Collections : [Indiana University, Center for Documentary Research and Practice]

Born on September 9, 1924, Phyllis R. Klotman joined the Indiana University faculty in 1970 and served as professor and in other capacities until 1996. She taught Afro-American studies, film studies, and women's studies in addition to serving as Indiana University's first affirmative action officer and as dean for women's affairs. Klotman also was the founder and longtime director of the Black Film Center/Archive. In this interview, she discusses racism, African-Americans, minority students, female faculty, anti-Semitism, and minority enrollment at Indiana University. In addition, Klotman details the creation and development of Afro-American studies at the university, especially in the context of the Department of English.

Henry H. H. Remak, born on July 27, 1916, discusses his family background and youth in Germany, his education, his long association with Indiana University and recalls much of the university's history from the years spanning 1936 through 1996. A long-time faculty member, Remak discusses his career in languages, particularly German and French, and speaks of the German Department and the Institute for Advanced Study. Dr. Remak comments on the beauty of the Indiana University campus, the social anti-Semitism he experienced in the United States, the effects of World War II on enrollment in the German Department, and German Americans and culture in America. In addition, he speaks of teaching, especially in the context of the Cold War, McCarthyism, and the Vietnam War and the unrest of the nineteen sixties. Professor Remak shares anecdotes about two of the most well-known figures in the history of Indiana University, Herman B Wells and Alfred Kinsey, and he speaks of the increased and misplaced emphasis on academic specialization, the teaching vs. research debate, and faculty tenure.

Born on November 7, 1934, Jerome Strauss is a 1956 Indiana University alumnus who went on to earn his law degree from the New York University School of Law. Extensively involved in campus politics and student government, Strauss was first elected to the student senate and then to the position of student body president. He speaks of his experiences as a student, including anti-Semitism, upon citing his desire for the nomination for the student body presidency. In addition, he remarks on the McCarthy era and the impact of the anti-McCarthy Green Feathers group on Indiana University. One of the biggest influences on Strauss at Indiana University was Henry H.H. Remak.