Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 40
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Interview No. 1636, Olga Kohlberg
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
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. 1640, Thomas Edward Dent, Mary Helen Dent Trammell
Interview No. 1640, Thomas Edward Dent, Mary Helen Dent Trammell
Combined Interviews
He describes the schools growing up, and how they were all named after famous Texans, such as Davey Crocket and James Bowie. Mrs. Trammell describes how her mother was forced to work because of her father’s age and failing health. Her father had asthma and eventually suffered a stroke. The family lived in a rural area, where they kept chickens, cows, and other animals. Mr. Dent describes the fear that existed when WWII broke out, as he was still in elementary school. Both siblings describe the process of making phone calls at this time, and dealing with operators. There were …
Interview No. 1630, James L. Hayden
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. 1622, Michael Fushille M.D.
Interview No. 1622, Michael Fushille M.D.
Combined Interviews
He describes the process of getting into medical school, and trying to keep his G.I. benefits. Dr. Fushille enlisted in the Navy before the war and was accepted, but was told to remain in school because they had no place for him. He eventually served on an aircraft carrier during WWII, where he faced hurricanes, fires, and kamikaze attacks by the Japanese. Dr. Fushille served in the combat information center on the carrier as a radar technician. He finished his medical exams in 1957, before returning to New Jersey to complete his internship; by this time he and his wife …
Interview No. 1639, Itzhak Kotkowski
Interview No. 1639, Itzhak Kotkowski
Combined Interviews
Itzhak Kotkowski is an author that wrote about his experiences in the Holocaust during World War II; he was born in Warsaw, Poland on December 25, 1921; his family was Jewish, attended private school; Mr. Kotkowski addresses anti-Semitism among Polish people, personally never experienced it; he lived in the Jewish section, enjoyed life there until the German invasion on September 1, 1939; he recalls being at home when Warsaw was occupied, had always respected German culture; he explains his father worked hard to give them an education; he describes his three sisters, one was in Mexico, one immigrated to the …
Interview No. 1635, Sheldon Hall
Interview No. 1635, Sheldon Hall
Combined Interviews
Although Sheldon Hall (b. 1917) grew up in Ohio and lived most of his early years there and later, in Snyder and Van Horn, Texas, he became a pivotal figure in the preservation and recording of El Paso’s Spanish colonial history. After a childhood spent in Columbus, Ohio, Hall attended college, earning a degree in Investment Management. Before he was able to use his education, however, the United States entered World War II, and the United States Army called upon him to join its Army Air Corps, where he worked first as a test pilot on A-31 bombers and then …
Interview No. 1634, Granville M. Green
Interview No. 1634, Granville M. Green
Combined Interviews
As one of the “greatest generation,” Granville “Bill” M. Green witnessed first-hand many of the twentieth century’s historic events, including the Great Depression, World War II, and the country’s explosive post-war growth. He reminisces about his experiences working on the ground floor of the nascent airline industry, as well as El Paso’s early auto sales and banking businesses. Born in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, Green had a rosy childhood, but the Great Depression forced him in 1936 to leave Northwestern University before graduating after his father lost his job. Fortunately, Green managed to secure a position the very next day …
Interview No. 1632, Louann Hoover Feuille
Interview No. 1632, Louann Hoover Feuille
Combined Interviews
Longtime El Paso resident Louann Hoover Feuille revisits her many years as both a child and an adult living in the historic Hoover House. In addition, she shares memories of her family and her education at the Radford School for Girls. Although Hoover Feuille is a native El Pasoan, her family did not purchase the Hoover House until the early 1940s, when her father, desperate to find shelter for his family during a war-time housing shortage, bid on the bank-owned home at a government auction. Hoover Feuille describes the terrible condition of the house lots of cats, and discusses at …
Interview No. 1624, J. Halbert Gambrell
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. 1633, Frank W. Gorman Jr.
Interview No. 1633, Frank W. Gorman Jr.
