The Blue Devil
1 issue
88th Infantry Division newspaper
1945-07-06
ms026_os7_blueDevil_1945_07
History of Education in Ridgefield, Connecticut,1723 - 1867
47 pgs
The town of Ridgefield, which was purchased from indigenous peoples in September 1708, is in the southwestern part of Connecticut. It is bordered on the north by Danbury, the south by Wilton, the east by New York State, and the west by Redding and Danbury. The first town records of Ridgefield are in 1721 at a town meeting where various roads were discussed. Shortly thereafter, according to a town meeting in 1723, a town school was established. This short span of time between the settlement of the town and the establishment of a school seems to show the importance placed on education
by the founding fathers of this New England town. This first public school was the foundation of a rapidly growing school system. Within 150 years, Ridgefield had expanded its school system to include fourteen public school districts. This paper is intended to show the development of education in Ridgefield as an example of educational expansion in many Connecticut towns
1966
ms026_40_30
"Bravery Wins a Commission"
1 clipping
Article announcing Warner's promotion to lieutenant in August of 1944
1944-09-08
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Correspondence regarding definition of term "Non-Western" culture.
~34 pgs
Warner's thoughts and related documents to the "non-western" cultures moniker for the History Department.
1989
Dedication of Truman A. Warner Hall
2 pgs
A remembrance of by former Dean of Arts and Science James Pegolotti of Truman A. Warner. Delivered, 10/27/2000
2000
Warner's WW II - 88th Infantry in U. S. clippings, etc.
~10 pgs, mixed materials
Newspaper clippings regarding Warner and the 88th Infantry Division (Blue Devils). Includes letter to Gen. James Fry regarding his book about WWII, and Warner's notes presumably about his movements in Italy.
1943-1968
Truman Warner World War II Letters
~420 letters; transcribed
Warner was a medic during WWII. He served in North Africa, Italy, and France. Letters were transcribed and annotated by Dr. Ed Hagan in 2018.
1942-1945
Truman Warner Interview
2 cassettes (90 min, 60 min stock), ~120 mins
Interview generally about the history of WestConn.
1991-04-25
00-10 mins:
(tape 1;side A): Changes in students; as a student, it was a teacher's college; there was a certain appearance you needed to have (ties, suits, etc.); expectations of teachers had to be met; graduating class was small; Old Main; everything was in there (classrooms, gyms, library, etc.); White Hall; was Danbury High School; Fairfield Hall; only dorm; Had excellent teaching opportunities at DSTC; Many teachers had come from the New School; it was part of Columbia University; DSTC size; faculty knew everybody; better ratio of students to teachers than now; Influx of men; brought in several different backgrounds (like sciences); students were all exposed to different types of classes; Arts; Atmosphere; small college brought more unity; Time in army; had letters censored if an enlisted man; people would comment on his letters and the detail he used;
10-20 mins:
Credits this to exposure he had at DSTC to variety of courses; Expectations; expected teachers should have some knowledge of variety of things; didn't have status Yale did, but gave exposure to students nonetheless; Lab Schools; used Balmforth, Locust, and other schools; Roberts Ave wasn't around at the time he was a student; Balmforth and Locus Ave. Lab Schools; Mill Plain and Miry Brook Schools; Education process; began freshman year w/ observation and by senior year, students had been exposed to the teaching field; Other State Teacher's Colleges; all but Western have moved from their original location; Time at DSTC; started in 1937 and graduated in 1941; came back in 1958 as director of admissions; Background; had his Master's from Columbia (later Ph. D from same place); had been teaching high school Briarcliff Manor, NY; Director of Admissions; DSTC needed some to take care of admissions and recruitment; before entrance, all students had to be interviewed; he had to make the arrangements for this; Interview process; asked about their high school, etc.; meant to see what type of student they were;
20-30 mins:
Intersession off campus experience; expected by all students to do some work outside during intersession; faculty would visit them to see what they were doing; worked into students schedules; provided many opportunities for the students; DSTC as a progressive school; ideas of John Dewey; more hands; on activities; Botany and use of Squantz Pond as a lab a project of the CCC (New Deal organization); went on field trips; Geology department; the demise of the department; believes it was based on matters other than motivations; perhaps antipathy towards Dr. Groff leads to it as well as politics;
30-40 mins:
State's role; cost for students was minimal ($15 per semester when he went); it was an opportunity for an education the state provided students; Choice of college; couldn't afford to go to Yale; told about possible scholarship late (hadn't taken college boards yet); Higher education; things have changed; greater need for money; war came and influenced things; additional buildings; Dr. Lathrop Higgins; former head of school; created a portable science lab; Higgins Hall named for him; extremely interested in science; Inflation; CT reputation on higher education; is poor, ranks in bottom of the 50 states; outside Normal Schools, CT never gave much to higher education;
40-50 mins:
Not a high priority of teacher education; Yale and Trinity were trade schools in the beginning essentially - to be ministers. Expectation of professors and teachers; getting published; getting a job out of school; WestConn has focussed on teaching; Tenure process; Howard Durgy custodian; was here for years; longest employed person in state for a long time.
