Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFaculty and Staff Panel 4Room 101 Moderator: Gene Hix INTERVIEWEES: WD HARRIS HARRISON E. HIERTH MARGARET R. HIERTH WMG BREAZEALE Gene: On our first go around...your name, job title, and your department and a little bit about what you did at A &M, something about it and your job. And what building you were in and maybe the part of the campus. You know, a few little items like that. As I said, these will be short speeches and Don would you please start. DON: Well, let them start because they need to go first. Gene: and they maybe tell us a little more if they have to leave in 10 minutes HH: Pm Harrison Hierth and this is my wife Margaret. We came here in 1946 which was the year of the influx of veterans. We came here from Illinois, central Illinois. I was hired as an instructor in the department of English to help deal with that great influx of students. I think the English Department hired the most new teachers they ever had. I think there was about 26 of us and I stayed in the department of English and went through all the ranks, Head of the Department for 5 years, and retired in 1978. Gene: The hiring process. Could you tell us a bit about that? Did they recruit you, or did you come to them? HH: They recruited me. Actually I applied to the University of Illinois Placement Office to see if there was something interesting for the summer and they eventually called me and told me to get in contact with Texas A &M. So I did and I was hired by Thomas Mayo. Gene: So they probably started you on what ENGL 101? HH: Engl 103, 104. Eventually some technical writing, which was 301. Gene: Were these large freshman classes HH: Large freshmen classes Gene: About how many? HH: About 35 which was pretty large for an English class. A good many of them were veterans. Very serious and wanted to learn. It was a good situation. Gene: Air conditioning in every room of course. HH: Afraid not. Gene: No air conditioning. Notetaker: Did you teach English the whole time until you retired? HH: Yes. Notetaker: And what were the size of your classes in '78? HH: Well they had decreased in size, I think probably they averaged about 25. Notetaker: Oh, really. HH: Of course by that time I was teaching graduate classes. Some of those were 15, 18. Gene: One of the suggestions here is that we might talk a little bit about the benefits, programs for employees and faculty and staff. And maybe et an idea of how that has developed to the present. And you might give us an idea of what the university, college in those days, offered I the way of benefits. Like in medical insurance and things like that. HH: I really don't remember much about it in early times. Didn't pay too much attention to it, to be honest. Gene: Maybe Don can cover that a little later. How about transportation each morning to work? HH: I lived in walking distance, but I drove most of the time. I thought I might need a car here and there. Gene: Oh, and that brings up the big question of parking. Gene: 1946, you say an influx of people. But did most of the students, or only a few students bring their automobiles from home? HH: Well, there certainly weren't a great many. I had no parking problem. I had by the Academic Building an assigned parking place. Many, many fewer student cars. Gene: That's such a big problem now -a -days. An expensive thing to the people that have to pay for those spots. Well, who else has an idea of what we might get from them before they leave? Notetaker: Well, on- campus did they have sports and everything that H1-1: Oh, yes. Notetaker: And did you attend them? Did you go to them? (HH cuts off here) HH: Oh, yes, we went to all the football, basketball games. They were playing basketball in that little 'ol gym. Do you remember what it was called? Don: No, I don't. I should know, but, uh, I don't remember. MH: Well, it wasn't G. Rollie White, which we think is little. B: If before G. Rollie White, it was called "Ole Fish Gym ", on the corner of lot near Wellborn Road. HH: It was a tiny, crowded little gym. I can't for the life of me remember. Of course, football was Kyle Field. We went back to John David Crow and Barney Welch. Gene: Was housing provided for teachers? HH: Pardon? Gene: Was housing provided, did the college help either furnish housing, or have anything to do with where you lived? HH: Yes, we lived first at Bryan Army Air Base. The apartment had been an officer's ward in the base hospital. We lived out there for 3 years. Wonderful place for the kids. They had this whole air base to play in. All the old abandoned halls to skate in. We had a swimming pool. Gene: That air base, which became a research center and used for all sorts of things It's really been a great benefit for the university. HH: Oh, yes. we paid $30 for our apartment. Don: When was Bryan Field started? The teachers out there? HH: It lasted three years, 46 through 49. Then, of course, the base was reactivated in the 50s. Don: Dr. Tom Harrington, first dean, started there. Don: He was out there. Moderator: Well, Margaret, did you work on campus also? MH: No, I taught here at A &M Consolidated. Moderator: Oh, that's right. You commented on that. MH: I taught here for 17 years. I had substituted for some yeas before that for five dollars a day. I felt I was really promoted then, to being a regular teacher. I taught reading and spelling to eight graders all that time. woman. What kind of salary did you make back in 47? HH: 2300 dollars a year. Notetaker: And was that the 12 months? Did it go summer, too? HH: Well, we got 10 1/2 months. We got to teach a summer session so we may actually have accumulated a little bit more than that. Notetaker: Did you have children that also went to A &M? HH: Oh no, they were all girls. Don: Bill asked about what life was like. I have a wonderful story that was probably in the 50s, actually. Dr. Stewart Morgan was head of the department and every summer he went to California to read in the Huntington Library. And he'd be gone about six weeks. So one summer as he was about to leave, he said, "Anything you need at the house, you just go help yourself." And I said, "Are you going to leave me a key ?" "Oh my, I'm not going to lock the house, " he said. "How are my friends going to get in and get things if I locked up ?" Gene: The things have changed a lot. In the fall when the students comeback to their apartments now a days, you read in the Eagle about what's missing or what's gone that was there from when they left for the summer so... things are different. Gene: We thank you so much for coming out and helping us. This turned out differently than what the group was going to be. Don: I went over the history of the chemistry engineering department with Dr. Dethlofffrom the history department and that is available or will be available, a copy of that. Gene: Did you see the release that you signed? They're looking for items that you mentioned. Maybe we should list that. Don: I can't remember. Names don't come quickly. He also wrote a history of the university