Oral Histories

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Olin Robison, Middlebury College President and faculty member. Robison was interviewed by Alison Kirk at Old Chapel. President Robison's role as college president for 15 years; considered a "change agent" (04:37); Pivotal improvement in perception of college as a more confident institution. Promotes the college to encourage a strong international perspective. Goal was to make the college the best liberal arts college in nation (11:09); College becomes an...

Scope and Contents

1 audio cassette tape containing interview with Herbert Duncan Rollason, Jr., Middlebury College Class of 1939. During the interview, Rollason discusses President Moody's influence; the influence of his family and the idea of a co-educational college on his decision to go to Middlebury; the biology program at Middlebury; fraternity rush; dating at Middlebury; relationships with the College President and faculty members; and changes at Middlebury.

Scope and Contents

1 interview with Jim Ross, Class of 1951 and Middlebury College Business Manager. During the interview, Ross discusses the role of a business manager at a small college, the relationship between Middlebury College and the town of Middlebury, Vermont, as well as the College's physical expansion.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Ronald Rucker, Middlebury College Librarian, conducted by Bob Buckeye.Librarian for 25 years, started in 1976 (00:24); Work comparison between 1976 and 2001 (02:35); virtual libraries (03:38); position more administrative and managerial (04:45); orientation towards national organizations to connect to larger world (06:48); Farmington plan (07:32); technology automation in 1980s (08:30); OCLC plays enormous role. Changing times made library's task difficult. Aided...

Scope and Contents

In this oral history interview, Miguel Sanchez-Totoledo, Class of 2023, discusses the stress of election day, watching elections results come in, visiting the Snow Bowl, supporting Joe Biden, hopes for the future, and professors relaxing requirements during election week.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Gerard Schneilin, Professor of German at the German School. He discussed the Middlebury community; enrollment; teaching German; teaching in France; isolation of SLS; shortcomings of the program; graduate student; lack of funding for the language schools; lacking facilities; change of curriculum over time; teaching civilization; American German relations; how to teach culture; combining language teaching and economics; German society; study abroad; and the intergrated...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Charles P. Scott, Professor of Religion and Chaplain at Middlebury College, conducted by Alison Kirk.College chaplain from 1951-1986. College gave title "Chaplain Emeritus." taught religion courses. Traveled off-campus to alumni events as urged by President Armstrong. (17:29); began teaching biblical courses Spring, 1951. Hired popular, "phenomenal" part-time professor 1954, Marion "Tink" Shows; untimely death, 1959 (20:05); 1966 President Armstrong had faculty...

Scope and Contents

In this oral history interview, Amelia Seepersaud, Class of 2024, discusses feelings on Election Day, feelings about the election, concern for family members in New York City, experiencing the election in Vermont, the targeting of students of color at Middlebury in 2016, Halloween, a Geology Professor's feelings about the election, classes, Food Studies, supporting Joe Biden, playing in the snow, how COVID-19 has affected student life, and hopes for the rest of the Fall 2020 semester.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Abigail "Abby" (Class of 1971) and William K. Sessions (Class of 1969). During the interview they discuss what brought them to Middlebury; the transition from strict rules to an open campus during the late 1960s; political activism during the 1960s; involvement with the Middlebury community; Neighborhood Youth Corps; Addison County Youth Services; Bill's work as a Public Defender; student social life; Bill's legal career; trip to Russia with Justice Dooley; political...

Scope and Contents Oral history interview with Dutton Smith, Class of 1951, conducted by Tom Alderman. Veteran of World War II, GI bill, V-12 program (00:32); war experience, atomic bomb (00:48); post war (2:45); Vermont Academy (3:40); Middlebury College (5:13); housing shortage (6:30); veterans student (8:48); President Stratton (9:57); class of 1951 (11:30); Addison Independent employee (11:39); engineer at Simmond's (12:00); Professor Volgert - Drama (12:10); Carol Rikert, built professors...

Scope and Contents 1 oral history interview with David Kingsbury Smith (Class of 1942) conducted by David Stameshkin on March 10, 1975. Arrives at Middlebury on scholarship in 1938 (00:35); Secondary education in 1930s (01:30); President Moody (02:36): Dean Ross in 1943 gives permission for David's wife to marry him (04:30); Dean Elizabeth Kelly (07:00); 1938 class size, Influence of President Moody and Dean Ross (09:00); Harry Fife (10:40); Waldo Hendrich (11:18); Moody during World War II...

Scope and Contents 1 oral history interview with David Kingsbury Smith (Class of 1942).Grew up in Pittsford Vermont (00:20); Great depression (:53); bank holiday (3:17); Middlebury College 1938 (6:30); schloarship and tuition (6:43); finding work during college/depression years (9:58); commencement 1942, World War II (13:32); army reserve in general terms 1943 (14:23); V-12 navy unit at Middlebury (14:40); daily chapel in Mead (16:27); Veterans of World War II coming as students after the war...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with M. Kimberly Sparks, Middlebury College Professor of German. During the interview, Sparks discusses his educational background; his first year at Middlebury (1966-1967) as part of the "Princeton mafia"; his role as Chair of the German Department; the study of language; publications; his teaching style; the use of media; professorships; administrative roles; his time overseas and at the summer schools; the administrations of Presidents Armstrong and Robison; the selection...

