Dr. Donald Groff (interview); Creator: Groff, Dr. Donald ; Interviewer(s): Christian Neary and Warren Herrington; Interview location: unknown; Running time: 88 min., May 1, 1991

Coverage: 1966-1991
Topics discussed : (side A): Coming to WestConn; came from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1966; brought students w/ him presenting papers; had no intention at coming here initially as he liked where he was; after meeting the department here, kept in contact w/ them; Mellon Institute; started working there in summer of 1966 as visiting fellow; President Haas; called him saying he had been recommended to chair of geology; initially turned offer down, but she kept calling him w/ the offer; turned down chair for first 2 years; Conflicts in Science department; Dr. Haas wanted form separate departments to solve problems; Physics and Earth Science departments were created; Geology was the first one created though; getting offered chair immediately angered many in science department; Grants acquired; got three research grants and one for teaching; Process of becoming chair of a department; elected by that department; Getting and using grants; Senate; brought new attitude w/ its creation; David Driscoll and Ed Rosenberg were both prominent in senate; Chemistry; they wanted as much money they could get; didn't care about the other departments; Attitudes of people; very different in beginning; concern for everyone and overall product; Dr. Haas; best boss he ever had; she was caring; was fair and open to listening to all views; Haas administration vs. later administrations; Bersi changed school when he came in; family atmosphere left; brought a efficient dean of business (Feldman); business school created after she left; efficiency took away from student/faculty relationship; Students; felt teaching them were his reward; Resignation; he was unable to find staff to teach interdisciplinary education; had proposed 4 majors: Earth Science in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics; didn't want to create geologists, wanted well; learned in all aspects; hired great people, but who only cared about their particular field; Atomic absorption unit; came while he was chairman; concern over access to unit came about; Dr. Goldstein became chair later; the unit hasn't been used since he last did it and is just sitting there; Splitting of the science department; falling of the family atmosphere; people became very self; serving; he fought for everybody; Sympathy for colleagues; Happenings since Dr. Feldman became president; school is a business not a family; everyone is in competition w/ each other; Business department; thinks strong business department is good; other departments/fields rely on business and vice versa; always liked the department; Development of walls between departments; Failing of management; created competing departments; believes he failed in many ways; His failures; leaned too much on adjuncts; failed to listen to his faculty; Unity vs. separation; separation of hasn't and won't help faculty unite; feels school is trying too hard to emulate UConn; everyone would be better off if there was unity; School mission askew; Past financial problems; Geology; the department was small; he wasn't the most vocal person and didn't speak up much; Jim Pagolotti; was vice president of St Peter's College; was hired as vice president of academic affairs; he was giving keys to everybody and thefts occurred; quarrelling w/ curriculum; was fired, but came back year later in charge of the library; Majors being cut out; geology was among several majors that were being dropped; Relationships between students and faculty (side B): His relationship w/ students; His work outside the college; 1987 asked to give testimony on land use case in Putnam County; mapped out the county; asked to take a leave w/ promise to come back; Gradually left WestConn; Equipment; WestConn refused to get something he worked with to get a grant; Dr. Goldstein refused some while he was chairman; Management turning staff against faculty; Battles as chairman; felt the struggles he had w/ administration made him unable to do the job; felt it was best when he left position; Goals of the university; direction changed from family unity to business and separation; lab dependant courses have suffered; feels he was pushed out; Ideas on present and past budget problems; foreign languages are under attack although none ever made a full major; Positive effects of the Ancell School; saved the numbers in education when education was on decline; Dorms and sports; emphasis on team sports is too great; believes in there being an emphasis on physical education; football changed way dorms were used; rumor of adding a wing for students w/ "special skills" (athletes); someone was fired for not admitting an athlete into his class because he failed to meet standards for enrollment; Basic studies program; designed to bring in more students and add to the numbers; Relations between faculty and students; he changed from time he started to time he left; everyone was like family; Science Club; Dr. Mel Goldstein; used school for personal profit; ran his own business out of the school; did this while he was chairman; a faculty member reported him to the state; Mary Friel; great woman; Underground newspaper; carried the facts as far as he believes; also believes it must have been a member of the faculty; police investigate the matter; the Xerox copies were all coded; Dr. Feldman was determined to catch and silence the source; Haas Library; built and named while she was president of the college; wasn't thrilled it was named after her while she was still alive; the governor wanted it named after her; fought for the library; 2nd floor of Old Main had library when he first came; Differences between 1968; 88; all dorms were female; athletic field there, but no goal posts; football played across the street; Litchfield and Newbury Hall were not there yet; Danbury has changed as well; Results of the Flood of 1955; he wasn't here during the flood; many of that downtown area new because of flood; a ditch run across middle for drainage; the Mall will have problems because of the area there floods