so you might want to check into him. He's in the history department. Woman: Were you in the chemistry department? Don: I was in Chemistry for a while, but chemistry engineering, I'll start off if you want? I came here from Iowa State in 1935. I got my Ph.D. in Iowa State in 34. Graduated in 29. I was a graduate assistant in teaching at Iowa State. And that's at Ames, Iowa. Then, I applied for several jobs and this is one of the first that came up. I got it through my own department. they had received a request for anybody to come down here. At that time, there were 7000 students, or less. And they were increasing very rapidly in taking Chemistry. So, I came down to teach Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Mainly, chemical Engineering. But, we had to teach Chemistry for a while because they had so many students. Gene: Chemistry was required for every degree? Don: That's right. So I had as many as about 27 hours a week. Gradually, we built up Chemical Engineering. I took the place of Duke Thornton they added the chemistry department. Dr. Hedges was Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. All students in there, the upper students were taking Chemical Engineering and I started introductory courses in Chemical Engineering. Then, the college grew rapidly. This was during the Depression. My beginning salary was only $1500 a year. Gene: Would you tell me again, the year you started? Don: 1935. And salaries went up gradually. The university paid in warrants. We had to take a slight discount on warrants. We had to take a slight discount on warrants in those days because it was during the depression and they didn't have the money. Gene: You had to wait something too, didn't you? Don: Yes, it would take some time. But the bank would cash them early for a slight discount. So, we didn't do so bad. The main and into Bryan was on College Avenue and I rented an apartment on College Avenue until 1940, when I built a house on what is now College View Street in Bryan, right across the way. We moved there and stayed there most of the time I was here. To get back, when I came here I got here about 1936. A Bryan /College Station dinner /dance group was starting and it's still in operation. Gene: You were still single at this time Don: No, I think I was one of the earliest members and am the last early member. And, when I came here the university had a hotel, Aggieland Inn, across from Sbisa Hall. There was a large home or building that many of the professors stayed in just north of the hotel a ways. In between the hotel and the building was an auditorium of wood built during the first world war. We gave exams in there and in Guion Hall Many of the students lived in that end of the campus at first. Between Sbisa and Guion Hall there were dorms and the YMCA. Gene: This brings up the question that I've wondered about? When, and you're from the era that can answer this, when WWII started, Aggies, everyone was in the CORPS at that time, right? woman That's right. Gene: So, of course almost all of them got called into the service, right/ Notetaker: right. Gene: So what did that do to the enrollment on the campus, or did the Army send some people in here? Don: It cut the enrollment almost completely. However, we taught some war training courses. I taught Navy students in Physics during the war. I was just a little bit old to get into the service, well I was in the Civil Air Patrol at the same time. But, uh, (inaudible) I taught a course in plastics at Bryan Field when the Air Force was out there. And, uh, they helped us in the Civil Air Patrol. We patrolled the east Texas forests and a little bit along the coast for submarines. Gene: I had this picture, that when Uncle Sam came in here, at that time, knew they was young men, but must really have had a great influence on what was going on here at A &M. Don: Yes, they took all our Chemical Engineering students. So, I didn't teach anything in the department except I did teach an explosives course. The students were from government arsenals. Muskagee was the main one. Gene: But, of course, when people started getting there discharges, then (both talking at once, inaudible) Don: In Chemistry, Dr. Hedges was head of department in the Chemistry building. And then we separated, um, about 1940 something, Chemical Engineering separated from chemistry and went over in the petroleum building. And then later we got placed in the new Zachary building, which they are now. And one comment that they're going to have a new Chemical Engineering building before too long. And it'll be right in that area. Some of our people went into industry, some were involved in the war. Some of them, for example Chalmer Kirkbridge taught petroleum processing. Northgate was the major commercial area with grocery stores, clothing, book stores, a theater, and Holick's shoe and boot store. Gene: This was in Texas City? Don: Yes, in Texas City and Houston. Toluene, benzene, and aviation gas. So, he was very important down there. He taught here 2 years immediately after the war. And, uh, wrote some books and things like that. And, uh, the head of the department came down eventually, Dr. Lindsay, J. Lee Lindsay. And, uh, he was here until he passed away. Then Dr. C.D. Holland became the head of the department. I spent 2 short periods in Cuba in 1956, 1959 working with setting up chemical engineering down there and also I spent 3 years in Equator building up their Chemial Engineering School. At the University of Guayaquil. And, uh, then I came back and, uh, stayed on 2 years extra because they had raised the salary so much and the teachers' retirement and all made it desirable. I retired in 1974. Gene: You remember the question I asked a while ago about , in the early years, what did A &M do for employees, faculty, staff members in the way of benefits? Don: There were no special benefits until Teacher Retirement was started. Now there was housing when I came here on campus for the leading people. The Hedges had a house on campus and many of the administration had houses on the campus, and, uh, it was eventually transferred over to College Station, and the university, they're not involved with it anymore. Earlier faculty was housed on the campus, but when I came some areas around the college was developed for housing. One of the first was South Oakwood, then North Oakwood. Then Mr. Culpepper developed College Hill. When Highway 6 was completed some business areas were developed. Notetaker: When did they start moving the on campus housing off campus? Don: That was about 19, it was about 1940, 1944. Slightly before that. They began to move them off shortly after I came here. Notetaker: To make room, I suppose. Don: To make room for more buildings. I know that Dr. Hedges lived close to what was Guion Hall. Nice home. And, uh, one of my friends, Nita Smith, her husband was Manning Smith, was in the, uh, Sports, the, uh, Athletic department. And they moved that house off and it's still there. It's a very nice home. And she's still living in it. But many