Oral Histories

Scope and Contents Interview with Mike Heaney '64 and Mill Moore '71, conducted by Fred Stetson '65 with college archivist Danielle Rougeau at Moore's home in Hartland, VT. Heaney and Moore recount their experiences at Middlebury and their military service, with awareness for the similarities but particulalry differences in student social life, ROTC and the realizations surrounding Vietnam and US military involvement. The discussion is nearly 2 hours, and conversation covers rationales for joining the...

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Includes audio files containing brief oral history interviews with students reflecting on the 2020 election. Also includes photographs taken during the interviews, which took place outside of McCullough.

Scope and Contents 1 audio cassette containing interview with Nabil Abdel-Fattah, Professor of Arabic at the Arabic School.Abdel-Fattah discusses how long he has been at Language Schools; why he intially came to SLS (was a TA and his Prof. was at first Arabic program) and why he kept returning (made friendships/the people who come here, occupied his summers, can teach high-level students, etc.); the strengths of SLS (immersive atmosphere); the issues of SLS (immersive atmosphere makes it fell claustrophobic...

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Literatures & Cultures Librarian Katrina Spencer engages members of the community who trace their origins to the broad black diaspora(s) of the world. Here, Spencer interview Marquise Adeleye, Class of 2020.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Mahmoud Al-Batal, Director of the Arabic School.Al-Batal discusses how he came to Middlebury; the duties of a director; the new Arabic curriculum; incorporating culture in language; strengths and weaknesses of SLS; requirements for hiring faculty; turnover of teachers; American perspectives of Arabic culture; media view of "Arab"; Arabic stereotypes; lack of Arabic programs and teachers; graduate internship; teaching different dialects of Arabic; how the Gulf War increased...

Scope and Contents 1 audio cassette tape containing interview with David H. Andrews, Middlebury College Professor of Anthropology. This interview was conducted at David Andrews' home on South Street in Middlebury, Vermont. Andrews discusses how he came to Middlebury; the difference between old and young professors; department divides in the faculty; how he was directly appointed by President Olin Robison; faculty attitudes about President Armstrong; Robert Pickard; linguistics at Middlebury; students study...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with John Thayer Andrews, Middlebury College Professor of Philosophy, by Allison Kirk. Andrews discusses how Middlebury compares to other colleges; how he was hired directly by President Moody; Moody's temperament; Eleanor Ross; faculty life; faculty housing; Professor's salary in the 1930's; World War II; war on drugs; Middlebury during the war; GI benefits; President Stratton; secret faculty vote; political leanings of the faculty; politics; bad student teacher ratio; faculty...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with James I. Armstrong. Former President Armstrong announces his resignation from office to the student body and participates in an interview discussing why Middlebury is ready for change; why the mission statement is at its peak; Middlebury's financial issues; balancing the budget; the endowment; advice for the successor; female candidate for president; sacrificing spending time with students to raise funds; expanding the school with a language building, the new library, and a...

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1 interview with Rosemary Faris Baer, Middlebury College Class of 1934. During the interview, Baer discusses the French major; Professor Stephen Freeman; Depression; sororities and fraternities; Bread Loaf, student apathy; and the spiritual beauty of the country.

Scope and Contents 1 audio cassette containing interview with Aleksandra "Alya" Baker, Professor of Russian at the Russian School. Baker discusses the language pledge; Russian culture; perestroika; Pushkin institute; what kinds of Russians come to Middlebury; how difficult it is for first year students to take Russian; oral proficiency movement; teaching methods; using technology for teaching; propaganda; study abroad in Russia; Russian media; why people take Russian; jobs for Middlebury grads; Former Soviet...

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1 interview with Robert L. Baker, Middlebury College Professor of Russian. During the interview, Baker discusses his thoughts on the 1991 events in the Soviet Union, having just returned to the United States from Moscow.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Brewster Baldwin, Middlebury College Professor of Geology. Brewster discussed his undergrad and graduate experience; how he ended up at Middlebury College; job seeking; President Stratton; the debate over 4 classes a semester; President Armstrong; department budgeting and equipment; the geology department; field work and mapping; senior thesis; geology weekend; course requirements; geology of Vermont; tenure; replacing faculty; how cheap Stratton was with faculty pay; salary...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Donald Ballou, Middlebury College Professor of Mathematics. Ballou discussed why he chose to work at Middlebury; President Moody; how WWII affected the college; absence of men during and after the war; President Stratton; the administration change after Stratton; his experience as department chair; department expansion; unrest under Stratton; introducing a new computer course; National Science Foundation; balancing teaching and research; participating in faculty committees;...

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In this oral history interview, Katie Barton, Class of 2023, discusses the presidential and senate race in North Carolina. Barton also mentions clubs on campus, including the meditation club and a pandemic theater project, that have provided support for students, as well as hopes for the spring semester during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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1 interview with Douglas Stowe Beers, Middlebury College Professor of English. Beers discussed his undergrad and graduate experience at Yale; salary; President Moody; Breadloaf; his experience as head of the acting department; President Stratton; his experience of chairman of the division; staff relations; student social activites; comprehensive exams; chaperoning frat parties; class stories; other job offers; female vs. male students; and Robert Frost.

