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Displaying results 1 - 20 of 70
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Charles E. Clayton oral history interview

Description
Charles Clayton talks about his Texas State experiences as both a child growing up on campus and in San Marcos and as a faculty member in the history department. He shares his memories attending the campus's laboratory school and working on the college's maintenance crew. He recalls prominent memories concerning other well-known faculty members, such as President Evans, President and Mrs. Flowers, Dr. Spurgeon Smith, J.R. Buckner, Coach Strahan, Jerome Cates, Prof. Green, James Taylor, Retta Murphy, Leland Derrick, Deacon Wright, and others. Mr. Clayton describes how the New Deal played out on campus, including the construction of certain buildings like Evans and Sayers Hall. He talks about earning his BA and MA degrees and then working as Vice Principal at San Marcos High School. He touches on other topics such as the San Marcus River, Old Main, and the changes he's seen on campus and in town.

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Betty Jane Kissler oral history interview

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Dr. Kissler discusses her early educational experiences in Colorado, including a failed stint in law school before getting her BA and MA in history. She recalls her trip to Europe in 1950 and early teaching experiences in Montana and California. She details her PhD work at UT-Austin under Dr. W.P. Webb and how she began working at SWTSTC in the education department before becoming an assistant professor in the history department in the late 1950s and 1960s.

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H. Y. Price, Jr. oral history interview

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H.Y. Price talks about the difficulties he faced while starting up the San Marcos Telephone Company, the task of remaining independent in the midst of other large telephone cooperations, and about his involvement with the Campus Christian Community Center at Texas State.

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Marian Meeks oral history interview

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Marian Meeks talks about talks about the life of her father, H.A. Nelson, who taught agriculture at Texas State for many years. She shares his own experiences attending SWTSTC in the 1930s and 1940s. She discusses aspects of campus life including literary societies, athletics, recitals, the Faculty Club, Aquarena (Spring) Lake, and shares stories about campus figures such as Mary Brogdon. Mrs. Meeks shares her early teaching experiences in Moulton, her graduate studies at UT-Austin, work in VA hospitals, and how she returned to San Marcos.

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Betty Jane Kissler oral history interview

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Dr. Kissler discusses developing the teacher training program and working with student teachers in the history department. She shares her experiences in working with academic organizations such as AAUP and TACT, including serving on councils and in leadership positions. Dr. Kissler also talks about her time serving as chairwoman of the history department and serving on the San Marcos City Council.

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Edwin M. Fauver oral history interview

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Edwin Fauver talks about his early life and upbringing in Washington, D.C. and shares how he came to Texas via attending college at Corpus Christi University. He discusses playing college football, joining the Navy, his job at Gary Job Corps Center, and more extensively about the responsibilities of his job as director of the university's physical plant. .

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Emmie Craddock oral history interview

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Emmie Craddock talks about her early life in Louisiana and then Houston, her education at Rice, and her early teaching days in Missouri City. She recalls her time in the U.S. Navy during WWII, during which she was head of the women's reserve, as well as studying for her PhD in history with W.P. Webb at UT-Austin. She discusses how she was hired by James Taylor to join the history department and her career as a faculty member at Texas State. Dr. Craddock also describes her political career as a councilwoman and mayor for the City of San Marcos, touching on topics such as creating a local charter and dealing with environmental disputes, ordinances, flooding, and landfills.

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Merry Kone FitzPatrick oral history interview

Description
Merry Kone Fitzpatrick talks about how her family came to settle in San Marcos and her childhood in San Marcos. She recalls her elementary, junior high, and high school experiences, including tidbits about the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers, Sewell Park, the Presbyterian Church, and attending the campus school. Professor FitzPatrick shares information about her brothers and their careers. She describes downtown San Marcos and its local landmarks and businesses, covering her childhood through the 1930s.

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Edwin M. Fauver oral history interview

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Edwin Fauver reflects on the changes he has seen on campus since he first came to the university. He talks about the challenges that have accompanied the campus's expansion and offers some information on campus buildings like the Music Building, Jowers Center, Evans Field, and the Psychology Building. He also recalls some of San Marcos's floods.

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Richard B. Henderson oral history interview

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Richard Henderson talks about coming to SWTSC after serving in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He describes what campus looked like the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, detailing aspects such as university and veterans housing, the effects of the GI Bill, segregation and integration, the realities of teaching political science during McCarthyism , and the growing radicalism of the student body, illustrated by the San Marcos Ten. He also reflects on writing his book on Maury Maverick and campus figures such as Dr. James Taylor, Dr. Cecil Hahn, Prof. Green, Retta Murphy, Leland Burgum. He also discusses changes the university has undergone, with specific mention of campus buildings and layout.

