Dr. Truman Warner (interview); Creator: Warner, Dr. Truman ; Interviewer(s): Joe Bukowski and Cindy Beck; Interview location: White Hall basement; Running time: 65 min., Apr 25, 1991

Coverage: 1937-1991
Topics discussed : (tape 1;side A): Changes in students; as a student, it was a teacher's college; there was a certain appearance you needed to have (ties, suits, etc.); expectations of teachers had to be met; graduating class was small; Old Main; everything was in there (classrooms, gyms, library, etc.); White Hall; was Danbury High School; Fairfield Hall; only dorm; Had excellent teaching opportunities at DSTC; Many teachers had come from the New School; it was part of Columbia University; DSTC size; faculty knew everybody; better ratio of students to teachers than now; Influx of men; brought in several different backgrounds (like sciences); students were all exposed to different types of classes; Arts; Atmosphere; small college brought more unity; Time in army; had letters censored if an enlisted man; people would comment on his letters and the detail he used; credits this to exposure he had at DSTC to variety of courses; Expectations; expected teachers should have some knowledge of variety of things; didn't have status Yale did, but gave exposure to students nonetheless; Lab Schools; used Balmforth, Locust, and other schools; Roberts Ave wasn't around at the time he was a student; Education process; began freshman year w/ observation and by senior year, students had been exposed to the teaching field; Other State Teacher's Colleges; all but Western have moved from their original location; Time at DSTC; started in 1937 and graduated in 1941; came back in 1958 as director of admissions; Background; had his Master's from Columbia (later Ph. D from same place); had been teaching high school Briarcliff Manor, NY; Director of Admissions; DSTC needed some to take care of admissions and recruitment; before entrance, all students had to be interviewed; he had to make the arrangements for this; Interview process; asked about their high school, etc.; meant to see what type of student they were; Interim Program; expected by all students to do some work outside during intersession; faculty would visit them to see what they were doing; worked into students schedules; provided many opportunities for the students; DSTC as a progressive school; ideas of John Dewey; more hands; on activities; Botany and use of Squantz Pond as a lab a project of the CCC (New Deal organization); went on field trips; Geology department; the demise of the department; believes it was based on matters other than motivations; perhaps antipathy towards Dr. Groff leads to it as well as politics; State's role; cost for students was minimal ($15 per semester when he went); it was an opportunity for an education the state provided students; Choice of college; couldn't afford to go to Yale; told about possible scholarship late (hadn't taken college boards yet); Higher education; things have changed; greater need for money; war came and influenced things; additional buildings; Dr. Lathrop Higgins; former head of school; Higgins Hall named for him; extremely interested in science; Inflation; CT reputation on higher education; is poor, ranks in bottom of the 50 states; outside Normal Schools, CT never gave much to higher education; Expectation of professors and teachers; getting published; getting a job out of school; Howard Durgy; was here for years; longest employed person in state for a long time (tape 1;side B): Student attitudes; students in school to basically get a job; most aren't here to get an education; past education of students plays role in how they view higher education; Special programs; developed to attract more students; Basic studies; there have been many who have become great students; some have gone on to get Master's and doctorates; hates to generalize type of students; Course development; likes to combine courses; Dedication of students; change in technology, w/ emphasis on learning from television, has had an effected on way students learn; reading something stays w/ you longer than seeing it on television; television has altered generations; many students today don't want to learn; Athletes and students; some students are just coming to college to play sports; Changes in Social Science department; there weren't departments in the beginning of the college; had someone who specialized in these areas to teach classes; the concentrations have become highly specialized; number of students have had an effect on program; Tom West; a judge in Danbury; a student of his wrote a great paper; Change of curriculum; core requirements; number have had effect on requirements to be met by students; Major requirements; determined by committees; believes often come from a priority some people have; Geology department demise; Barbara Obeda carried on geology courses for a while; invited to join social science department, higher up wouldn't allow it; Campus causes; overall students haven't been very active as a group; individually many have been active and vocal; 1960s riots didn't occur at WestConn, but spillover was felt in terms of dress and attitude; Dr. Haas; felt strongly about how people should carry themselves; women shouldn't wear slacks; Streaking; was seen on campus a little bit; Minorities at WestConn; few in numbers; not done on purpose; hard to attract minorities; Music students; Alcohol and drug abuse; not a major problem at WestConn, but it does go on; a major problem through out the country (tape 2;side A): Prejudice on campus; doesn't believe it is a major problem on campus; believes it goes both ways; Gay community; quiet community; only contact w/ them is when a student approaches him w/ problems; Women's groups; Working students; many are working too much for their own benefit; high school students are similar in terms of working too much; Lack of involvement; those who have least involvement are quickest to complain, this includes faculty and students; last SGA election had only 250 people voting; more people need to get involved, vote, etc.