Oral Histories U-Z

Ulrich, Don - February 26, 1992 - tape only; no bibliographic information.

Urban, George (tape #1) - April 3, 1991 background and early years on Cleveland's west side; move to Brimfield farm; early geography of Kent campus; curriculum of Normal School; description of practice teaching; the campus circa 1927; first meeting with John E. McGilvery; experiences as student at Kent Training School; the Depression and interruption in education; graduation from Kent Normal School; early years as educator at Ravenna schools; employment at Penton Publishing in Cleveland; enlistment in Army during WWII; Army career; return to Kent; acquaintances with KSU presidents; reminiscences of Dr. McGilvery; McGilvery's dismissal; raising silver foxes; McGilvery as President Emeritus; more on McGilvery; James D. Engleman; 1933 threat to convert KSU to asylum for the insane; Karl Leebrick; KSU becomes liberal arts college; employment as Director of Public Events; Dr. Robert White; May 4, 1970; Pulitzer Prize winning photo of Mary Vecchio and Jeffrey Miller; expansion of KSU; Glen Olds and KSU's fiscal crisis. (75 minutes total-2 tapes)

Urban, George (tape #2) - April 3, 1991 (continued from tape #1) "Tent City"; Brage Golding; Michael Schwartz; predictions about Carol Cartwright's presidency; KSU Distinguished Alumnus Award; recapping a rewarding career. (75 minutes total-2 tapes)

Waid, Sarah - March 30, 1992 - students' change in dress over years; students' change in behavior over years; effects of WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam on students; politics in school system; growth of school (Roosevelt High); involvement in extra-curricular activities; impact of television; girls and organized sports; changing educational choices for girls; relationships with students after graduation; growth of school and changes in curriculum; changes Mrs. Waid likes; school newspaper-The Colonel; after hours involvement in school; Latin Club; field trips; assassination of JFK; civil rights; politics and local issues; organization of the school; women in the school; academics; friendships among teachers; student teachers; students who are still in Kent; discipline policy; music department; outstanding departments of school; school fire. (60 minutes)

Weiser, Dr. John - May 7, 1997 - birth of WKSU; early radio workshop shows; equipment used in early days of WKSU; early coverage and listeners; WKSU's first official sign on; nature of early programming; experience with David and Alan Fried; nature of WKSU radio and speech program; new facilities for WKSU; application for frequency change and power increase; problems with interference from Channel 8 and WOSU; WKSU moves to Music and Speech Building; on air with new facilities; WKSU coverage of assassination of JFK; coverage of Campus Day (1960); coverage of KSU sports; election coverage and students' roles; "diversified programming"; background of May 4, 1970; coverage of student protest activities in 1968-69; protesting students break into Music and Speech Building; May 1-3, 1970, coverage of student protests; May 4th coverage; Congress passes Public Broadcasting Act; physical changes at Kent State and expansion; opinion of future of WKSU and radio given rapid increase in technology; dramatic changes at KSU; physical expansion and expansion of graduate studies. (60 minutes)

Wiland, Francis - December 6, 1991 - W.W. Reed; impact of business on Kent community; Tuttle family and history of Kent downtown; effects of the Depression; Tuttles' arrival to Palmyra, Ohio and migration to Kent; Isaac's contribution to Kent as stone mason; size of KSU; W.W. Reed'' influences on Kent; Kent State being founded in Kent, Ohio; Kent's downtown buildings; Glenn Reed's high school days; May 4, 1970; conclusion on W.W. Reed family and arrival in this country. (60 minutes)

Wiland, Jerry - April 20, 1993 - background and early life in Brady Lake; memories of life as a student; memories of Mr. Wiland's father; entrance into University School; entrance into U.S. Navy and action in WWII; discharge from U.S. Navy and attendance at University of Idaho; marriage to first wife and birth of three children; move back to Kent and entrance into insurance field; community involvement; connections with university an University High School; death of first wife and marriage to second wife; memories of events surrounding May 4, 1970; perception of today's students; discipline at University School; faculty at University School and sports programs Mr. Wiland participated in; current activities with KSU sports. (20 minutes)

Wiland, Joyce - April 23, 1993 - personal background; family background; family's move to Normal Avenue; dorms and student boarders in people's homes; ties to Kent State and other schooling; growing up in Kent; Campus Day; Terminal Tower in the 1930s; split in town of Kent; 2nd husband's education; downtown Kent; activities for children; WWII and her brother in-law's death; the Cleveland System; effects of WWII on her family; celebration in Kent at end of WWII; Memorial Day service at Standing Rock Cemetery; Kent teachers; university's effect on the city; events prior to May 4th and May 4, 1970; closing of the City of Kent; reaction to May 4th shootings; recovery of Kent; downtown Kent during formative years; Alfred Tishendorf, first husband; Alfred's death in Argentina; marriage to Jerry in 1964; interest in Kent history; trips with 3rd graders to historic sites in Kent; residences; Robin Hood Restaurant; Captain Brady; experiences as a Kent student; Doc Roberts; other teachers; connection of school to university; John Hoover; end of Campus Day; Modern Dance Group; other Kent traditions; University Drive as a dirt road; comparison of students; mother's meeting with Trotsky; inventions during mother's lifetime; today's emphasis on sports; connection to university today. ( 60 minutes)