of those homes were moved off and remolded into homes. The area, now, the first main area, was South Oakwood and those houses along South College here were started by various people. And, uh, then Herschel Burgess, who owned homes along the South, and, uh, he also started an addition there on North Oakwood, which is just on the north side of campus. woman: On campus, did you have cafeterias and everything that you could, you and the students, could go eat or was it separate? Don: Well, it was always in Sbisa Hall. Many faculty members ate in Sbisa. They always had a place to eat in Sibisa Hall. And they had a little coffee bar in the hotel. You could go in there and get something. I went down there about once a day to get coffee and, uh, the President's home was right next to the hotel. Gene: Don Harris? Don: Yes? Gene: Speaking of coffee, would you like some? Don: No, I don't need anything. Gene: I was just thinking, don't let us tire you out if you need to rest. Don: No, I don't need it. (talking about coffee) Gene: We've been talking about this period of time, 1900 to 1949, that's what we're focusing on. And what was going on at Texas A &M. What year did it become a University? I suppose in 1949 it was still a college. don: It was a college until about 1965, or 4. Somewhere around there it changed from college to university. And there reason for that is that in the foreign countries, a college is a high school. In Mexico, a college, collegio, is a high school. And so, when I said I was from Texas, I mean Iowa State college, I would say college. They thought I was from a high school. So, I just had to tell them Iowa State University even though that wasn't Iowa State. They had to change it just like A &M. They had to change so they didn't represent a high school. Breazeale: Was that the A &M Consolidated High School that was in Pfiefer Hall? Don: No, Pm talking about the name. This used to be Texas A &M College. They called it Texas A &M, but that's a high school. College is high school in foreign countries. So, in order to be a university, it was done in around 1960, somewhere around there, 60 to 65. It was changed to be a university. Gene: OK, Mr. Breazeale, what we started out by having our participants, some of them are gone now, tell us who they are, when they hired here at A &M, and what kind of job they'd done. And a few little items, things like that. So, we'll know something about you. Breazeale: Let me put these dates on here so I get these dates right. You said 19? Gene: Anything up to 1949 is OK. Breazeale: When I got here in 1945. So I got a 4 year time. Gene: That's all right. Let's hear something about that. Breazeale: I graduated from here in Class of 1935. I got out ofA &M in 1935 and was away 10 years. Half of it with Uncle Sam and half of it with high school coaching and teaching. And I came back hired to the university November 1, 1945 and helped organize the first department of student services. It was started on September 1, 1945 and I got out of the army on September 25, 1945 and was hired on November 1, 1945. A whole lot of W.W.II veterans were coming back and they needed all the help they could get, including supervision. A lot of them had been commissioned in the meantime, some non - commissioned, and some not advanced at all. Dough Rollins, assistant football coach, was the first Dean of students that was hired. He ran to my department head, Dr. Ed Williams. It was past, Dough saw Dr. Williams in the grocery store on the east side past right across from East Gate. Dough told Ed, "I'm building a staff do you know where I might find a few good, fine men ?" He said, "Yes I know one." And he was waiting for mid -terms to go back to my coaching job. I'll tell you where you might be a possibility under one condition, you tell me how much you want to pay him. "Course it was pretty good for 1945. He called me and told me to come over that weekend. The last weekend in October...He put me to work November first and it was the first department of student services as we know it now. It was quite a challenge. I worked for in Corps of Cadets for two years. When the college asked me to wear a uniform everyday, I asked for a transfer to the civilian part of the campus and stayed there till 1965. In 1969 and I had an opportunity to go to the University Mail Service as a first full time manager and stayed there for 5 years and retired in 1974. Woman: So what was your salary when you accepted your position? Breazeale: $19 /month house on the campus and $300 a month near the MS Complex. We lived on that street for about a year and moved over to 414 Throckmorton. Which is the east comer of the parking garage. Still $19 a month house, utilities are all paid, this old house was high above the ground. Cold in the winter, cool in the summer, no air conditioning. Gene: These veterans coming back from the war, many of them had been Aggies earlier and as I understand it and some of these people I've talked to, some of these fellows who didn't to be in the Corps of Cadets. Breazeale: Well they wanted to because they could pass their ROTC training and get a commission. Gene: Was it required for all of those men to wear the Corps uniforms and be in the Corps? Breazeale: That's right, including non - military- disabled, etc. This group wore Cadet uniforms, with "NM "(non- military) brass on collar of shirt Woman It was still only corps. Breazeale: No the veterans did not have to go back to the Corps it was optional for them but if you came in from high school, it was required. Gene: I'm glad you cleared that up, because I know some fellas who opted not to go into the Corps. Breazeale: There were lots of different opinions, and the requirement to WWII vets, Korean vets, they came back to school they wouldn't listen but to one person and that was themselves. Gene: I can understand the problems. For a man who's been in the service for 5 years and he has to take orders from a civilian University employee. Breazeale: They really weren't orders, that was procedures, but it was a challenging time. We were not responsible for students in the classroom. (All talking at once) Breazeale: During the early months time, at A &M I helped reactivate the 36th Division National guard, which had been abandoned. The Assistant Dean of that time, Bennie Zinn, who had agreed to help organize After it was organized, he was resigning, because he had service connected disability which he didn't want to lose. Reorganized the complete 36th division before they went overseas. (All talking at once) Gene: What you would know about that is what you observed from the view point of a faculty member. Don: Yes, we just got a lot more students when they came back. Breazeale: It was a very interesting time and very rewarding time, because hardly everybody was supporting Vietnam Veterans. Somebody was stopping and saying, oh don't you remember old so and so. Gene: We appreciate this excellent input here. I think that a whole lot of people can comment on that. Breazeale: First year freshman, 4 years