Combined Interviews
Frank W. Gorman, Jr. was born in El Paso on June 20, 1924. His parents were Frank Gorman and Eloise Knotts. His father was from Chattanooga, TN, and his mother was from Lucas, TX, but had been raised in Mexico. He describes his grandfather’s mining work in Durango and Guanajuato during the Mexican Revolution. Mr. Gorman’s father was a Lieutenant during WWI, and met Eloise in El Paso when he came to start a supply company. Mr. Gorman attended El Paso High School and then served in the Navy, but the war ended before he could be sent overseas. After …
Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee
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. 1628, Ariel Rodriguez
Interview No. 1628, Ariel Rodriguez
Combined Interviews
Dr. Rodriguez recalls time while in the Army, went to Vietnam to work in a field hospital for a year, also worked in civilian ones; he describes later duties at Ft. Bragg, NC, then Puerto Rico; he mentions service during the invasion of the Dominican Republic; he recalls coming to El Paso in 1969, describes the conditions at William Beaumont Army Hospital during its building. He recounts how he became the Associate Dean at Texas Tech Medical; he goes over the interview process and his office; he describes the programs he developed, setting up clinicals for students; he states that …
Interview No. 1655, Newton P. Matthews
Interview No. 1655, Newton P. Matthews
Combined Interviews
Newton P. Matthews was born in North Carolina, in January of 1941; grew up in Goldsboro, NC, site of Seymour Johnson Air Base; he graduated college at Wake Forest University in Winston- Salem, NC in 1962; he describes the cold war tension in the early 1960s, he joined the U.S. Air Force to avoid being drafted into the Army; he says he was selected for Officer Training School as a navigator, he wanted to be a pilot but at the time needed 20/20 vision; he mentions being in training during the Cuban Missile Crisis; he recalls navigator bombardier training and …
Interview No. 1656, Robert W. Pitt
Interview No. 1656, Robert W. Pitt
Combined Interviews
Robert Pitt was born in Detroit, MI on November 20, 1933; his family relocated a lot, he first remembers living in Portland, OR, later moved to Phoenix, AZ where he remembers the bombing of Pearl Harbor and followed the progress of World War II at home; he recounts moving to Los Angeles, CA for a year, his time as a batboy for the Los Angeles Angels and his love of baseball; he moved again to Chicago, IL to attend Morgan Park Military Academy, his father died when he was fifteen. Mr. Pitt describes time at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL …
Interview No. 1654, Emmet E. Cook Sr.
Interview No. 1654, Emmet E. Cook Sr.
Combined Interviews
Emmet E. Cook, Sr. was born in Fort Worth, TX, on March 5, 1918; he became interested in aviation following Charles Lindberg’s flight across the Atlantic, he lived near Meacham Air Field; he attended Texas A&M and majored in mechanical engineering; he was failing so a took test for aviation cadet and attended Alan Hancock School of Aeronautics in Santa Maria, CA; he revealed that he was dismissed due to lack of facilities; he mentions he applied for the British Royal Air Force; he says he went back to Fort Worth to fly planes and got his commercial license; Mr. …
Interview No. 1626, Judith Leonard
Interview No. 1626, Judith Leonard
Combined Interviews
She goes over the various doctors that worked in El Paso; she recalls the various hospitals at the time, the building of Providence Hospital; mentions that there were few Hispanic doctors, and reveals that the medical society was closed to them except for a few from medical families; she remembers Dr. Kalikian that trained her husband; she explains why her husband’s group eventually moved their office to Murchison St, closer to Sierra Medical Center. Ms. Leonard recounts travelling for her husband’s work, describes the career and interests of her children; she goes over her family’s love of opera and talks …
Interview No. 1631, Cornelia Love Owen
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. 1629, Robert M. Hardaway
Interview No. 1629, Robert M. Hardaway
Combined Interviews
In this interview, retired Brigadier General Robert Hardaway shares details of his remarkable life as an army surgeon, in particular his memories of World War II and the Korean War, as well as his continuing life-saving research. Hardaway entered military life in 1916, the year of his birth, as his father was the post surgeon at Camp John Hay in the Philippines. He spent his childhood traveling extensively as the army transferred his father successively to Paris, France, Denver’s Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and St. Louis, Missouri. Eventually, Hardaway left home in order to pursue his medical …
Interview No. 1644, Harry Flournoy
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. 1642, Louis Baudoin
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. 1646, Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill