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1 interview with Edith Cartmell Benedict (Class of 1926) by Deborah Clifford. Edith '26 discusses why she chose Middlebury for two years; living at home off campus; isolation; decline of town gown relations; Eleanor Ross; Middlebury's gender segregation; Home Economics classes; dress code; changes in the new generations of students; Middlebury strictness; and students' bad behavior.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Betsy K. Bennett, Ronald Bielli, William Beckman, Middlebury College Professors of Mathematics. Bennett discussed math courses at Middlebury; what she wanted students to gain from math courses; teaching techniques; course assistants; J-term; senior theses; the future and jobs for math majors; why liberal arts schools are valuable; Middlebury's student-teacher ratio; Bill Beckman; and curriculum changes. Bieli discussed making courses useful for the students; small class...

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1 interview with Mikhail Sleptsov translated by Tom Bayer.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Eleanor Berry, Class of 1932. Static starts at 15 - 22 minutes and throughout the interview. Berry discusses how she was accepted into Middlebury; restrictions on women; student organizations; foreign language department; French; Chateau; Greek; Theatre; Dr. Cook; the English department; guest speakers; President Moody; Eleanor Ross; Board of Trustees; Forest Hall; the Great Depression; World War II; President Stratton's drinking problem; student social life; fraternities;...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Leslie Cole Bigelow, Middlebury College Professor of Philosophy. Bigelow discussed how he chose Middlebury; his graduate career; how he chose philosophy; philosophy; his experience in the Army in the 1940s; his low salary; his relationship with faculty; compulsory chapel; faculty attitudes towards the administration; how President Stratton ran Middlebury like a company; battle over relevant majors; women applicants; class size; isolation of Middlebury; John Andrews; and how...

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1 interview with Eleanor S. (Bliss) Heurtley, Class of 1959, by Natalie Norman. During the interview, Heurtley discusses the chemistry major; family legacy; women at college; sororities; the relationship between Middlebury College and the town of Middlebury, Vermont; political passivity; the status of women; single parenting; alumni activities; and changes at the College.

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Oral history interview with Ella Bode, Class of 2024. In the interview Bode discusses supporting Joe Biden, voting absentee in North Carolina, and plans for the day.

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1 interview with Terrill "Terry" Bouricius, Middlebury College Class of 1976. During the interview, Bouricius discusses why he chose Middlebury; his interest in foreign language; political science; music; his study of Russian; dance; student social life; academic work as a student; political activism; the link between academics and his political career; relationships with faculty members; class reunion; food co-op; and his political career.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with John G. Bowker, Professor of Mathematics, conducted by David Stameshkin at 14 Aidrondack View, Middlebury (Bowker's home). Bowker discusses President Thomas; Dwayne Robinson; President Stratton; fund raising; athletics; Hamlin Hall; Tea time tavern; President Hamlin; expanding the Fine Arts programs; mathematics courses; mathematics curriculum changes; Foreign Language Study; President Moody; Storrs Lee; Steve Freeman; Board of Trustees; military training on campus; draft...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Walter E. Brooker (Class of 1937) conducted by David Stameshkin in Brooker's office. Brooker discusses meeting Charles A. Dana; Stratton's retirement; President Armstrong; Sunderland; grants; language schools; Dana auditorium; scholarships; facilities; field house; Dana foundation; Dana Scholarship program; Dana Corporation; Justin Ricker; trustees; House in the Pines; Pittsburgh Community Trust; mountains; Sarah Larson; Library; competiton for grants; professorship for...

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1 interview with Walter E. Brooker.Brooker discusses President Stratton; fundraising; living with his family in Vermont; the annual fund; salaries; Dartmouth; President Armstrong; shy personality of Stratton; trustees; ROTC; financial aid office; alumni events; what he likes about his job; advances in technology; and marketing.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Kristen Brustad and Lijana Elveskog, Professors of Arabic at the Arabic School. Brustad and Lijana dicusse when they started working at Middlebury; the closeness of the faculty; quality of the students; why she likes working here; lacking facilities; introducing colloquial arabic; Arabic school events and activities; study abroad; scholarships for graduate students; Arabic school enrollment; Egyptian culture; symposium of 1992; teaching techniques; standardized tests; lack...

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1 interview with Christopher Cairns, Professor of Italian at the Italian School.Cairs discusses the intensity of the program; Italian school faculty; theatre; teaching culture through literature, art, film and media; teaching historical and social context; publicity of Middlebury SLS; difference between British foreign language instruction and Middlebury instruction; teaching methods; and directing theatre production.

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1 interview with Pierina B. Castiglione, Associate Professor of Italian. During the interview, Castiglione discusses her experiences in the Italian Summer School and the Italian department, her time as founder and editor of "Il Giornalino," a journal of Italian language instruction. Castiglione also briefly speaks on gender inequality.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Salvatore J. Castiglione, Middlebury College Professor of Italian. Castiglione discusses when he started teaching at Middlebury; being director of the Italian school; Georgetown; Fullbright grant; his wife's teaching career; Yale; language schools; language pledge; Italian school in Florence; President Stratton; Mr. Freeman; the school in Mainz; faculty student relations; DML; dissertations; achievements of the Italian school; establishing the Italian major; commencement;...