we were housed at deserted Army Air Base, west of Bryan. (Now known as Riverside Campus) Gene: OK, what were those 4 years? Breazeale: Let's see, they were 49, 50, 51, 52 somewhere along there. Get started in college and when they didn't have to live on the main campus they, I think 1500 students had all the classes except the labs. Chemistry labs and machine shop labs were held on campus on Saturday morning. (used buses) Gene: How about the transportation? Problems there? Breazeale: Well, if you had to come back to Saturday morning lab classes, the university sent buses. They had the mess hall, the hospital, the library, the infirmary. They had everything except the labs. Gene: The labs. But they got them on Saturday. You were involved in that didn't you say, a while ago? Harris: My wife was involved and she live at Bryan Field. Her husband was then was in biology and he taught at A &M.... Breazeale: Harris was out there with new students? Don: Yeah....when they built the south section and the mess hall at the south end when was that started? Breazeale: You mean Duncan Hall? Don: Yea... Breazeale: They started it I got here in '35 and was finished about 1937. HH: Not got started, I don't think Breazeale: That early? HH: I don't think that early. Breazeale: Well....then maybe... HH: It may have been, but they built that area before they built the area by the post office They had started there by the post office, at North Gate. Breazeale: Near the post office, North Gate HH: yea... Breazeale: I don't remember... HH: I think those were up, weren't they? Breazeale: They might've been... HH: Pm not sure... Breazeale: The Cadet Corps was all in that area, Duncan Hall. HH: Yea, they were around Duncan. Don: but the point is, I forget what they called it, where students could live and work-- - HH: Harvey Housing. Don: What? HH: Harvey Housing. Don: Harvey Housing, now that was -- HH: -- -made it, ok from the time when you were a student, or what. Don: Yea. HH: I did that. I was with my home county, had a private... and that was started by Dr. Dan Russell's Project Houses....he started the idea, and...uh, it was fantastic. And gotta a lotta kids in school, and still had a pretty active....house reunion every year. Don Hmmm. HH: And, uh...later, they did get a farmhouse wherever they could. For a few years, they had some apartments down there but, they waited, and changed for graduate students no, I had a job...as a waiter, because it was attractive at the time, and after I left here, it was....for a couple years a pretty rough assignments Joined intramural track in spring of'32...I had and before the end of the semester, he said, "You'd like to have a job in the dining hall ?" And I said, if it won't interfere with the...and my classes, I will try it. So, I worked at the dining hall....until I graduated (mumbling and a lot of racket can't understand an entire paragraph) what department are you in, Mr. Harris? Don: Chemical Engineering. HH: What? Don: Chemical Engineering. HH: Chemical Engineering...hmmm. I think I remember you. Don: I don't remember your name very much, I don't think I had very much to do with you , but Art Adamson, the swimming coach, and Omar Smith, the tennis coach, do you remember him HH: Yea.... Don: They used to be HH: friends of mine and still a friend of Terry's. Don: Yea, uh huh, well I remember him from a long time and his wife is still doing all right. HH: Yea, I remember them... Gene: I found some additional questions here I can throw out. Well, I tell you, I have a couple additional questions I could toss out. How did A &M and the surrounding area get water back in the Depression time? Don: I can tell you that. A &M had a well right out here in the section of University Drive and College Avenue. It was up where all those places are, right on the comer. That was water was so bad, that you couldn't cook with it hardly. It had a lot of sulfur in it, and most people here, would get distilled water wherever they could to cook with. To cook potatoes in it, things like that. And, uh, they had trouble with that water and the power plant, and eventually, they found that there was a fault north of Bryan. North of that fault was free, soft, nice water. So, Bryan tied in to that water, and uh, when we had, uh, well, they built a water line, and put it out to College too. So, we had two lines coming out here to College. One out College Avenue and one out Texas Avenue, and that solved the problem of bad water. Bryan water was, uh, bad too. Their first well went down to the end of Bryan Street, and, uh, it had sulfur in it too, and it was quite bad. When the students would come here in the fall and tum on their water, the water would come out black. After a while, they got the iron sulfate out, and, but, it was hardly drinkable. They didn't drink it. But, eventually they found this good water north of Bryan, where, now, College Station and Bryan get their water. So, that's the water - -- Gene: I could understand that in the kind of work you did, you were quite interested in that question! I found that in -- Don: -- that's good information. The college water around in Bryan, that water now has increased in alkalinity, and it's, uh, pretty bad. It will eat aluminum, if you cook in aluminum kettles, and eventually eat a hole through them. So, the water now is pretty alkalin, especially in college. It has salt and sodium carbonate in it. HH: explanation...I didn't know it when it changed or where the water came from, but, my earliest times, in '31 or '32, uh, I was exposed to the sulfur. And I don't know when it changed, but I sure did appreciate it! M: Yea. It wasn't fine water. HII: You could wring out an undershirt or something, and dry it yourself and it was copper colored. woman. Of course, now we have a lot of sodium in our water. We don't have the other problem, but... Don: ...you don't have sulfur in it. No... woman: ...but we have the sodium in College Station. Don: You have too much sodium chloride and sodium carbonate, BI- carbonate, yes. Uh, it used to be, that if you put, if you tried to make lemonade, why it would fizzle, because there was so much BI- carbonate in the water. And it would fi .71e like carbonated water. M: Uh, ok, let's see what we can do with this subject. Uh, law enforcement on the campus, the campus police. In this time frame that we are talking about. You(directed towards HH) was have been greatly close to that sorta thing, right? HH: Well I covered four years of it. We had a chief of police, and, uh, there wasn't as many cars as there is now. But, the automobiles were available and the police chief, I would say, had not over twelve people on his total force about twelve people on his force. Don: They used to be down in the YMCA building. HH: Well, they were first in Goodin Hall. Don: Yea. HH: An old corner room in Goodin Hall. They had two rooms, one room was for the receptionist, and the front desk and then Chief Fred Hickman had the comer room. And they tried to handle all the traffic problems through... and encourage them