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William E. "Henry" Norris oral history interview

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William "Henry" E. Norris talks about his experiences at Texas State as both a student in the 1930s and a faculty member. He also discusses his experiences in the Navy during WWII, his own botany research, and how San Marcos has changed. He specifically mentions Sewell Park, Spring Lake, flooding, campus housing, the demonstration school, and past and current campus buildings.

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Ralph Houston oral history interview

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Dr. Houston talks about growing up in Denton County, attending college at UNT and teaching in Big Spring, Texas. He discusses studying for his PhD at UT-Austin and being recruited by Deacon Wright to teach at SWTSTC in the 1930s. He describes campus, the English department and its staff, and his experiences as a professor, head of the English department, and Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts during his time at the university (1937-1970). He also relates stories about Dr. McCrocklin and the university's participation in the AAUP and other academic organizations.

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Lillian Dees oral history interview

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Lillian Dees talks about her experiences working under many different deans, including Bruce Roach, Ralph Houston, Keith Lovin, and departments, including Journalism and News Service and Liberal Arts. She describes how she acquired her final position as Director of the LBJ Student Center. She also recalls the changes in the campus, including buildings and student body population, over the twenty-year period that she was employed at Texas State. She discusses changing university administrations, alluding to President James McCrocklin and the McCrocklin Scandal, interim president Jerome Cates, and others. She recalls "Lillian Dees Day" created by Dr. Henry Norris.

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Merry Kone FitzPatrick oral history interview

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In her second interview, Merry Kone Fitzpatrick talks about graduating from high school and attending college at SWTSTC. Along with describing her college and graduate courses and certain professors like Professor Green, Retta Murphy, James Taylor, Betty Jane Kissler, and Emmie Craddock, she discusses what the school, her first job during WWII, and her work supervising student teachers were like. She describes the then-social science division and its faculty, as well as campus buildings like Old Main and certain local characters. This interview covers the 1930s through the 1960s.

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Augustin Lucio oral history interview

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Augustine Lucio discusses what life in San Marcos was like growing up as a Mexican migrant worker in the 1930s. He goes on to talk about his experiences in the military in WWII and the 1940s and how that inspired him to pursue an education. Mr. Lucio describes what San Marcos was like at time and its local politics and education system, especially in relation to the town's Latino community.

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Bob Jr. Barton oral history interview

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Robert Barton describes his early life and education in the Buda and Kyle areas, specifically recalling how his cattle-driving family came to settle in Texas, attending Buda High School, and graduating from Southwest Texas State Teachers College after serving in the military during the Korean War. He discusses buying, running, and selling the Kyle News newspaper, as well as operating the Colloquium Bookstore. He speaks about the changes San Marcos and Texas politics have gone through over time, including his work with the Hays County Democratic Party. He shares his thoughts about LBJ and discusses his own run for the Texas Legislature.

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Ralph Houston oral history interview

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Dr. Houston talks about his role in creating the university's institutional self-studies during his time as Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts. He reflects on his experiences with students such as Senator Walter Richter, and other important local figures including Russ and Anne Vliet, Gates Thomas, and Dudley Dobie. He emphasizes President Flowers and Leland Derrick's significance in shaping the university.

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William C. Pool oral history interview

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William Pool talks about his responsibilities as a history professor and baseball coach since coming to SWTSU in 1947. He relays his personal experiences and views on local politics, with specific mention of his Democratic viewpoints and work on the San Marcos City Council. He shares his memories of serving as faculty sponsor of the Student Veterans Association, serving in WWII , and working with history faculty and university presidents.

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Margaret Fields oral history interview

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Margaret Fields talks about her early life in New Braunfels and life during the Great Depression. She describes the university campus and the schooling she received at Texas State in the 1930s and 1940s. She mentions places like Old Main; people such as C.E. Evans, Mary Brogdon, Leland Derrick, and John Flowers; and her experiences living off-campus. She discusses the various teaching jobs she took in Comal County and Medina County as well as her work with the state vocational rehabilitation department in Austin and other companies in Houston. She outlines how it all led her to her current job at the Sophienburg Museum in New Braunfels.

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Gus and Betty Dressen oral history interview

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Gus and Betty Dressen discuss their German family heritage and growing up near Uhland, Texas. Along with describing what it was like to grow up on a farm, the couple share the responsibilities that come with that kind of lifestyle, such as taking care of animals, growing corn and sugar cane, and other aspects including having a blacksmith shop. They also talk about how life back then is different from now, such as paved roads, cars, electricity, and going into town.