In the 1960s, a series of oral histories were conducted to mark the University of Illinois Centennial. This was a collaborative effort between the University Archives and the WILL public broadcasting station to record sessions with faculty and alumni capture their experiences at the University of Illinois.
Fred Turner had a fifty year career at the University of Illinois. He began in 1918 as a student and retired in 1968 as the Dean of Students. He talks about his career and the people he worked with. For example, he discusses Thomas Arkle Clark and University Presidents Draper and James. Additionally, Turner mentions the Chief, Founders' Day, and other celebrations.
In this 1975 interview with Daily Illini reporter, Greg Miller, Fred Turner discusses Thomas Arkle Clark's personal style of managing students, as well as how this approach changed during Turner's own tenure as dean when he delegated student interactions to several assistant deans. Turner also discusses the history of fraternities on campus including his own involvement with the organizations as a University of Illinois student.
In this 1967 interview with WILL reporter Jennifer Johnson, Fred Turner talked about his first years working for longtime Dean of Men, Thomas Arkle Clark culminating with his replacement of Clark after his retirement in 1931. Turner reflected on the shifting role of faculty in the University and the development of the University's administration during his tenure as Dean. Turner also traced the origins of UI institutions, such as Founders Day, Dad's Day, the Daily Illini and Chief Illiniwek.
Joseph T. Tykociner was a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois from 1921 to 1949 and a professor emeritus from 1949 to 1969. In this interview, conducted on March 9, 1967, Tykociner discusses his early interest in sound recording and sound in moving pictures, experience as a student/research engineer/faculty at the University, research and experiments with sound recording, career as a research engineer for Marconi/German companies on radio telegraphy/radio communications at Russian companies/Army, his return to the US in 1920, his later demonstration of sound in film, and commercials and films using his sound system.
Leslie Aulls Bryan was the Director of the Institute of Aviation at the University of Illinois from 1946 to 1968. In this interview, he discusses the Institute of Aviation, the development of the University's aeronautics program, related research, and both University Presidents Arthur C. Willard and his own careers in aviation.
Marcus Goldman was a professor of English at the University of Illinois from 1936 to 1962. He comments on growing up in Ohio, his experiences at the University, his service World War I and World War II, serving as ground operations officer for the first Bikini atomic bomb tests, life as a student at the University of Paris, the Bernbaum-Zeitlin English Department feud, his teaching career at Illinois, his admiration for Irving Babbitt and criticism of Herbert Hoover, and his views on military service and American politics. Following the interview is a recorded section of a radio broadcast by WILL Urbana Champaign on a lecture by Marcus S. Goldman on Wordsworth, dated to 1940.
Recollections by Mary Rolfe include Illinois Field, faculty life, student housing, trees on campus, Charles W. Rolfe, alumni reunions, 1902 commencement, Thomas J. Burrill, Thomas A. Clark and student life.
Roger Adams was a professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois from 1916 to 1957. In these three interviews, conducted by John B. Mellecker over the course of several months from 1964 to 1965, Adams discusses his childhood, studies at Harvard, his time working in Berlin, his work during WWI and WWII including his collaboration with Sir Robert Robinson, his observations of Japan following WWII, awards and medals won over the course of his career, his time as a professor at Harvard, Radcliffe, and the University of Illinois, his work with students and his outlook on the role of a mentor and educator, the costs of research, and the impact of new technologies on the research process.