to take care of the violations. I forget now what it was for a violation....maybe a dollar for the first one and five dollars for the second one, on a graduated scale. M: And a student paid up all of that before he got his degree, didn't he? HH: That's right. He had something, and that was to show up on the bulletin board. And, it wasn't a major disciplinary problem, but it caused a lot of disciplinary problems because after they received a certain number of tickets, and continued to receive them, and wouldn't pay them, some of them were even suspended and sent home. woman: They needed a law! HH: Yea, they knew the law. And, it...uh, an accountant in the civilian's laboratory could revoke a boy driving privileges on campus with cause. And that would be unpaid tickets, or too many tickets, and if he violated that, while on probation, he could be suspended. And it did make a few good boys better! (Laughter) And it eliminated a few others! But, uh, it was very...we had a football player, somebody back then named Trembell. His arm was cut off right here. Very good defensive football player he didn't have his hands spread out when he charge across the line. And, he got to the point to where - -- M: - -this might be one of those stories Mr. Langford warned us about. A story like that might not wind up in the book, but it might t be written about. lin He had the where Bear Bryant had to get involved -- M: - -yea, uh, Dr. Harris opened while ago about discounted checks. Did you ever get any of those? HH: Get what? M: Discounted checks? Or being paid in chits or whatever-- - HH: No, no, musta been before my time -- Don: - -see, the Depression was from 1929 to about 1940, 1940 or nearly out of the Depression. The lowest was 1934. And, uh, in 1935, A &M didn't have much money, so they issued warrants. And that was done for several years, at least two or three years after I came here. HH: I remember that, but I wasn't involved. HH: They tried to collect food? Don: Huh? HH: They charged food? They called them...? Don: Scooties. HH: Scooties. Well, then, Colonel Joe Davis was the commandant at one time. HH: Was it Johnny Mitchell? Don: No, no. HH: Johnny Mitchell was the commandant before- - Don: - -no, this was not that commandant. HH: Joe Davis? Don: No. Well, it may come at some time, but HH: What year did you retire from the department? Don: '74. HH: '74? Don: Mmmhmm HH: Who was the last department head? Don: Uh, Holland, C.D. Holland. HH: Dr. Lindsay was the ahead of Dr. Holland, wasn't he? Don: Yes. Lindsay came here in...(mumbling to himself '35, '36, '37)...about '38. M: Let's go back to old times for the one more question I see here. And it has to do with private businesses that were on the campus or near the campus. Were some businesses actually ON the campus? Don: Yes. M: Businesses? HH: Loupot's was about the only problem I had. Don: Well, is the bookstore still over there behind the Electrical Engineering building? M: Yes. Don: Ok, well across the street from the bookstore, there used to be a grocery, on the campus. Then, there was McDonald, or McDuug...a place across from the old school. Let's see, down from Duncan Hall, or from Guion Hall, there was a big building and uh, you'd get to go in there and eat and get snacks. Sort of a soda fountain. HH: That was George's Confectionary, it was George McCullough. Don: McCullough, that's it. 1111: George McCullough. Don: George McCullough, that was a private organization on the campus. Woman: So, what was it? A snack bar? Don: Snack bar, and soft drinks. Notetaker: - - -or a cafeteria? Or what? A grocery store? Don: I guess, a snack bar. HH: Hamburgers and soda pop. Notetaker: Restaurant type thing? HH: That was on the corner of the campus and right across the street, where Dormitory 2 is now, was a high school building, and the high school building was right across the street from George's Confectionary, where Dormitory 2 is located now. Don: Wasn't that on the campus at that time? HH: Well, I think-- - Don: - -part of A &M -- HH: - -part of the A &M campus. Don: Yea. HH: And, at one time, the high school didn't have enough room and they used Pfeifer Hall that had been condemned and it wasn't safe. And, it's right where the building....but they renovated the building, and run three - quarter inch rods in both directions on the second floor and the top of the first floor. They put big metal flashes out on the outside, to hold it together. Because, at one of our early meetings, we had, uh, a student who was in the school then, and is now still in the community. One of the Allen daughters from Peach Creek. Allen, her married name now is Dugger, but she's still in the community. So, we got talkin' about Pfeifer Hall, and nobody in the room could spell it. (Laughs). And when the, the school bought it, it was for scrap, for junk, and tore it down. I bought some of those rods, the three - quarter inch rods.... carried them home, and about a mile outside of campus was a home shop welder. I bet, I made little gates, the gates were four feet tall, and twelve, fourteen, sixteen feet wide. And, made us a little frame, and we covered that in one of our early sections, and when I didn't have a piece of the rod handy, I brought a three - quarter inch down rod, it looked a tape, to demonstrate to, that I built some little stable forty feet long. They said, "How did you get them home ?" (Laughter) I said, "I got the contract to live on the side of the road at night, and at real late and night, I'd go drive up and pick up the front side of a car, and drug it home!" (More laughing). Did you have any occasions of overlap, when Mr. Holland, when he had a graduate student name Dan Taylor? Dan Taylor? He went to Rice for his master's, I mean, for his bachelor's, and come to A &M for his master's and his Ph.D. Dan Taylor. Don: No, no. I didn't know him in class, no. But, uh, Tom Leland, uh, the son of Tom Leland, who was, uh, head of the business department, uh, and uh, graduated in chemical engineering. He got a doctor's degree at the University of Texas, and went to Rice, and he passed away sometime ago. Ahh, I was going to say one thing, that A &M had their own fire department down there, uh, across the street, from the Mechanical Engineering Shops, was a building there. And, uh, that was a fire department building. They used to have fire trucks in there. And then, when College Station built up, I guess they become College Station. I don't think we have, I don't think A &M has any separate fire -- HH: - -no they didn't. No -- Don: -- control -- HH: No, after the city took over responsibility, it became much better. Because they employed, that had been with fire sections were all volunteers, and they'd go to the fire. M: This is a question that came up in the, I guess, at the last meeting that we had like this Tell us about President Roosevelt's trip to the campus. That would have been when? (Everyone starts mumbling to themselves and talking outloud). Don: That would have had to been....around '38. '38? HH: I don't know... M: Yea? Don: