Oral History Commons^™

Interview No. 1484, Sylvia Martinez

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Sylvia Martinez, her then husband and his brother decided to start inhome healthcare support business to assist families in El Paso. The business is called Altomar and is located in El Paso, Texas. Their business provided help for families dealing with special needs children. Altomar is a woman-owned certified as well as minority certified business. Sylvia also owns Altomar New Mexico and just started Altomar Medical Equipment Company that provides medical equipment. Sylvia is a member of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Altomar is able to help the El Paso community was …

Interview No. 1483, Edith Morales

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Edith Morales was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Ciudad Juárez, México as well. Edith attended The University of Texas at Dallas. She began working at a company called Daisy Tech in Plano, Texas eventually running their Latin America division in Miami, Florida and in México City, México. After twelve years of working for that company, the company went out of business. Edith started Printek Supplies Inc. in Miami. In 2005 while visiting family in El Paso, Edith and her husband decided to move their company and family back to El Paso. Edith belongs to the Greater …

Interview No. 1482, Carlos Guzman

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Carlos Guzman was born and raised in Puerto Rico and lived in there until he joined the United States Army. Prior to joining the military, Carlos obtained his Bachelor degree from the University of Puerto Rico in biology and chemistry. While in the military, Carlos served as an officer and served in Iraq from 2004 until 2005. Upon returning from Iraq, Carlos began to pursue his M.A. in computer resource management. It was during this time that Carlos met Larry Walter and the two became interested in biofuel technology after a discussion on biofuel. Carlos began investigating what it would …

Interview No. 1481, Armando Reyes

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

When Armando was a 12 years old, he began accompanying his father to work at Alejandro’s Plumbing Company. When Armando was a teenager, he worked for that company as well. Armando Reyes graduated from Jefferson High School in 1965 and worked for Pacific Food Express after graduation. Once the job ended, Armando and four friends left for California to find work. He was able to find work in California that paid well but eventually Armando returned to El Paso. When he returned, Armando attended El Paso Community College and worked with his brother Julian at an air conditioning company called …

Interview No. 1480, Gonzalo Rangel

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Gonzalo began working at the age of 13 in a parking lot off of Wyoming St. in El Paso, Texas. The parking lot was owned by Bud Fischer and Gonzalo would park cars and clean them to earn money. By the time he was 15 years old, Gonzalo was able to purchase a 1938 Chevrolet. During high school, Gonzalo and his girlfriend had a baby and got married and Gonzalo left school to work to support his family. He briefly worked at Sanker Plumbing before leaving to work at Bray's Washing Machine to support his new family. Though his father …

Interview No. 1479, Robert Navarro

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Robert Navarro was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and attended school in El Paso. After Robert graduated from high school, he attended Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas and graduated in 1961 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He entered the United States Army via the ROTC program for two years. After the Army, Robert attended New Mexico State University and received his Masters in Structural Engineering. During his time as a graduate student, Robert worked for A.B. Peinado and Sons. After graduating, he continued to work for that company. A.B. Peinado and Sons got into land …

Interview No. 1478, Robert Wingo

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Robert Wingo was born in Columbus, Ohio but spent the majority of his life in El Paso, Texas. Robert attended elementary and high school in El Paso. After graduating from high school, Robert was drafted into the Vietnam War. After the serving his time in the Vietnam War, Robert attended The University of Texas at El Paso and in 1973 he got his BBA in Marketing. While attending UTEP, Robert worked for BDM Corporation on Fort Bliss. After graduating, Robert started working for Billy the Kid and ended up as the VP of Advertising. In 1983, the company was sold …

Interview No. 1505, Nan Napier

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Tres Mariposas was started by three women in El Paso, Texas and after a time, only one of the women owned the dress shop. This woman, Betty Bowman (Young) sold the business to her husband, Sam Young Jr. Sam was a client of Frank Napier and he then sold Tres Mariposas to Frank Napier. Frank Napier’s wife, Isabel Napier ran the store for a while until they presented their son, Charles and his wife Nan with the opportunity to run the store. Nan ran the store by herself until her two children were born and then her husband joined her. …