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. 1648, David Lattin
Interview No. 1648, David Lattin
Combined Interviews
David Lattin describes his recruitment into the Texas Western College basketball team. He began as a student at Tennessee State but was unhappy there and then later transferred to Texas Western College. Mr. Lattin describes positive experiences with his new team and coach, Don Haskins. He also describes hardships and fears he encountered in the team; since he played alongside others who were taller than him, Lattin feared that someday the ball would go over his head when it was passed to him. Lattin became less weary of this as he began to build trust amongst his team members. Another …
Interview No. 1652, Togo Railey
Interview No. 1652, Togo Railey
Combined Interviews
Togo Railey discusses his recruitment and experience playing for the Texas Western College basketball team. As a basketball player in Austin High School, he had two influential coaches who influenced his decision to attend Texas Western College. While in high school, he recalls the presence of Texas-Western’s basketball coach, Don Haskins, who actively promoted basketball in El Paso and was always looking for recruits. He discusses his admiration for Coach Haskins who he describes as well mannered, a taskmaster, and basketball enthusiast. Railey also describes his first impressions of the Texas-Western basketball team, who he knew would perform well because …
Interview No. 1650, Eddie Mullens
Interview No. 1650, Eddie Mullens
Combined Interviews
Eddie Mullens describes his career as a publicity director for the Texas Western College basketball team. When Coach Don Haskins first invited him to the campus, George McCarty, the athletic director, offered him a job. Mullens did not take the job at first due to the low pay, until he was called back days later with the offer of a higher salary. He believed Texas Western had a great team but did not foresee that it would make it to the national competition. Mullens is credited with giving nicknames to the team members such as Jim Barnes who he called …
Interview No. 1651, Richard Myers
Interview No. 1651, Richard Myers
Combined Interviews
Richard Myers discusses his background and experience playing for the Texas Western College basketball team that won the 1966 NCAA championship. As a native of Kansas, he discusses his optimistic first impressions of El Paso, coach Haskins, and his team. While his team attained notoriety for having five all-star African American players, Myers notes that their placement was due to their abilities, not because of their skin color. The media was responsible for placing such a heavy emphasis on his teammates’ skin color as the season progressed. He maintains that his team was not racially discriminated against as they travelled. …
Interview No. 1653, Nevil Shed
Interview No. 1653, Nevil Shed
Combined Interviews
Nevil Shed discusses his experience playing for the Texas Western College basketball team. He discusses his initial prospects of working in the fast food industry but then decided it was not a career path he wanted to follow. Shed was recruited into Texas Western College basketball team thanks to a recommendation made by a former player of the team who recommended him to Coach Don Haskins. He then describes his first impressions of El Paso, its mountains, and its friendly atmosphere. Unlike other college campuses, he enjoyed that people talked to him to ask how he was doing. Coach Haskins …
Interview No. 1649, Jean H. Miculka
Interview No. 1649, Jean H. Miculka
Combined Interviews
Jean H. Miculka begins by describing how he attained his job as an assistant coach for the Texas Western College basketball team. He describes his first impressions of the team as promising since the freshmen consistently beat the varsity students. As a coach, he confronted various challenges that emerged as Texas Western gained notoriety; they confronted various teams who placed all their efforts in trying to defeat them. Nevertheless, it was his team’s ability to score points and to cripple the others’ defense that overcame this challenge. He never felt discrimination whenever his team played against others from the Southwest …
Interview No. 1645, Don Haskins
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. 1641, Jerry Armstrong
Interview No. 1641, Jerry Armstrong
Combined Interviews
Mr. Armstrong briefly explains how he got recruited from high school to play basketball for Coach Don Haskins; he explains that his desire to leave Missouri was to see a different part of the country; he describes the campus, climate, and friendliness of locals in El Paso and Texas Western College. Mr. Armstrong describes Don Haskins personality on and off the court as demanding but fair; he describes the 1965-66 team as very good and confident; he mentions how teams in the western U.S. did not receive the same coverage as eastern college teams at the time. Mr. Armstrong recounts …