I think he became elected in '32? HH: Do you have a date? M: No. HH: If I were here, I don't remember. Don: I don't remember Roosevelt coming here. He became President in '32. M: I do know that was covered in the other, session, so we won't be too concerned about it. Don: Eisenhower was here. HH: Yea, Eisenhower came in '45, at the end of the war -- BB: Speaker for an Aggie Reunion after WWII. (For all aggies) Don: - -yea -- HH: - -and they called it a reunion, not a class reunion, a reunion of all classes. Don: Hmmm. HH: That was in the fall of '45. Don: Yea. HH: I remember that. Don: Mmmhmm. Notetaker: He came to A &M in the fall of'45? Don: Was it in the fall of'45? He was a -- HH: - -in the fall or spring. Don: He was a speaker, he was in the spring, it was a graduation. HH: Well, they gave a -- Don: - -a graduation. Notetaker: So it was spring, ok. HH: The reason I remember so well, it was in '45, after the war....'41 to '45. September. It might have been in the calendar year '45. But, I remember it being '45. Every class had, the, uh, separate reunion, if they could get enough of them together. Notetaker: And he came for graduation, did you say? HH: I believe- - Don: - -yes, yes. He came for graduation. I -- Notetaker: - -okay, okay. HH: The reason I remember it so well, in '35 and '45, my class president, Fitz Whenier was deceased. And he was senior class president. He was our class agent, until another one was appointed. And was deceased since I lived here and working here, and thought it would be convenient, to be the class agent. And I have been the class agent ever since. HH: I believe we had miracles on the campus Breazeale: I think we've done a pretty good job actually. HH: When Jack Williams was president. Breazeale: That was long after this time period. HH: I thought we were still at that time. Breazeale: No. 1-I : He once told a pretty good story. While he was president, he would come home from work on a Monday morning and hear a whistle blow at 8:00, 12:00, 1:00, and 5:00. Breazeale: The university used to have a whistle that blew at 5:00 and 1:00, and at 12:00 and 8:00. HH: On his first day of being president he heard the whistle at, well it wasn't at 8:00, but he called his secretary and asked if that was an old steam whistle. She said yes sir. He asked her when it would blow. She said at 8:00 in the morning and at 12:00 for lunch. Then again at 1:00 to go back to work, and then at 5:00 to quit working.. He told his secretary, "Well call the superintendent and tell him to cut the cord because it has blown its last time." He said this is an institution, not a factory. Woman: (laughing) Breazeale: Good story. HH: I guess I wasn't here at that time because I came in before the time they had to cut the phone lines to the fire plant because... Breazeale: That took a bit of getting used to. HH: It sure did. Everybody had their lines cut. Woman Well I imagine the communication on campus back then in the 30's and 40's was not great- not compared to everything else, but you think about what it can do now. Breazeale: Let's see...Did they have a postal delivery in the Academic Building? HH: Yes, ? ? ?, Academic Building. Breazeale: I'd get my mail there as well as at the house. Woman: But it came from the Academic Building. HH: Yes. Breazeale: Then there was another postal employee called Carl Carr (C- A -R -R). Jim Carr, his son, worked until he was retired at the US Postal Service. I took the job at first as first full time manager of the mail service in '69. Mail service wasn't very good back then. All of the packages would fill this room. When I took over I had to beam mail to every department on campus, and every country. Jim Carr would work from 4:00 am to 12:00 pm at the College Station post office. Then he would go home and rest and then come to my place at 1:00 Jim worked 5 pm or later. He taught my employees to meter foreighn and domestic mail. HH: It's been a good session I think Woman Well it is interesting to me not having moved here until 1980 when my husband was a telecommunications manger on campus, and so I have... Breazeale: What? Woman: He was a telecommunications manger, so my hearing all of this early A &M history is very interesting to me and I have worked all 11 of these things. HH: Well you get an awful lot of how to hold the longhorns in Aggieland, but you don't get the t- sip sort. Woman: Being form Minnesota and my husband graduating from the University of Wyoming, we still did all of the A &M stuffuntil the 1980's. It was great. HH: I wonder how we are doing with the footage on our tape. Woman: We did one full tape and we're just staring on the second tape. Gene: I think we can stop when everyone is tired enough. HH: I don't have anything more that I can think of right now. Woman: Breezy, do you have anything? Breazeale: It's been genuinely a pleasure to listen to Dr. Harris because I remember within a few months after I became manager of mail services, I could pretty well sort first class mail with out a director he had to do it the same amount of time because I'd 40 %( ?) of our first class mail, when I started down there, had no department on it. Dr. Don Harris Texas A &M University College Station, Texas and you had to know the rest of it. I had sorters that learned they'd get a batch of mail that was delayed one day put a stamp on it said it on this mail has been delayed. At least one day because it did not have your department address. Took about four years to correct it to get all those addresses on those. Different sorters would take batched of these others and look them up in the directory and that helped him remember. I had as many as 20 mail sorters at one time and it was "blah blah" they worked 20 hours a week in weekends after hours we'd start sorting mail at 6:00 in the morning to deliver at 8:00 first class mail that day we'd pick up second set at 5:30 and have it sorted by that time and carried by the time they came to work at 8:00. Daily routine Monday was the day we went through Saturday through Sunday and Monday's mail. We worked crew on Saturday mornings helped get that day out of the way a lot of the departments would come to the window at about 10:00 with work from 6:00 till 10:00 had come by 9:30- 10:00 they'd have a package to mail for them. Or well type it classified like that and they'd carry it ( ?) carry it on Saturday morning back to that department and we didn't have to carry it on Saturday morning. Woman: Pretty efficient back then Gene: We need your signatures and address. We appreciate your (cut off tape ended). P. S. From Mr. Hierth: Our being in walking distance of campus began in 1949 after we moved to College Station. From 1946 -1949 we car pooled from Bryan Field (known as A &M Annex). Some taught on campus, some at the Annex. I taught on campus, with a semester or two in which I taught three days at one location, two at the other. The old gym was DeWare Field House. Breazy Breazedale or Homer Adams could tell you more about playing there. Remarks: City of College Station Memory Lanes