Interview No. 1477, Adam Nieto

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

From the age of 12 until he was 15 years old, Adam Nieto worked a paper route to earn extra money for his family. After high school, Adam left El Paso for Los Angeles for two years to work, however in 1965, the draft system caught up with Adam and at the age of 21, he was drafted by the United States Army into the Vietnam War. In 1967, after his time in the military, Adam enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso and spent four years working on his B.A. in Education. Adam was able to use …

Interview No. 1477, Adam Nieto

Combined Interviews

From the age of 12 until he was 15 years old, Adam Nieto worked a paper route to earn extra money for his family. After high school, Adam left El Paso for Los Angeles for two years to work, however in 1965, the draft system caught up with Adam and at the age of 21, he was drafted by the United States Army into the Vietnam War. In 1967, after his time in the military, Adam enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso and spent four years working on his B.A. in Education. Adam was able to use …

Interview No. 1504, John Romero

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

John Romero got his start in his father’s tax preparation office when he was in the 7th grade. By the age of 14, John and his other siblings would assist their father with tax return preparation. After graduating from Cathedral High School, John worked at a Safeway grocery store, working his way up to different positions within the store. During this time, John and his siblings continued to help their father at his tax business during tax season from January until April. John would work at Safeway, then work at the commissary part time and attend The University of Texas …

Interview No. 1503, Carlos Eduardo Casillas

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Carlos attended school in the United States while living in México with his family and at the age of 19, his father decided to move the family to the United States permanently. Carlos Sr. owned a transportation business and Carlos would tinker with the bus ticket machines. His fascination with computers grew and he got a degree in computer science. After college Carlos worked for his father some more before starting his own company, Icon Technologies. Icon Technologies went dormant and Carlos along with his business partner Ruben Ramirez started E.R. Computer Doctors in 2002. At E.R. Computer Doctors, Carlos …

Ua94/6/5 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Edgar Stansbury, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Edgar Stansbury.

“I’Ve Got A Million Of These Stories”: Workers’ Perspectives At The Eastern Fine Paper Corporation, 1960-2004, Amy Stevens

Maine History

Maine’s modern history is punctuated by factory closings — the textile mills in the 1950's, the shoe factories in the 1980's and 1990's, and most recently the paper mills in various corners of the state. Although numerous studies document the economic impact of these unfortunate events, we have little recourse to understanding the human impact — the stories of the men and women whose lives were so closely entwined with the mills and the communities they so often founded and supported. In this article, Amy Stevens weaves together the documents and the stories that provide a multifaceted picture of the …

Interview Of Robert S. Lyons, Jr., Robert S. Lyons Jr., Christina Becker

All Oral Histories

Robert S. Lyons, Jr. (1939-2013) graduated from La Salle College in 1961. The following is his obituary from McGhee Funeral Home:

"Robert S. Lyons, Jr., of Upper Southampton, died Wednesday, June 5, 2013. He was 73. Born June 29, 1939, in Philadelphia, PA, Bob was the son of the late Robert and Catharine Lyons. Bob is survived by his; beloved wife Joan M. Lyons (nee Lang); children, Joanne Jenkins (Ken), Robert P., M.D. (Renee), Richard (Leanne), David (Julie), and Gregory. He will also be missed by his 11 grandchildren. Bob Lyons, the author of Palestra Pandemonium: A History of the …

Interview Of James Szczur, James Szczur, Christopher Spaman

All Oral Histories

Mr. James Michael Szczur was born in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, PA in 1947. He grew up in close proximity to both his grandparents. He was an only child of his parents, who were also born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Jim, as he was asked to be called during the interview, attended Catholic grammar and high school in Philadelphia. Upon completion of high school, he attended seminary for about 2 years in western PA. He left the seminary and returned home when his father suffered a heart attack. He was drafted into the army in 1968 during the …

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 …

Ua94/6/1 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Western Kentucky University Small Collections, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Small collections of personal papers and oral histories relating to the Western Kentucky University.

Ua37/21 Faculty Personal Papers William Jenkins, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Documents relating to the life and achievements of William Jenkins. The series contains biographical and professional data.

