Ed Rosenberg (interview); Creator: Rosenberg, Ed ; Interviewer(s): Donald Stissle and Andrew SanAngelo; Interview location: El Gross Library in White Hall; Running time: 70 min., Apr 29, 1996
Dates
- Creation: Apr 29, 1996
Creator
- From the Collection: Janick, Herbert F. (Person)
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions.
Extent
From the Collection: 16 Linear Feet (, 14 boxes, and 1 OS Folder)
Language of Materials
From the Sub-Series: English
General Physical Description note
Number of tapes:1 [tape stock length: 90 minute]
General note
Coverage: 1956-1996
Topics discussed : (side A): Background; went through the ethical cultural school system in NYC; started at MIT before going into WW II; got trained in meteorology and stationed in various places; graduated MIT in 1947; went to work in business in NYC (medical supplies), but didn't like it; went to Columbia Teacher's College; got Master's in History/Social Science education; taught in Chappaqua public school system from 1955; 56 (high school); left and came to Danbury State Teacher's College; DSTC; began teaching history/social sciences; taught a few math courses along the way; eventually told could only teach in one department and choose math; Teaching profession; wanted to go into it as a way to repay teachers for what they did for him; didn't make same money might have in business, but doesn't regret move; Working in two different departments; Dr. Burton Cook and him always got along; school grew from just elementary education to liberal arts; there weren't departments in beginning; wasn't until expansion they came; at one time all the sciences were together w/ math and the one teacher who taught it (Chester Floyd); eventually math department grew rapidly; Graduate programs; only taught a couple courses; usually taught lower level because he didn't have a math degree; it grew after they had secondary math majors; Early years; most enjoyable time; small school then and better opportunity to know more people; more in common w/ students because closer in age; began soccer team his second year here; Attitude change in students; in the 1950s, it was an institution where the students went along w/ what the administration said w/ little resistance; many in students in the 1950s were first generation college students; gradually more older students (married mothers) came in and very serious and good students; as the school grew in the 1960s, more students came in and started questioning things; Faculty meetings; gradually grew bigger w/ expansion of college; David Driscoll, professor in humanities, was old fashioned and when he spoke everybody paid attention; meetings eventually turned into the faculty senate; Faculty Senate; as the Vietnam War proceeded, many faculty became opposed to it; students began asking for more voice in things and wanted to be on committees at the school; faculty was shocked at first, but some felt it would be beneficial; Kent State; demonstrations began after the incident; several people talked, including himself; students wanted Dr. Haas to close school after that and went to her office; he told group she didn't have authority to it, which was a lie; Vietnam War; the war fractured the country and doesn't believe it has recovered yet; Kent State request; got involved w/ the incident in Dr. Haas office because asked to; he also had somewhat understanding w/ the students; also had a high opinion of her and she was alone in the office; Dr. Haas; she had little family (only recalls a niece); school became her family and was like a mother figure; knew everything that was going on; open door policy and always willing to talk w/ both faculty and students; open and direct person; knew a great deal; Position as president; many believe being the only woman among the four schools hurt her; she did change a bit over the years; Atmosphere of having woman president; most faculty respected to her; you will always have people who dislike administration because of their position as administrator; WestConn and Danbury area; school looked down upon by many in community; always viewed as the Normal School; community hasn't given support as much as would be desired; Normal School attitude starting to disappear now; never got attention for their activities and concerts in local press; has been work by school w/ community to give college more attention; Continuing Education; Priority of community; more concerned w/ football team than college itself; Soccer; played soccer from time he was a kid; when he got here, there was no soccer; worked w/ school and athletic department to start a team; coached for seven years until athletic department expanded; Coach Hines took over for him and he became a referee; few students had ever played game when program started; pleased w/ current program; game has changed, quality improved; not as interested in game as he once was; 1980s at WestConn; the distance in his age w/ students is much greater; most students in math don't stop in to talk; found most of the students who needed help, never asked for it; never got into politics of the time; few contact w/ students then; JFK assassination; Relationship w/ students; towards the end, got to know few; best relationships come from early years; Conflict between PhD. Professors and non; PhD. Professors; never personally had any conflict; tends to get along w/ everybody; math department was good (only one person had to be let go); internal friction in departments usually had nothing to do w/ PhD. Degree; having mixture was very good for the school; Reflection of career; satisfied w/ his career overall; no regrets about going into the profession (side B): Distance w/ students; expansion of school did have some effect; Honor's program; he had attempted to start program; went to various universities to see other programs; Memories of Dr. Haas; when he got interviewed, he was nervous and needed the job; went to her office and had 20 minute discussion; after discussion, he went to leave and wasn't sure what door to exit (there was three doors), which she laughed about; another time was when he went w/ students to celebrate in NY State (which had lower drinking age); next day she talked w/ him about it (she knew what happened); Skit Night and Sing Night; each class put on these skits and do original numbers; skits were generally quite funny; contest between the classes and tried to get judges from outside, but problem was skits were usually about college and judge may not understand the joke; one year, someone in freshman class wrote skit about a somber skit about Vietnam, which judges voted for; when similar thing happened next year, students stop being interested; Faculty growth; meetings to senate; Dr. Gertrude Braun, someone form history department, and himself got together to hammer out a constitution for the senate; he got elected president of the senate for first two years; His family; first wife died in an accident, later remarried; his second wife had three children as did he; her oldest son had done poorly in college first time around, but wanted to come back; he addressed the Senate that students should be given opportunity to get fresh start; has benefited many students since; Basic Studies; college enrollment had fallen and needed to be brought up to save faculty; purpose was to take high school grads not ready for college and prepare them for a regular college program; there are two ways of looking at it (one positive and other negative); question of how to teach these students came about as many professors had never dealt w/ students of this caliber; Faculty Association; pre; Union organization the college had; comprised of several committees; Unions; came in during 1970s (w/ AAUP coming out as union of choice); possible to become full; professor w/ having PhD.; Non; Western Cultures; WestConn was one of the few colleges in the country to require it; believes is was a "feather in the cap" of WestConn for that distinction; John Tufts; gave him a call one day believing a student had plagiarized his work; when he asked if it was a certain student, he told him it was his work; this student's sister is married to Dr. Alberetti
Repository Details
Part of the Western Connecticut State University Archives and Special Collections Repository
Haas Library
181 White St
Danbury 06810 USA US
203.837.8992
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stevensb@wcsu.edu