(tape 1;side B):
00-10 mins:
Student attitudes; less selectivity; change in attitude in students in school to basically get a job; most aren't here to get an education; past education of students plays role in how they view higher education; Special programs; developed to attract more students; Basic studies; there have been many who have become great students; some have gone on to get Master's and doctorates; hates to generalize type of students; Course development; likes to combine courses; Dedication of students; Change in technology, w/ emphasis on learning from television, has had an affect on way students learn;
10-20 mins:
Reading something stays w/ you longer than seeing it on television; television has altered generations; many students today don't want to learn; TV has altered generations; How do you counteract the entertainment of TV; Athletes and students; some students are just coming to college to play sports; Changes in Social Science department; There weren't departments in the beginning of the college; had someone who specialized in these areas to teach classes; the concentrations have become highly specialized; number of students have had an effect on program; Every senior had to write a final history paper; Tom West; a judge in Danbury; Lynn Taborsak;
20-30 mins:
Some students wrote a great papers; Change of curriculum; core requirements; number have had effect on requirements to be met by students; Major requirements; determined by committees; Should focus on outcomes; believes often come from a priority some people have; Choose objectives; Justify areas of study; Geology department demise;
30-40 mins:
Wouldn't let Geology dept. get equipment; Groff resigned; Barbara Obeda carried on geology courses for a while; invited to join social science department, higher up wouldn't allow it; Departments may suffer from political pressures; There has been some vindictiveness in the administration; Campus causes; Panty raid; Overall students haven't been very active as a group; individually many have been active and vocal; 1960s riots didn't occur at WestConn, but spillover was felt in terms of dress and attitude; Dr. Haas; felt strongly about how people should carry themselves; women shouldn't wear slacks; She had to bend;
40-50 mins:
Streaking; was seen on campus a little bit; Minorities at WestConn; few in numbers; not done on purpose; I'm sure there were prejudice among students; hard to attract minorities; Didn't feel there was prejudice in admissions; Columbia Students different in the 1960s - Music students; Alcohol and drug abuse; not a major problem at WestConn, but it does go on; a major problem throughout the country
(tape 2;side A): Prejudice on campus; doesn't believe it is a major problem on campus; believes it goes both ways; Gay community; quiet community; only contact w/ them is when a student approaches him w/ problems; Women's groups; Working students; many are working too much for their own benefit; high school students are similar in terms of working too much; Lack of involvement; those who have least involvement are quickest to complain, this includes faculty and students; last SGA election had only 250 people voting; more people need to get involved, vote, etc.
Candid shots of Truman Warner
11 images
Images of Warner in Cape Cod, at home and on campus
1980s-1990s
A.E.F. Fun & Facts
4.25" x 5.5" booklet. 32 unnumbered pages ; 15 cm
Booklet written for disabled or unemployed World War I veterans to sell; "written on its own merits in order to provide income for veterans."
[1931?]