with Whitt.
Interview with A.L. Whitt
A. L. Whitt, a Crittenden County native, came to EKU in 1948 as a professor of Biology and remained such until his retirement in 1982. In this interview he recalls the early years he spent at EKU and the changes that took place during his thirty-four year tenure. This is the first of two interviews with Whitt.
Interview with Thelma Whitlock
Thelma Whitlock, a Kentucky native, discusses her education, her teaching career and the successful Model Lab School program. In this interview Whitlock discussed her education and the successful program at Model Lab. She felt it was due to leadership, teachers, and students. Her experiences at EKU were rewarding.
Interview with Bently Hilton
Bently Hilton is a retired faculty member of EKU. He was a native of Rockcastle County, Kentucky, veteran of World War II and a graduate of EKU. In this interview Hilton discussed his teaching career, and the strengths of EKU.
Interview with Mary Gould
Mary Gould graduated from EKU in 1937. She became a missionary and spent 29 years in China and Thailand. In this interview, Gould discusses her years at EKU and her life as a missionary.
Interview with Nellie Earle
Nellie Earle Ballou is the widow of Fred Ballou, EKU's former bookstore manager. She reflects on campus life, her employment with the university, and past EKU presidents. She also recalls her family life and retirement.
Interview with Jack Callender
Jack Callender is a retired EKU English teacher. In this interview he described high school, college and being a minister. Callender arrived to EKU in 1965. He taught freshmen and sophomores, was an advisor to foreign students, and assistant to Dean Frederic Ogden. He valued his experience at EKU.
Interview with Jane Ellison
Mrs. Ellison discusses her family and their educational background in this interview. Her father, C. C. Weber, and her brother designed some EKU buildings and the Governor's Mansion. Ellison also describes her family members appearances and experiences.