Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Interview No. 1636, Olga Kohlberg

Combined Interviews

A radio dramatization of Olga Kolberg’s life presents her educational efforts in El Paso. Mrs. Kohlberg describes the concept of kindergarten, and the importance of education in very young children. A narrator details Mrs. Kohlberg’s efforts to raise money and establish a kindergarten in El Paso. El Paso’s school system had the first kindergarten in the state of Texas thanks to the work of Mrs. Kohlberg and the other women. In 1894, the women formed the Current Events Club, later renamed the Womens Club, and led by Mrs. Kohlberg. This group set out to accomplish a number of projects, including …

Interview No. 1638, Margarita R. Mendoza

Combined Interviews

Margarita Mendoza was an employee for Union Manufacturing in El Paso, TX; was born in East Chicago, IN on July 28, 1927; her parents were from Durango, Mexico; her father was a farmer for his mother’s family on their hacienda, she describes how they met when she was a baby and he was a farmhand; she reveals father’s brothers fought with the revolutionaries in the Mexican Revolution, but he came to the U.S. in 1910; she relays mother’s family struggle to escape the Mexican Revolution, she describes her parent’s courtship; she mentions they had six children while working in Kansas …

Interview No. 1703, Alicia Angelica Martinez

Combined Interviews

Alicia Angelica Martinez was born in El Paso Texas, August 13,1944. When she was 5, she moved to Duranguito from El Segundo Barrio in El Paso Texas. Her mother was a house maker, and her dad worked on a construction company. They were living with her grandparents. They had a two story apartments and their grandparents lived on the first floor, and Alicia and her parents on the second, the place was called La Mansion. She describes La Mansion as a peaceful place where they will have a lot of fun and most of their family was living in there. …

Interview No. 1630, James L. Hayden

Combined Interviews

As a career soldier, Hayden spent the better part of his life in the Army; in this interview he recalls his experiences as a fourth-generation West Point graduate, his service both in the Army Constabulary in immediate post-World War II Germany and in Korea during the Korean War, his responsibilities at White Sands Missile Range under Wernher von Braun, and his recent volunteer work as a West Point admissions advisor. Born in 1923 in New York, Hayden was expected from birth to attend West Point; indeed, his father was an instructor there at the time. Although he applied in 1940, …

Interview No. 1721, Wilhemina Apodaca

Combined Interviews

Ms. Apodaca brought to the interview a dress she wore when she was little for a photoshoot she had at the Casasola Studio that was later on featured in the newspaper. Ms. Apodaca remembers the blue dress very well because it was hand-made by her mother and her aunt especially for her. Like most of the clothing back then was made at home.

Ms. Apodaca was raised on a farm in New Mexico along with her other five siblings. She loved living on the farm but used to come to El Paso every weekend to visit her grandmother and do …

Interview No. 1624, J. Halbert Gambrell

Combined Interviews

In this interview, J. Halbert (“Hal”) Gambrell shares his memories of his colorful family, early El Paso, and his military experiences during both World War II and the Korean War. Born in El Paso in 1920, Gambrell entered this world in the family home due to his physician father’s decision to avoid local hospitals overflowing with Spanish Influenza patients. His father had recently returned from service in France during World War I; earlier he had served under General Jack “Black” Pershing during the latter’s 1916 punitive expedition into Mexico in Pershing’s ill-fated attempt to capture Pancho Villa. Gambrell continues to …

Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee

Combined Interviews

Louis B. McKee is the son of Robert E. McKee, founder of the R. E. McKee General Contractors in El Paso, TX; he was born in El Paso in 1933; and graduated from Austin High School; he explains why he went to University of New Mexico, and studied civil engineering; he mentions completing Navy ROTC, being a Marine Corps Officer a few years; he recounts his family, working for the family’s construction company; he reveals why he later quit the company, disagreed with the direction of new non-family leadership that didn’t have the experience; he mentions the company was moved …

