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Interviews carried
out by the Teachers,
Schools, and Society class
The history of Western Oregon
University cannot be captured
in text and physical artifact
alone. The oral stories that tell
of a time past--stories that come
about through conversation--contribute
to the thread that weaves WOU
together.
This exhibit represents a small
sampling of interviews carried
out by the Education 312: Teachers,
Schools, and Society class. Each
student interviewed one or two
Western Oregon University graduates
who attended this institution.
Each interview lasted between
20 and 60 minutes. We have selected
a number of short representative
audio clips for your listening
pleasure. Please scroll down the
window and click on the play buttons
to listen to our samples.
Even though the name of the university
has changed a number of times
throughout its 150-year history,
one thing does remain the same--teachers
and graduates of this institution
continue to speak highly of their
experience here.
Ashley
Wilson
Graduated 1998
My dad was a teacher, and
that’s the only thing
I ever wanted to do. Nothing
else ever crossed my mind.
Everyday that I didn’t
have school, and he did,
I would go to school with
him, and teach P.E. with
him, he’d come home
and do report cards, and
I would help him fill them
out, and it’s just
something that I have always,
always wanted to do.
Listen to the story part one
Listen to the story part two |
Mr. Bowman
Graduated 1952
I can vaguely remember when
I first started, I didn’t
know if I could teach kids
anything. It took me maybe
five or six years before
it dawned on me that I was
actually helping some of
them.
I’d say I’d
do it again. I think I’ve
helped a lot of kids. I’d
recommend anyone do it.
Listen to the story |
Delores
LaFontaine
Graduated 1958
When I was teaching, for
the most part, teachers
were looked upon as someone
doing good. Now, it just
breaks my heart--you hear
people complaining, and
putting them down, and there’s
not a harder job in the
world, I’ll tell you
that, especially elementary
and primary. It’s
lots of work, but there
are lots of rewards.
Listen to the story part one
Listen to the story part two
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Dr.
Unruh
Graduated 1952
And one has to realize,
people such as, where I
came from, I was raised
in a country school, I attended
a two-room country school.
I was a little farm-boy
when I came here. So the
world was opened to me by
many people. And, so I am
ever indebted to people
at this institution . .
. people who believed in
me. And that is a great,
great key to educating the
person, opening the world
to them.
Listen to the story |
Dorothy
Livingston
Graduated1935
I graduated high school
in the spring of 33, and
I went down to Monmouth,
and graduated in the fall
of 35.
The most important thing
that that was for, was for
our Saturday night social
hour. That’s where
the school dances were held.
. . . Sometimes they were
very special, and other
times it was just every
Saturday night. And we’d
go out there, my friends
and I, and we’d think,
oh gosh, will anybody dance
with us. There were so many
girls, and so few boys,
it was during the depression.
Listen to the story |
Dr.
Del Schalock
Emeritus Faculty / Reseacher
It seemed like education
was a way to make a difference.
So after a sabbatical that
took me to London, I worked
in an institute there, in
early human development,
came back, and made the
transfer up here full time,
and it took off from there.
And that got me started
in this world, at least
informally with Western.
Because the institute at
that time was a part of
the Chancellor’s office,
. . . and later on we got
transferred here.
Listen to the story |
 Judy
Miller
Graduated 1996
I went to high school at
central, here locally, and
then I proceeded to go to
Western, to play basketball,
and my first year was the
92 season, and I played
four years there. The last
two years we won the championship,
and my sophomore year we
took second place. And I
chose to go there, just
because it was local, and
I liked their style of play.
It was what I was used to
in high school, and so coach
Terry recruited me to go
there, and I thought that
would be a good fit.
Listen to the story |
Mary
Wilson
Graduated 2004
I absolutely love it, once
again, you have to go back
to the kids. The kids are
amazing. I love the kids.
. . . how far they have
come. And I have to go back
to how far I have come.
. . . It’s just the
nature of it. If you want
to do good for the kids,
if you want to be a good
teacher, and be better .
. . Almost every day, I
can say I feel so overwhelmed,
times I could just cry,
or scream, when I just don’t
know what to do, but then
I say, wait a minute, and
I think about the kids.
Listen to the story |
Scott
McLeod
Graduated 1979
Certainly you hope, that
on a daily basis, you get
to see that ah-ha in a child’s
eyes. That, "I’ve
got it." You can see
progress over time, which
is really rewarding, and
then, one of the best experiences
I’ve had in education
is, I worked in an elementary
setting for years, and then
I was asked by the superintendent
to go to the high school,
and be an administrator
at the high school. And
that was really an a-typical
experience, because I knew
at least a third of the
population of the high school,
I’d had as elementary
school students. So for
me, it was hugely entertaining
to be able to observe them
again, in a three-year period
of time and watch that maturation.
And then to see how we really
are typecast early on. They’re
just bigger kids you know.
It was great fun. And it
gave me great insights
Listen to the story |
Rita
Montgomery
Graduated 1959
I lived in Portland, but
I had an Aunt who lived
down here, and I always
wanted to come to OCE, She
lived here in town, and
so I lived with her the
first term. Then I moved
in to Todd Hall, and lived
there for the next few years.
Then I lived in the cottage
my senior year. You were
supposed to be good, but
. . .
Listen to the story
Listen to the story |
Ruth
Beach
Graduated 1938
What made you want to become
a teacher?
My older brother was a teacher,
and I admired him, so I
wanted to become a teacher
too.
My first year was terrible.
I had seven grades, and
seven youngsters, in a little
country school. The building
was an old one. It had a
pot-bellied stove in the
back of the room, the water
bucket would sit on a bench,
and everybody drank out
of the same pitcher, and
there was a light that hung
in the middle of the ceiling.
Listen to the story |
Scot
McDonald
Graduate 2001
My dad was a teacher. I
grew up around the school.
I just kind of knew I wanted
to do it. I’m the
baseball coach. So I really
like coaching.
The biggest thing is when
you see somebody, like I
had this kid last year,
that flunked everything,
and then this year, all
of a sudden something clicked,
and he is passing all his
classes, he wants to get
involved in activities,
and stuff like that. So
that the turn-around, like
he felt motivated turn around.
Listen to the story |
 Warren
Allen
Graduated 2006
So how did you get over
to Asia?
Airplane, ya, Delta.... Actually, I started talking
to one of my colleague’s
brothers, who was teaching
language over there, and
I was being manipulated
into a directorship of a
program that I started....
and I started investigating
teaching over in Korea,
and I wanted to go there
to study another martial
art. .....so I started looking
at teaching English in a
language academe, and it
just kind of snowballed,
something I couldn’t
stop. I just did it. I got
there, and I said, “oh
no, what have I done.”
But it ended up being the
greatest experience. I stayed
a little more than a year,
training, and teaching.
I had a great time.
Listen to the story |
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