Wiland, Richard - April 9, 1992 - changes in downtown Kent business community; attending Kent State and the University School; changes in university after WWII; increased student population changes downtown Kent; changes in city due to building up of East Main St.; overall impact of university on Kent; sports programs at Kent State; Kent's major industries; John McGilvery; railroad system in Kent; Inner Urban street cars; how Kent got the University; W.W. Reed and Son Insurance Co.; changes in insurance business; May 4, 1970; Kent State University Foundation. (45 minutes)

Williams, Germaine - November 26, 1996 - history of Williams Brothers Mill and its product; beginning of mill and running of mill; different phases of mill; changes in mill; baking processes at the plants; size of company; history and building of Williams family home; residents of Williams' home; changes in house and house fire; bedroom set up; current residents; similar houses in Kent area; originally built as a working farm; farm house, barn and woods; current residents of farm; growing up in Kent and family life; school at St. Patrick's; Patton House; family impact; furthering of education; changes in Kent; hang outs and soda fountains; the Short Stop-first fast food restaurant in Kent; Kent Museum; Music Department involvement; Franklin Mill; Mr. Kent and the railroad; Kent before it became Kent City; husband; children in her family; family get togethers; husband's sibling. (26 minutes)

Wise, F.W. "Bill" - December 27, 1993 - family background; the farm; education at a one room schoolhouse; doing without modern conveniences; mother's work; traveling by horse and buggy; downtown Akron; St. Joseph's Church; family Christmases; siblings; Suffield general store; visiting; early radio; Presidential elections; father as councilman; train trips; amusement parks; big band; Brady Lake Park; life without running water; trolleys; bricklaying; bakery in Cuyahoga Falls; bakery delivery route; summer in California; Triangle garage; selling of garage; working for Shell; Jimmy Dewell; airplane rides; Charlie Van Oust; World War II involvement; basic training; Battles of Casino and Anzio; Battles of the Bulge and Ardennes; Company B of 78th light infantry division; General Mark Clark; General Omar Bradley; General George Patton; battle wounds; Belgium and France; capture of German prisoners of war; receiving a Purple Heart; coming home; work with Shell; changes in Kent; first cars; a horse called Abeline; winters of the past; travelling by sleigh; Kent Kiwanis Club; comparing Kiwanis with Rotary; Camp Spelman; the Robin Hood Restaurant; his children. [transcribed]

Workman, Lawrence - October 10, 1983 - background and early life in Wetzel County, West Virginia; move to Northeast Ohio; life in New Milford, Ohio; streetcars in Kent; settling in Kent and starting as a barber; construction of the Comfort Station; description of Comfort Station; trains in Kent in the 1920s; depot during the Depression; location of Comfort Station; people serviced at Comfort Station and payment for haircuts; Martin L. Davey; concerns of people in 1920s and 1930s; closing of Comfort Station in 1961; work at Comfort Station; topics of conversation; strike at Black and Decker plant in 1930s; prohibition in Kent; Armistice Day, 1918; influenza epidemic; change in people during 1930s; leisure activities; styles of dancing; miniature golf during 1920s; sports; attitudes of people toward war; building of present home on Crain Ave. (60 minutes)

Wunderle, John - December 11, 1995 - transportation pre-Civil War; location and impact of canals in Kent; canal families; growth of inns and taverns as a result of canals; New England influence on Kent landscape; building of canals; Marvin Kent and water storage; change from canal to railroad and its impact; train companies and train wrecks; big business of era; Inner Urban System and its impact; the Depression; highway system in Kent; travel to Cleveland and Columbus from Kent; physical history of Kent; current problems. (60 minutes)

Yacavona, Paul - December 1986 - tape only; no bibliographic information.

Young, Charles - December 7, 1989 - early life in Wabash; move back to Kent and father's jobs; family tree of Woodards back to late 1700s; Young family; how Kent got its name; Grandfather Young's dairy farm; first in Kent to plant alfalfa; Kent Water Co. and family's involvement; reasons for move from Indiana to Kent; Kent schools; chores; early transportation in Kent; early stores in Kent; price comparisons-past and present; FDR, the New Deal, and the poor; Thompson Drug Store and pharmacy school; "milk trains" and school at Case Western Reserve; work at Thompson's and Mr. Thompson's retirement; marriage; wife's nursing career; his purchase of Thompson's in 1934; current three stores; "buy and sell" agreement; manager of Kent store; work in Kent store and book keeping; views on retirement; changes in Kent; views on proposed Kent mall; Thompson Drug Store's following. (60 minutes)