Scope and Contents

Interview with Carol Spooner (Class of 1950) by Middlebury College Archivist, Danielle Rougeau. During the interview, Spooner discusses the status of women on campus, black students at Middlebury, athletics, student life, changes at Middlebury, dating on campus, chaperones, classes, professors, and auditing.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Evelyn Wheeler Stagg, Middlebury College Class of 1939, by Natalie Norman. During the interview, Stagg discusses being born in Vermont; the English major; the president of the women's college; the attitude towards Vermont students at Middlebury; Vermont education; state legislature; issues of communications in politics and education; the problem of trustee power; her dislike of President Stratton; semantics; finding work during the Depression; definitions of progress;...

Scope and Contents

In this oral history interview, Alex Stimpson, Class of 2023, discusses watching election results come in on Election Day, news reporting on Election Day, and hopes for the rest of the Fall 2020 semester.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Marjorie Burditt Striker, Middlebury College Class of 1940, with Joice Pangalila. During the interview, Striker discusses a French teacher who influenced her decision to apply to Middlebury; academic programs at Middlebury; English literature major; hiking at Lake Dunmore; teaching English after graduation; cars on campus; student government; Women's college at Middlebury; fraternities; dating; student activities; town-gown relations; jobs on campus; sorority;...

Scope and Contents 1 oral history interview with Jessica Swift conducted by David Stameshkin in 1975. (0:55) When Middlebury first started accepting women; (1:55) Discusses if she ever contemplated attending Middlebury College while growing up in Middlebury; (2:15) Middlebury's early transition to becoming a coeducational institution; (2:50) Professor Howard; (3:30) Discusses her father, who had a hisory at the college; (8:55) How students supplemented their funds to attend Middlebury,...

Scope and Contents

1 interview with Roth W. Tall, Jr. (Class of 1965). Interviewed by Deborah Clifford, Roth Tall discusses civil rights; possible violence on campus; MLK; Malcom X; Kennedy assassination; President Stratton; White christian fraternities exclusion of Blacks and Jews; sororities; volunteer work; athletics; South/north tension; Armstrong's crisis; activism; curfews for women; town gown relations

Scope and Contents

1 interview with Rebecca (Bayless) Theobald, Middlebury College Class of 1984. The interview was conducted over Reunion Weekend. Theobald discusses coming to Middlebury as a freshman; faculty influences including Murray Dry and Professor Berninghausen; breakfast with Pardon Tillinghast; student social life; study abroad; life after Middlebury; working for President Robison; the Dalai Lama's first visit to Middlebury; and closeness with professors at Middlebury.

Scope and Contents 1 audio cassette tape containing interview with Pardon E. Tillinghast, Professor of History.Brown University undergraduate, hired as history professor at Middlebury in 1947, Navy veteran (01:34); colleague called "Sleepy Davis" (03:25); men's campus and women's campus separate (04:10); taught one class in spring, age is 66, loves teaching (06:05) college in 1947 was quiet, he had a small office, did not interact with many colleagues- in 1941 war took away male students (07:23);...

Scope and Contents

1 interview with Pardon E. Tillinghast, Professor of History. During the interview, Tillinghast discusses his teaching philosophy and style, his research interests, and student and faculty diversity at Middlebury.

Scope and Contents

1 interview with George B. Todd, Middlebury College Professor of Music. During the interview, Todd discusses his early years at Middlebury; synclaier and electronic music; changes in the music curriculum; "music awareness" of students; academics at Middlebury; art at Middlebury; and personal views.

Scope and Contents Oral history interview with Susan Tucker, Middlebury College Reference Librarian at Starr Library. Interview was conducted by Bob Buckeye.Middlebury librarian for 25 years (01:07); Assisting patrons, moving from books to computer screens (02:07); Info easier to obtain via web (04:28); function of reference librarian-student questions decreased in last 15 years-peaked in 1980s (08:10); user-friendly software (10:05); collection development big part of job (11:45); need for...

Scope and Contents

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 Madu Udeh, Class of 2021.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Antonio Vitti and Laviosa Mastri, Professors of Italian at the Italian School. They discuss what courses they teach; the structure of the program; the dedication of the faculty; guest speakers; growth of the student; the limitations of the library; student activities; lack of air conditioning; oral proficiency movement; grammar; teaching Italian culture; Italian stereotypes; Italian gender roles; Italian Americans in media; European style of teaching; competition and profit;...

Scope and Contents 1 audio cassette tape containing interview with Erie Volkert, Middlebury College Professor of Drama, conducted by Alison Kirk. First 12 years at college, spent off campus on Weybridge Street (04:06); studied writing as English Literature/Theater major, '35 Lawrence College-assisted for two years -masters degree from Northwestern University, Huron College, South Dakota (04:25); took job at Randolph Macon (04:46); took VT camp job (05:37); assistant professor, 1941, Middlebury...

Scope and Contents

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 Pele Voncujovi, Class of 2019.

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Anatoly Vrhevsky and Bob Channing, Professors of Russian at the Russian School.He discussed the Middlebury community; enrollment; teaching German; teaching in France; isolation of SLS; shortcomings of the program; graduate student; lack of funding for the language schools; lacking facilities; change of curriculum over time; teaching civilization; American German relations; how to teach culture; combining language teaching and economics; German society; study abroad; and...

Scope and Contents 1 interview with Masakazu Watabe, Director of the Japanese School. Watabe discussed how he got the directorship; his duties as director; how he challenges the students; how he hired faculty; faculty turnover; 25th Japanese symposium; Japanese curriculum; the proficiency of the students; category 3 languages; language teaching methods; future jobs for Japanese language school students; graduate students' use of Japanese; the use of technology for Japanese language learning; teaching Japanese...