Oral History Project Memory Lane: C.aCA- ( 1--i . Sta-f C First audit check by Final copies: Typed by Oral History Stage Sheet Interview No. Name t;L) al CiQ-l2 Interview date Interviewer Interview length Interview Place Special sources of information Date tape received in office # of tapes marked Date Original Photographs Yes No # of photos Date Recd Describe Photos Interview Agreement and tape disposal form: Given to interviewee on Received Yes No Date Signed Restrictions- If yes, see remarks below. Yes No Transcription: First typing completed by Pages Date (name) (name) Sent to interviewee on Received from interviewee on 713 199 Copy editing and second audit check by (name) Pages Date Pages Date Pages Date Proofread by: 1) Pages Date 2) Pages Date Photos out for reproduction: Where to: Date: Original photos returned to: Date: Indexed by: Date Sent to bindery by Date Received from bindery Date Deposited in archives by: Date Remarks: City of College Station Memory Lanes Oral History Project Memory Lane: VA. C u i i-i.f " Sta. C Interview No. Name 01 a oa r Interview date Interviewer Interview length Interview Place Special sources of information Date tape received in office # of tapes marked Date Original Photographs Yes No # of photos Date Rec'd Describe Photos Interview Agreement and tape disposal form: Given to interviewee on Received Yes No Date Signed Restrictions- If yes, see remarks below. Yes No Transcription: First typing completed by Pages Date (name) First audit check by Sent to interviewee on I Received from interviewee on Copy editing and second audit check by Final copies: Typed by Oral History Stage Sheet (name) (name) Pages Date Pages Date Pages Date Proofread by: 1) Pages Date 2) Pages Date Photos out for reproduction: Where to: Date: Original photos returned to: Date: Indexed by: Date Sent to bindery by Date Received from bindery Date Deposited in archives by: Date Remarks: City of College Station Memory Lanes Oral History Project Memory Lane: ra Ct t1 -1-t4 . S ra f f Name I'�J : i1■2r t-4* Interviewer Interview Place Special sources of information Date tape received in office Original Photographs Yes Describe Photos Oral History Stage Sheet n.va( Scc ppDa'f Interview No. Interview date Interview length # of tapes marked Date No # of photos Date Recd Interview Agreement and tape disposal form: Given to interviewee on Received Yes Date Signed Restrictions- If yes, see remarks below. Yes Transcription: First typing completed by Pages (name) First audit check by Sent to interviewee on Received from interviewee on .. Copy editing and second audit check by Final copies: Typed by Proofread by: 1) 2) Photos out for reproduction: Original photos returned to: Indexed by: Sent to bindery by Received from bindery Deposited in archives by: (name) (name) Where to: Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Date: Date: Date Date Date Date Date Date Date No No Date Date Date Remarks: City of College Station Memory Lanes Oral History Project Memory Lane: Va CLt I hi , S tci First audit check by Copy editing and second audit check by Final copies: Typed by Oral History Stage Sheet J 1� Interview No. Name V I HOLY ( 15 Interview date Interviewer Interview length Interview Place Special sources of information Date tape received in office # of tapes marked Date Original Photographs Yes No # of photos Date Recd Describe Photos Interview Agreement and tape disposal form: Given to interviewee on Received Yes No Date Signed Restrictions- If yes, see remarks below. Yes No Transcription: First typing completed by Pages Date (name) (name) Sent to interviewee on �� �zg Received from interviewee on I 111_5 (name) Pages Date Pages Date Pages Date Proofread by: 1) Pages Date 2) Pages Date Photos out for reproduction: Where to: Date: Original photos returned to: Date: Indexed by: Date Sent to bindery by Date Received from bindery Date Deposited in archives by: Date This is Miss, Ms., Dr., Etc.) I'm interviewing for the /ea. time City of College Station Memory Lanes Oral History Project Today is /6 nth) (day) (year) (Mr., Mrs., This interview is taking place in Room /, / of The 5 - � at 1300 George Bush Dr. 0 College Station , Texas . This interview is sponsored by the Historic Preservation Committee and the Conference Center Advisory Committee of the City of College Station, Texas. It is part of the Memory Lane Oral History Project. Have each person introduce themselves so their voice is identifiable on the tape recorder. I hereby give and grant to the HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, City of College Station, Texas, for whatever purposes may be determined, the tape recordings, transcriptions, and contents of this oral history interview. Also, permission is hereby given for any duplications of original photos, documents, maps, etc. useful to the history project to be returned unharmed. Interviewee releases, relinquishes and discharges CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from all claims, demands, and causes of action of every kind and character, including the cost of defense thereof, for any injury to, including the cost of defense thereof for any injury to, including death of, any person, whether that person be a third person, Interviewee, or an employee of either of the parties hereto, and any loss of or damage to property, whether the same be that either of the parties hereto or of third parties, caused by or alleged to be caused by, arising out of, or in connection with Interviewee provision of historical information, whether or not said claims, demands and causes of action in whole or in part are covered by insurance. ' a �l � � l R Interviewee (Please print) Signatµte of Interviewee 4gif/E /l/ Interv'-wer (Please Print) Signature of Inte viewer 0 Place of Intery ew List of nhotos. documents. mans. etc. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE City of College Station, Texas 77840 ORAL HISTORY DATA SHEET Name (2 9. Address 6q 6 ` 5 L7 Telephone Date of Birth Place of Birth r' 2 <. a , _c INTERVIEW STATUS: Completed Date Initial In progress Interviewee agrees to and shall indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, causes of action, suits and liability of every kind, attorney's fees, for injury to or death of any person, or for damage to any property, arising out of or in connection with the use of the items and information referenced aboved by CITY, its agents, representatives, assigns, invitees, and participants under this grant. Such indemnity shall apply where the claims, losses damages, causes of action, suits or liability arise in whole or in part from the negligence of city. The City of College Station, Texas Memory Lanes Oral History Project INTERVIEW AGREEMENT The purpose of The Historic Preservation Committee is to gather and preserve historical documents by means of the tape- recorded interview. Tape recordings and transcripts resulting from such interviews become part of the archives of The City of College Station Historic Preservation Committee and Conference Center Advisory