Dorothy Holoman (interview); Creator: Holoman, Dorothy ; Interviewer(s): Matt Groves and Marc Latasa; Interview location: Holoman's home in Danbury, CT; Running time: 48 min., Apr 12, 1991

Coverage: 1949-1991
Topics discussed : (side A): Background; raised in Danbury; went to college in Boston; came back in 1933 to teaching in various schools in Danbury; left and taught in New Hampshire and Maine; came back in 1949 and taught physical education at WestConn until 1969; Physical education department; first came, followed Claire Trisch (later Geddes) and Al Geddes, who had both been appointed to Deans at the college; she was the second woman in department (Claire Trisch being the first); Al Jessup replaced Al Geddes; gym was in Old Main at time; Athletic teams; taught field hockey, softball, volleyball, basketball, etc.; New gym; came when Berkshire was built around 1955; Athletic fields; behind Fairfield Hall was all field; the tennis courts also a site where field was; the field on Osborne St.; Classes; it was required; 8 week classes done for two years; taught golf in Brookfield; also did horseback riding in Bethel; Student screening; Sports offered; most were offered in beginning, except for swimming; Teaching atmosphere of the department; didn't stress varsity sports; they taught basically everything; Budget for department; had to submit budgets for equipment and supplies; usual got what they needed; Bill Williams; gym named after him; he had a lot to do w/ the planning of the gym in Berkshire; "died too young"; Harvey Jessup; came same time she did; left for Louisiana later; Ted Hines; was there when Bill Williams was; Dr. Haas; president of the college; supported physical education department; open door policy; Interim Program; also known as "Fits and Sits"; three week program done over winter break; freshmen and sophomores worked a job under guidance of the physical education department; Male students; few when she first came; after WW II and Korean War they started coming back; Students; student attitudes changed over the years, especially during the 1960s; 1960s; drugs and alcohol wasn't a problem then; student body as a whole changed (attitude and appearance); Retirement; gave up because the "belligerence" of the students; chair of department was never there and she had to do her work as well; War protests; some occurred during Vietnam; Ed Rosenberg; would practice w/ the field hockey team; he was in math department; JFK assassination; she was coming back from lunch when she heard about it (side B): JFK assassination (cont.); news spread quickly about the assassination; people were in shock; Martin Luther King assassination; not as much impact; there was some race tension to begin w/ on campus; Minorities; few black students in beginning; Since retirement; took care of her parents after she first retired; first traveled around the world after the death of her father w/ an anthropologist in NY (part of a study group); has traveled to places like Japan, Singapore, India, Africa, Greece, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Iceland; World Congress of College Physical Education for women sports; a member of the group; they meet every four years; 1961 conference was held in Washington, DC; at 1961 conference, she was hostess to woman from Spain; brought her to Yale; has gone to various places in the world for these meetings; Travels to Florida every winter; Activities; plays golf every week; plays bridge w/ friends from WestConn; Physical Education conferences; went to several w/ Bill Williams and Harvey Jessup; went to Atlantic City and Boston for some of these; Archery; upon coming here she was told she would have to teach it; went to camps to learn how to do it as she had done it once prior