Indiana University History Department Centennial, 1994
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleIndiana University History Department Centennial, 1994
Project No.
ohrc045
Interviews
9 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
In this project, retired professors from the Indiana University
Department of History discusses their experiences in the profession. Topics
discussed include educational and work history, the history department
curriculum, development of the history department over time, prominent people
in the department, publishing, teaching, and changes in the student body over
time.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains nine interviews over the course of one year. Interviews range from about 76 minutes to 286 minutes.
All of the interviews consist of audio tapes and typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Baxter, Maurice
April 27,
1994
Call Number
94-008
Physical Description
29 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 76 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Maurice Baxter speaks of his time as a history professor at the
Indiana University Department of History. He describes his educational
background and interests in history that led to his position at IU. He talks
about changes over time in the history department and in the field of history.
He discusses departmental politics and people he has known through the
years.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- University of Illinois
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Lundin, C. Leonard
- Solt, Leo F.
-
-
Subjects
- 1944 GI Bill
- American history studies
- forced retirement
- Indiana University hiring practices
- narrative history
- salary disputes
- student activism
- student attitudes
- World War II
Interviewee
Byrnes, Robert F.
November 4,
1994
Call Number
94-003
Physical Description
55 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Scope and Content Note
Professor Robert F. Byrnes discusses his time as a faculty
member and chairperson of the Indiana University Department of History. He
speaks of his educational background in English and Russian history, his
teaching positions as various universities, and his time in the CIA before
settling at IU. He speaks of the field of historical studies, which he feels
has been hurt by super-specialization among scholars. He talks about incidents
within the department, like hiring practices, promotions, and salary disputes.
He speaks of developing the curriculum of the history department, made possible
by the encouragement of former IU president, Herman B Wells.
Access Status
Open
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- CIA
- Harvard University
- history professor
-
-
Occupation Names
- history department chairperson
-
-
Personal Names
- Buley, Roscoe Carlyle
- Jelavich, Barbara
- Jelavich, Charles
-
-
Subjects
- Cold War
- history department curriculum
- Indiana University hiring practices
- interdisciplinary studies
- libraries
- narrative history
- political history
- Russian history studies
- salary disputes
- social history
- student protests
- subject specialization
- world history studies
Interviewee
Carmony, Donald
May 4,
1994
Call Number
94-002
Physical Description
43 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 83 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Donald Carmony discusses his tenure the Indiana University
Department of History. He outlines his educational background and work history
as a professor at Indiana Central College and then as an administrator in
various positions at Indiana University. He speaks of his desire to teach,
which led him to seek a professorship. He talks about departmental hiring
practices and salary disputes. He outlines the importance of studying history
for everyone—especially local history. Finally, he discusses the history of the
history department, mentions some individuals important in its development, and
compares the history department of today with the department of the past.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana Central College
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort
Wayne
- Indiana University South Bend
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
- university administrator
-
-
Personal Names
- Esarey, Logan
- Wells, Herman B
-
-
Place Names
- Shelbyville, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- Indiana history studies
- Indiana University hiring practices
- student protests
- student veterans
Interviewee
Ferrell, Robert H.
November 3,
1994
Call Number
94-009
Physical Description
53 pages;3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 162 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Robert H. Ferrell discusses his tenure as a professor at the
Indiana University Department of History. He describes how his experiences as a
soldier in World War II made him interested in studying history. He talks about
his graduate experience at Yale and his mentor, Samuel Bemis. He describes the
writing of his dissertation, and other publications after that. He talks about
people he knows in the history department, and contacts with other historians
in the United States. He describes the importance of being a good teacher as
well as a good scholar, which he feels are inseparable despite the push in
universities today where scholarship and publishing are valued far above
teaching skills. He speaks of the declining quality of students since the
1960s. Finally, he speaks of the reasons for his retirement.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Ballantine Hall
- Bowling Green University
- CIA
- Michigan State University
- Yale University
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Ballantine, Elijah
- Bemis, Samuel Flagg
- Bryan, William Lowe
- Buley, Roscoe Carlyle
- Byrnes, Robert F.
- Castle, William R., Jr.
- Commager, Henry Steele
- Dulles, Foster Rhea
- Grant, James
- Gucker, Frank Thomson
- Hesseltine, William Best
- Kohlmeier, Albert Ludwig
- Labaree, Leonard
- Lukacs, John
- McCullough, David
- McMains, Howard
- Morison, Samuel Elliot
- Morris, Richard
- Nevins, Allan
- Rudin, Harry Rudolph
- Sonneborn, Tracy
- Tyrrell, Robert
- Wells, Herman B
- Winther, Oscar Osburn
- Wilz, John E.
