Wallace Lee (interview); Creator: Lee, Wallace ; Interviewer(s): Andrea Pack and Shannon Doherty; Interview location: White Hall basement; Running time: 35 min., Apr 1, 1998

Coverage: 1960s-1990s
Topics discussed : (side A): Background at WestConn; started around 1965 and taught for 29 years; believes WestConn was still a teacher's college; Bob Holberg and Chester Floyd; other members of math department when he arrived; Math department; only 3; 4 offices for entire math department; Physical changes of WestConn; Westside wasn't here when he began; Westside; his office did move there later; taught some classes there, but also taught at Midtown; Retirement; retired about 1995; enjoyed teaching, but enjoys retirement now; spends time at War Memorial now; Background; originally from Queens, NY; graduate from John Adams high there; received bachelors degree from Teacher's College of CT (now Central CT State University); began living in CT after going to school here; Curriculum changes; got into math because he could use his mind more than hands; now math is heavily involved in computers, which is essential; graphing calculators and the benefits of using them; Computers; have made math much more easier; they have speeded the mathematical process up; have benefited math and will continue to do so; got into using them his last few years teaching; Faculty and computers; professors should start reorienting themselves to using them; Basic fundamentals of math; computers will speed up the learning; not essential to know everything; Student changes; student demonstrations on campus during Vietnam War; he took part in some demonstrations; some conflict (non; physical); Quality of student; has had both good and bad from beginning to retirement; not much difference over the years; Teaching of math; never taught any teaching of math courses; only upper level courses; Faculty participation; little activity in working conditions and salaries in beginning; what state said the faculty went along with; AAUP; was involved w/ it; was president of it on campus; went to national conventions; thought it wasn't strong enough to make changes; elite schools like Harvard, etc, were a part of it; needed a union that was less elite; AFT (American Federation of Teachers); affiliated w/ AFL; CIO; he started up chapter at WestConn and grew to be largest on campus; worked w/ Sen. William Baker; both began chapters at all 4 CSU schools; Wayne Baker; head of labor department in state; worked w/ him to get AFT set up at the CSU schools; backed by the AFL; CIO; AFT won at Western, but AAUP at the other 3; AFT President; was a former president; John Encrichrot was first (in English department); Danbury Labor Council; was president of it for 10; 11 years; Changes at WestConn after AFT; salaries went up; departments allowed to choose their department chairpersons; Animosities between administration; the administration benefited from unions; have their own as well; NEA and AFT; NEA not affiliated w/ AFL; CIO; Bob Chase, Danbury resident and president of NEA, has said want to merge w/ the AFT; such a merger would benefit teachers; which union a teacher joins depends on where they work; Governor Meskill; cut money for education while governor; Ella Grasso; was a state representative before she became governor; he met her in Washington, DC during and AFT convention there; urged her then to run for governor of CT