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

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