Claire Geddes (interview); Creator: Geddes, Claire; Interviewer(s): John Denault and Gloria Barna; Interview location: Geddes' home; Running time: 40 min., Apr 30, 1991

Coverage: 1940s-1991
Topics discussed : (side A): Background (at WestConn); began in physical education as an assistant professor; spent most of her time at WestConn as Dean of Women; Background; grew up in New Haven; always wanted to be a teacher; went to Arnold College; later went to New College at Columbia; got her Master's at Michigan; Dean of Women; appointed to role after Dr. Haas became president in 1946; moved into Fairfield Hall; she became the dean shortly after she came to the college; Men at WestConn; began to come back after the war; Al Geddes came back and became Dean of Men; Al Geddes; worked together for eleven years before they "discovered" each other; he had been at Western before the WW II; Role as an Administrator; Changes at WestConn; college always tried to maintain standards; Views of the 1960s; events of the era came to campus later and they were prepared for them; Campus life; Dr. Haas got along well w/ everyone; family atmosphere; Dr. Haas; had an open door policy; Football; her physical education background, but had her reservations; the fieldhouse has always been talked about, but never built; Dr. Burton Cook was the man who really wanted it; Dr. Cook felt it would attract more attention to the college; Dr. Haas wasn't thrilled about it; Union at WestConn; before the Union, she would come to campus in summer and do work and wasn't paid for it; Family; she and Al Geddes have been married for over 30 years; didn't have children; took care of their parents; Life after WestConn; has traveled a lot since retiring; Dorm life; originally one dorm (Fairfield Hall) and only girls; ate their meals in dorm; had curfews they had to follow; men weren't allowed above the first floor in Fairfield Hall; "Do; Day"; occurred generally in the spring; skits were always done (this evolved into the Sing and Skit Nights); Interim Program; students did work in the area during the intersession (four week plan); all students had to participate in some life experience program; Outside experiences; most teachers in the area were graduates from the college; Teacher's College to Liberal Arts; originally an elementary education college, but then brought in secondary; music education became the specialty of WestConn; nursing came later as did other majors; Hatting industry; Danbury was primarily hatting when she first came; Land for the campus; never enough land; had to fight for the land for both Litchfield and Newbury; were fortunate to get the high school; Quonset Huts; instituted during "Do; Day"; Union began as she was retiring; Student government; was originally called CGA (Cooperative Government Association); comprised of both faculty and students, dues were paid by all members; later split into the faculty senate and SGA; Health Service; originally one nurse and a doctor on call