Interview Of Daniel Burke F.S.C., Ph.D., Daniel Burke F.S.C., Ph.D., Christopher A. Thompson

All Oral Histories

Interview with Brother Daniel Burke FSC. Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1926, Brother Daniel, an Irish-American, went to an all Italian grade school where he emerged as an art student and class valedictorian. His father fought in World War I and survived. After the war, Brother Daniel’s father, also Daniel Burke, was a automobile sales and repair man, then worked on the staff of the Registrar of Wills, Allegheny County, PA. His mother worked at the newspaper, the Pittsburgh Press during the depression. Brother Daniel went to high school at La Salle Hall in Ammendale Maryland, and College at Catholic …

Interview Of Marianne S. Gauss, M.B.A., Marianne S. Gauss, James Brightman

All Oral Histories

From the university website (11/19/13):

Professor Gauss has been a member of La Salle University’s faculty for over 20 years. Her primary responsibility has been teaching Strategic Management, International Management, Presentation Skills for Business, and Introductory and Intermediate Statistics. Additionally, she teaches in the MBA program and in an executive MBA program in Basel, Switzerland. She has won the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching and the University’s Faculty Distinguished Service Award.

Professor Gauss’ prior commercial banking experience, as both an internal auditor and financial analyst, has been redirected in a voluntary role to a local credit union. She was a …

Interview Of Gerald Fitzgerald, F.S.C., M.A., M.B.A., Gerald Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Dewald

All Oral Histories

Br. Fitzgerald became a Christian Brother in 1965, graduated from La Salle College in 1970 with a degree in accounting and became a high school teacher. He returned to La Salle for his MBA in 1978-81. He served as Director of Admissions at La Salle.

From the La Salle University website (12/2/2013):

Accounting Professor Brother Gerald Fitzgerald, F.S.C., received his B.S. in Accounting from La Salle University, a M.A. in Psychology from Villanova University, and a MBA from La Salle University. He serves on the Board of Trustees and on the Finance Committee for the San Miguel School, Camden, NJ. …

Ua37/30/2 Wku Research Notecards - B Topics, Lowell Harrison

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Notecards created by Lowell Harrison while researching his book Western Kentucky University. The cards transcribed below are for 197 topics beginning with B ranging from BUWKY to Business-Government Department.

Ua37/30/2 Wku Research Notecards - A Topics, Lowell Harrison

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Notecards created by Lowell Harrison while researching his book Western Kentucky University. The cards transcribed below are for 170 topics beginning with A ranging from AAUP to Awards.

Ua37/30/2 Wku Research Notecards - U-V Topics, Lowell Harrison

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Notecards created by Lowell Harrison while researching his book Western Kentucky University. The cards transcribed below are for 55 topics beginning with U & V ranging from Underground Papers to Voting - Regents.

Ua37/30/2 Wku Research Notecards - C Topics, Lowell Harrison

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Notecards created by Lowell Harrison while researching his book Western Kentucky University. The cards transcribed below are for 429 topics beginning with C ranging from Cabell Hall to Cuthbertson, Sterrett.

Ua37/5/5 Dero Downing & Kelly Thompson Interview, Harvey Gardiner, Dero Downing, Kelly Thompson

WKU Archives Records

Oral history conducted by Harvey Gardiner with Dero Downing and Kelly Thompson regarding E.A. Diddle.

Ua37/5/1 E.A. Diddle Speech, E. A. Diddle

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Audiotape of comments made by E.A. Diddle at unidentified event.

Oral History Interview: Frank Brooks, Frank Brooks

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Frank Brooks was born in Fayette County, WV, but grew up in Carter County, KY, in the early 1900s. He attended a one room school house through the third grade. Mr. Brooks began working in coal mines with his father in Borderland, WV, when he was 13 years old. In the audio clip provided, he discusses his first time in a coal mine. He focuses on how he tried to appear bigger than he was in order to be able to work. In his interview, Mr. Brooks compares and contrasts the labor conditions in the mines before and after unionization. …

Ua37/5/4 E.A. Diddle Interview, Robert Cochran, E. A. Diddle

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bob Cochran interview of E.A. Diddle.