PHPP Oral Histories

Oral history recordings and transcripts. Includes “Grinnell’s Voice from the Past: The Depression and WWII Oral History Project” and other oral histories from the area.

grinnell:26710
Elizabeth Pfund was born in Jewell, Iowa. She came to Poweshiek County in 1927 as a rural school teacher. She married Ervin Schultz on Nov. 27, 1929. They raised their two children on the family farm in Malcom Township where she lived for over 65 years. She was active in 4-H, the Farm Bureau, and she served as a Sunday school teacher and in other positions at Trinity Lutheran Church. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
In 1927 I came out here to teach a country school, and met my husband.
grinnell:26712
John Pfitsch was born in Miraj, India, and raised in San Antonio, Fort Davis, and Pflugerville, Texas. During his youth he lived for nine years in the Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Fort Davis where his father, Alfred Pfitsch, Jr., was a medical doctor. During the summers from age 8 to 21, John attended a YMCA Boys Camp in Kerrville, Texas, where he progressed from camper to assistant director of the camp. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
I applied at Grinnell College and got the basketball job at Grinnell College in 1948.
grinnell:26713
Bob Anderson and his wife, Lorraine, moved to Grinnell in 1953, where he owned and operated Grinnell Office Supply. From 1980 to 1993 he owned and operated Boklada, a downtown bookstore. Anderson was mayor of Grinnell from 1985 until his death in 1999. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
Four hundred of them were killed. And I am typing this stuff to the Red Cross back home. Typing these names of guys I knew. And, well you know, it could have been me just as well. So that always had kind of a profound effect on me really.
grinnell:26711
Kathryn Louden was born in Delaware County, Iowa, and grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She attended John Fletcher College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for two years obtaining a teaching certificate, and then taught fifth and sixth grades in Newburg, Iowa. In 1942 she married Warren Louden, who farmed near Newburg; they had two children. She was active in her church, the Farm Bureau, 4-H, the Iowa Porkettes and many other organizations. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
There were a few times when I can remember being hungry.
grinnell:26714
Dorothy Watts Pinder, the daughter of a newspaper editor, grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, during the depression. Her father later moved to Grinnell and bought the Grinnell-Herald Register where Dorothy worked for many years. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
So we've been here for 44 years. And we now own the newspaper.
grinnell:26718
Charles W. DeLong was born in Gary, Indiana, in 1910. He attended Grinnell College graduating with the Class of 1931. He was a business man who sold gloves for the glove factory, manufactured sportswear, and, later, stadium seats. He and his wife, Katherine Coggeshall, had four children. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
The art of dancing when I was in school was a must. It was ballroom dancing in those times, and you would take a little lady out and hug her and dance with her. That happened at least every Saturday and very often the cottages would have a tea dance or something.
grinnell:26717
Alex Moffett was born in 1905 in Suzhou, China, to missionary parents. He lived in China until 1923 when he attended Washington & Lee in Virginia for college and then went on to Vanderbilt for medical school. He and his wife, Virginia, returned to China in 1935 where they did medical missionary work until 1940, including during the Sino-Japanese war. After returning to the U.S., he had a private practice in Taylorsville, North Carolina, for twenty-nine years. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
While I was in college, there was the first of the communist uprisings in China and that killed a few Americans. And so my family and a lot of missionaries then went to Shanghai rather than be anywhere in the world.
grinnell:26720
Neal W. Klausner was born in Neenah, Wisconsin, received his undergraduate degree from Lawrence College and his PhD. in philosophy from Yale University. He taught at the University of the Redlands for eight years before coming to Grinnell College in 1945 to teach philosophy and religion. He retired in 1975 and passed away in 2010 at the age of 102. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
I went to Yale, and took my Doctorate in Philosophy, which was exactly what I wanted to do.
grinnell:26719
Jim George was born and raised in Iowa receiving a degree in journalism from Coe College. He spent four years in the United States Air Force in World War II. Returning to Iowa after the war he was the editor of newspapers in Eldora, Grinnell, and Montezuma, and then worked for four years as sports information director at Grinnell College. He then took a position at Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company where he spent 25 years as public relations director. After retiring from GMRC he continued to work for them part time for another eight years. In 1985 he returned to Grinnell College and served as sports information director until 1999. He and his wife, Isabel, had three daughters. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
Maybe the students could've been somewhat more moderate in, in their demonstrations.
grinnell:26716
Walter Rixen was born in Harlan, Iowa, and graduated from Harlan High School in 1941. He attended Upper Iowa University for one year before serving in the U.S. Army from 1943-1945. Upon returning home he completed his degree at Upper Iowa and then pursued a career in education, teaching and coaching at Waukon, St. Ansgar, and Grinnell. He and his wife, Helen, had one son, Jim. Interview conducted as part of American Beliefs and Cultural Values, an American Studies class taught by Hanna Griff at Grinnell College in 1993.
After five years in St. Ansgar I decided that maybe we should move to a little larger school and started applying for jobs. And ended up in Grinnell in 1969.
grinnell:19501
This is an oral history interview of Mr. Don Smith, Professor Emeritus of History at Grinnell College. The interview, conducted by Ms. Judy Hunter, recalls many of Don's memories regarding the Democratic party and the political climate in Poweshiek County, Iowa, from 1970 to 2013.
In those days you had caucuses in people's house. So the first ward of Grinnell was in the Clotfelters' on Sixth Avenue and there were so many people trying to crowd in there that it really seemed dangerous. So somebody got Darby gym ... and so we moved over there.
grinnell:23040
This is an oral history interview of Geoff Peak, a prominent teacher in Poweshiek County school systems and graduate of Grinnell College. The interview, conducted by Judy Hunter, recalls many of Geoff's memories from his days in a one-room schoolhouse and as a middle school, high school, and alternative program instructor.
I have never regretted the choice I made as accidental as it may have been in the beginning. I have always known that what I am doing is important. I may not get paid much for it but I wasn't miserable either. And then I think some people don't understand just how much work is involved in being a teacher.