-
-
Subjects
- American history studies
-
Foreign Relations of the United
States
- Indiana University hiring practices
- McCarthyism
- Pearl Harbor bombing
- publishing
- study habits
- teaching
- Vietnam War
-
Woodrow Wilson and World War II
- World War II
- writing styles
Interviewee
Lundin, C. Leonard
April 18,
1994
Call Number
94-005
Physical Description
55 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 136 minutes; index; article
about death of interviewee; profile of interviewee written by
colleague
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
C. Leonard Lundin speaks of his tenure as a professor at the
Indiana University Department of History. He speaks of his early interest in
teaching history that developed in high school due to one of his teachers,
Edwin Whitemarsh. He speaks of his time at Harvard University studying American
history, and his eventual position at IU teaching European history. He speaks
of the conservative nature of the department in the 1930s, and of the
differences between students in the Midwest and from the east coast. He speaks
of his experiences in World War II, and the change in attitude of the student
body after the war. He speaks of the changes made in the department and
university after the war, and of desegregation and student activism. He talks
about the people in the department, especially a scandal involving a lecturer
who plagiarized from another professor. Finally, he talks about his research in
Finnish history, and publishing in the academic universe.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Harvard University
- Simmons College
- Students for a Democratic Society
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Bryan, William Lowe
- Buley, Roscoe Carlyle
- Esarey, Logan
- Ferrell, Robert H.
- Lynch, William Orlando
- Wells, Herman B
- Whitemarsh, Edwin
-
-
Place Names
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Finland
-
-
Subjects
- American history studies
- Communism
- departmental scandal
- desegregation
- European history studies
- Finnish history studies
- history department curriculum
- Indiana University hiring practices
- McCarthyism
- narrative history
- publishing
- segregation
- social history
- Spanish Civil War
- student attitudes
- Vietnam War
- World War II
Interviewee
Neu, Irene G.
April 25,
1994
Call Number
94-007
Physical Description
53 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 144 minutes; index;
interviewee's vita curriculum
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Irene G. Neu discusses her tenure as a professor at the Indiana
University Department of History. She outlines her educational and work history
before she obtained a position at IU. She describes her struggles to gain equal
rights for women faculty and students within the history department throughout
her career. She talks about the changes the department has gone through over
the years.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cornell University
- Harvard University
- Indiana University Office of Women's Affairs
- Marietta College
- Rockford College
- Southeast Missouri State University
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Buley, Roscoe Carlyle
- Gates, Paul Wallace
- Madison, James H.
- Vasser, Rena
-
-
Subjects
- Affirmative Action
- departmental politics
- economic history
- gender discrimination
- history department curriculum
- salary disputes
- social history
- student attitudes
- Vietnam War
- women's movement
Interviewee
Pletcher, David M.
April 13,
1994
Call Number
94-004
Physical Description
43 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 113 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Professor David M. Pletcher discusses his tenure as a history
professor with the Indiana University Department of History. He speaks of his
educational and family background, which led him to pursue a career in higher
education. He talks about the classes he has taught over the years, and his
primary interest in American history. He speaks of the department intrigues
through the years over hiring practices and salaries. He also discusses
departmental growth and changes.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- University of Chicago
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Byrnes, Robert F.
- Neu, Irene
- Rippy, J. Fred
- Quirk, Robert E.
-
-
Subjects
- academic dishonesty
- American history studies
- history department curriculum
- salary disputes
- social history
- subject specialization
Interviewee
Quirk, Robert E.
March 28,
1994
Call Number
94-001
Physical Description
40 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Professor Robert E. Quirk talks about his tenure at the Indiana
University Department of History. He discusses his educational background and
his interest in Latin American studies, which eventually led to a position at
IU. He talks about the department's hiring practices over time, which were
discriminatory in the 1950s and gradually became more liberal, especially after
affirmative action. He speaks of the importance of Professor Robert F. Byrnes
in the development of the department. He also discusses notable events he
remembers, including student protests, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and salary
disputes.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Harvard University
- Wayne State University
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Byrnes, Robert F.
- Kohlmeier, Albert Ludwig
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Detroit, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Great Depression
- Indiana University hiring practices
- Latin American studies
- narrative history
- publishing
- salary disputes
- student protests
- tenure
- World War II
Interviewee
Wilz, John Edward
April 19, 1994;
April 21, 1994
Call Number
94-006
Physical Description
82 pages; 6 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 286 minutes;
Doonesbury cartoon; letter written by interviewee to Jane
Pauley
Interviewer
Glenn, Elizabeth
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
John E. Wilz discusses his time as a professor at the Indiana
University Department of History. He outlines his early education and
collegiate experiences at the University of Kentucky. He talks about the early
days at IU, where his first position was as a lecturer. He speaks of the people
he knew, particularly Robert Ferrell, R. Carlyle Buley, Maurice Baxter, and
Robert Byrnes. He speaks of his academic career, and his slow rate of
promotion, which he attributes to his lack of publishing scholarly books, and
writing a high school textbook. He speaks of the emphasis he placed on the
quality of his teaching. Finally he speaks of the changes in the student body
over the years, especially in the increasingly little amount of work that is
being assigned to undergraduate students.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Lilly Endowment
- University of Kentucky
-
-
Occupation Names
- history professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Baxter, Maurice G.
- Buley, Roscoe Carlyle
- Byrnes, Robert F.
- Ferrell, Robert H.
- Mooney, Chase C.
- Nevins, Allen
- Solt, Leo F.
-
-
Place Names
- Washington, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1944 GI Bill
- American history studies
- Catholicism
- Civil Rights Movement
- collegiality
- Great Depression
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Indiana University hiring practices
- journalism
- Korean War
- military history
- publishing
- salary disputes
- social history
- student attitudes