Committee to be used for whatever purposes may be determined. I have read the above and voluntarily offer my portion of the interviews with : (Name of Interviewee) In view of the scholarly value of this research material, I hereby assign rights, title, and interest pertaining to it to The City of College Station Historic Preservation Committee and Conference Center Advisyry Committee. Interviewer (signature) Date /5 /92 d Interviewer (Please Print) I hereby give and grant to the HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, City of College Station, Texas, for whatever purposes may be determined, the tape recordings, transcriptions, and contents of this oral history interview. Also, permission is hereby given for any duplications of original photos, documents, maps, etc. useful to the history project to be returned unharmed. Interviewee releases, relinquishes and discharges CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from all claims, demands, and causes of action of every kind and character, including the cost of defense thereof, for any injury to, including the cost of defense thereof for any injury to, including death of, any person, whether that person be a third person, Interviewee, or an employee of either of the parties hereto, and any loss of or damage to property, whether the same be that either of the parties hereto or of third parties, caused by or alleged to be caused by, arising out of, or in connection with Interviewee provision of historical information, whether or not said claims, demands and causes of action in whole or in part are covered by insurance. / / M,4 n Interviewee (Please print) signara U f rv view e Intervi wer (Please Print) Signature of Inter'iewer Place of Inter1iew List of nhotos. documents. mans. etc. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE City of College Station, Texas 77840 ORAL HISTORY DATA SHEET WDWaI// Addres ;�77 ash A ur e§ 77 Y6 Name Telephone *7 G j y / 9 Date of Birth Place of Birth pc 5 /1/ !7 f , INTERVIEW STATUS: Completed Interviewee agrees to and shall indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, causes of action, suits and liability of every kind, attorney's fees, for injury to or death of any person, or for damage to any property, arising out of or in connection with the use of the items and information referenced aboved by CITY, its agents, representatives, assigns, invitees, and participants under this grant. Such indemnity shall apply where the claims, losses damages, causes of action, suits or liability arise in whole or in part from the negligence of city. Date K' Initial In progress HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE City of College Station, Texas 77840 ORAL HISTORY DATA SHEET I hereby give and grant to the HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, City of College Station, Texas, for whatever purposes may be determined, the tape recordings, transcriptions, and contents of this oral history interview. Also, permission is hereby given for any duplications of original photos, documents, maps, etc. useful to the history project to be returned unharmed. Interviewee releases, relinquishes and discharges CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from all claims, demands, and causes of action of every kind and character, including the cost of defense thereof, for any injury to, including the cost of defense thereof for any injury to, including death of, any person, whether that person be a third person, Interviewee, or an employee of either of the parties hereto, and any loss of or damage to property, whether the same be that either of the parties hereto or of third parties, caused by or alleged to be caused by, arising out of, or in connection with Interviewee provision of historical information, whether or not said claims, demands and causes of action in whole or in part are covered by insurance. , VArRIca A./ f. / /,C T / Interviewee (Please print) „. / Intery wer (Please Print) Signature of Interviewer Place of Inter 'Jew List of photos. documents. mans. etc. Signature of Interviewee Name Address 2 JW . Telephone . QC., - S`g V 7 Date of Birth i /s //3 Place of Birth Pc-n. c, INTERVIEW STATUS: Completed 7 /rN /5' S, Date Initial In progress Interviewee agrees to and shall indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, causes of action, suits and liability of every kind, attorney's fees, for injury to or death of any person, or for damage to any property, arising out of or in connection with the use of the items and information referenced aboved by CITY, its agents, representatives, assigns, invitees, and participants under this grant. Such indemnity shall apply where the claims, losses damages, causes of action, suits or liability arise in whole or in part from the negligence of city. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE City of College Station, Texas 77840 ORAL HISTORY DATA SHEET I hereby give and grant to the HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, City of College Station, Texas, for whatever purposes may be determined, the tape recordings, transcriptions, and contents of this oral history interview. Also, permission is hereby given for any duplications of original photos, documents, maps, etc. useful to the history project to be returned unharmed. Interviewee releases, relinquishes and discharges CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from all claims, demands, and causes of action of every kind and character, including the cost of defense thereof, for any injury to, including the cost of defense thereof for any injury to, including death of, any person, whether that person be a third person, Interviewee, or an employee of either of the parties hereto, and any loss of or damage to property, whether the same be that either of the parties hereto or of third parties, caused by or alleged to be caused by, arising out of, or in connection with Interviewee provision of historical information, whether or not said claims, demands and causes of action in whole or in part are covered by insurance. X 0-1. lam, ('j 13264 - e e _ c Interviewee (Please print) G ifIt / li 7 Interviewer (Please Print) Signature of Interviewer Place of Inte List of photos. documents. mans. etc. Signature of Intery Name Address Telephone � Date of Birth /— 3 '— / 3 Place of Birth C k_p c rL� r - ; — ,fix INTERVIEW STATUS: Completed Date Initial In progress wee Interviewee agrees to and shall indemnify and hold harmless CITY, its officers, agents and employees, from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, causes of action, suits and liability of every kind, attorney's fees, for injury to or death of any person, or for damage to any property, arising out of or in connection with the use of the items and information referenced aboved by CITY, its agents, representatives, assigns, invitees, and participants under this grant. Such indemnity shall apply where the claims, losses damages, causes of action, suits or liability arise in whole or in part from the negligence of city. 7- /s -9<f