Dr. Jonathan Greenwald (interview); Creator: Greenwald, Dr. Jonathan ; Interviewer(s): Dave Bender and Hank Saver; Interview location: Midtown campus; Running time: 50 min., ca.Jun 18, 1905

Coverage: 1959-1990s
Topics discussed : (side A): Beginning at WestConn; part; time summer of 1959; full; time starting fall of 1959; retired at age 70 because of state mandate; Why WestConn; needed a job and knew someone here; they recommended Dr. Haas and the college; Rhode Island School of Design; a private institution; worked there before WestConn as a department chair; political problems led to him leave; WestConn; when he came, the school was still a teacher training school; had just changed name to Danbury State College; transition to becoming a liberal arts college; Liberal Arts program; helped build it; was chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies (later Humanistic Studies and Philosophy) from 1962; 1978; Changes; in beginning all students were going into education; prior to WestConn, never taught an education class before; Curriculum change; once he started the interdisciplinary studies department, only taught in it; school became divided by the various different departments; Student body; changed gradually; small, primarily education in beginning; larger, various different majors (business and criminal justice popular); Campus changes; just Old Main, Higgins Hall, and Berkshire Hall when he started; still had the Quonset Huts; White Hall was still Danbury high school; library was on top floor of Old Main; Library; had recommended to Dr. Haas that they hire an architect who specialized in designing college/university libraries to survey the campus; Dr. Haas said it couldn't be done; what they got was not good; Dr. Haas; considerable force w/ open door policy; feels politics got the other state college consideration before WestConn primarily because the other 3 had male presidents; Westside; Dr. Haas got an age extension for years to keep working on it; Dr. Bersi came from California and got money from businesses; Ancell school named for such an individual who gave money; Student/faculty relationship; believed it was always good and was warm and never stand; offish; "Nature of Man"; required by all students; took two classes each year first two years and one class each last two; first year was devoted to looking at man as a creature in nature, second was man in art, third was man in society, and fourth man and philosophy; later as each department expanded and wanted own ideas, the "Nature of Man" program was phased out; Department size; 16 at height of "Nature of Man" program; by time he retired, 5 full; time; Vietnam War; National Issues; Name changes of College; reflection of what was already present; questions "university" name because lack of doctorate program; Relationship between WestConn and Danbury; not really sure since he lived in Newtown and worked only in Danbury (side B): Committees; search committee to find new Dean of Liberal Arts (asked by Dr. Bersi); library committee; senate; Library Committee; weren't consulted about chief librarian by Dr. Haas; no one on library committee asked to come to groundbreaking ceremony; Future of WestConn; feels growth would continue; started liberal arts from scratch and was committed to it; Feelings about WestConn now; no ill feelings, but comes back rarely; didn't come back for 5 years after he retired; Dr. Janick and Dr. Warner convinced him to; Student attitudes; significant changes due to size and backgrounds; Race; attitudes on all sides are not that great; grew up in south; story of how his mom scolded him for speaking unkindly about African Americans; when he was a kid and told him to no t look at color of skin rather humanity, which he never forgot; Air Corps; in Biloxi, Mississippi and the treatment they received there; Students; feel they come here because they want an education; some commit too early to a major though; Violin; playing professionally was his wish, but after breaking his fingers in a football game, decided he couldn't; took up chemistry instead, but realized too late he change; Depression; father died during it; also time when he was in college; Harvard; 13 years after he graduated, he asked his former psychology professor, Dr. Raymond Wheeler, for his help in getting doctorate in psychology; Dr. Wheeler helped him get into Harvard; Most memorable moment at WestConn; friendships he has made; starting the interdisciplinary studies program; the occasions when former students come back to thank him