Interview No. 1631, Cornelia Love Owen

Combined Interviews

Ms. Owen recounts the various physicians her father knew like Dr. Holman, his work at Hotel Du Catholic Hospital, Masonic, Southwestern General; she recalls going to Sullins College in Virginia with friends; she explains why she decided to go to Texas College of the Mines now UTEP; she gives information about her husband, sold oxygen and acetylene supplies for mining use; she describes living on Federal St. with her husband and son Dale, her son went to Southern Methodist University and later UTEP for his master’s. She provides background information on her father, born in Arkansas in 1868; she explains …

Interview No. 1642, Louis Baudoin

Combined Interviews

He believes that his father being stationed in Oklahoma for a time during World War II where Coach Don Haskins is from helped convince his parents to accept his decision to go to Texas Western College; he describes how it was close to his family, had just created a Liberal Arts department and had a strong engineering program. Describes Don Haskins’ approach to basketball as simple, stressing proficiency in basic drills rather than relying on complicated plays; he describes practices as brutal and repetitive but that the team’s success on the court proved Don Haskins right. Mr. Baudoin believed at …

Interview No. 1644, Harry Flournoy

Combined Interviews

He was recruited by Coach Don Haskins from Indiana; his mother felt Coach Haskins would be a good mentor; he received good treatment from everyone in El Paso; he describes Coach Haskins practices as tough but stated that Haskins warned them in advance. Mr. Flournoy felt that at the time that the 1965-66 team was good and an improvement from the last year, but did not know whether they would make it to the NCAA Championship. He describes the poor treatment and racism he and other black players experienced from some of the crowds, as well as at restaurants and …

Interview No. 1645, Don Haskins

Combined Interviews

He played basketball at Oklahoma A&M; he played with the Artesia Travelers in the National Industrial Basketball League; he went to a coaching clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Texas Western Head Coach George McCarty convinced Don Haskins to complete his degree; explains that in the interim he took a job coaching basketball and driving the school bus in Benjamin, Texas and later Hedley, Texas. Mr. Haskins recalls that while he was coaching at Dumas, Texas, George McCarty Dean from Texas Western College recruited him to be head coach. Mr. Haskins addresses his reputation as a tough coach by stating …

Interview No. 1646, Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill

Combined Interviews

He was originally from Michigan but was playing at a junior college in Iowa where Don Haskins saw him play and recruited him; he was not familiar with the city or school, he was surprised by the size and warm weather; he mentions that Jim Barnes and Nolan Richardson showed him around town and people were friendly. He describes his initial impression of Don Haskins was that he was nice, but at practice found out that he was very disciplinarian; he mentions that he thought the 1965-66 team was good, but they had a quiet confidence; he addresses the story …

Interview No. 1643, Willie Cager

Combined Interviews

He describes how he had to finish up courses in New York and later in El Paso in order to attend Texas Western College; he goes over how local recruiters selected him based on his basketball ability. Mr. Cager mentions that he had to adjust to the desert but that he had no real culture shock due to the diversity of his native New York City. He recounts having to adjust to Coach Haskins due to him stressing defense where he focused more on offense; he states that he was versatile and could play guard, forward, or center; he explains …

Interview No. 734, Lewis Jones

Combined Interviews

Discussion of his work with the Customs Service at the bridges in the El Paso - Juarez area since 1945, especially export-import control and seizures of contraband.

Interview No. 430, Bill Morrow

Combined Interviews

Personal background; business activities; El Paso-Cd. Juarez relations.

Interview No. 77, Louis Krupp

Combined Interviews

Autobiography; experiences as a Bavarian immigrant and professional musician; teaching Art in schools; career in El Paso.

Interview No. 44, Mrs. Tommy Powers Stamper

Combined Interviews

Early El Paso, including the history of her family; Billy the Kid; Pat Garrett's family; personalities and events of early El Paso