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

Frank K. Edmondson earned his undergraduate degree in 1933 and his masters degree in 1934 from Indiana University. After earning his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard, he joined the Indiana University Department of Astronomy in 1937, and became chairman of the department in 1944, a position he held until 1978. He speaks of his academic roots at Seymour High School, his experiences at Indiana University, and his use and/or association with the Lowell, Harvard, Goethe Link, and Kirkwood observatories. In addition, Edmondson speaks of many of the leading figures in the field of astronomy, including Henry Norris Russell and Wilber Cogshall, and he discusses the development and changes undergone by the Indiana University Department of Astronomy. He recalls the effects of Sputnik on this field and his involvement with associations such as the National Science Foundation, or NSF, and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, or AURA. Finally, he recalls his experiences and interactions with many people at Indiana University including Herman B Wells and Alfred Kinsey.

Thomas Ehrlich was born in Massachusetts and attended Harvard Law School. Despite his legal background, he held a variety of jobs including assistant to the undersecretary of the state, president of the Legal Services Corporation, and head of the Foreign Aid program. He became president of Indiana University in 1987. Ehrlich discusses his presidential agenda, preference for a "responsibility-centered" management style, Indiana University's Indiana University regional campuses, the financial situation at the university, and the conflicts over teaching versus research.

Friedrich Eichhorn, born October 16, 1930 in Gary, Indiana, was a student at Indiana University Northwest and Indiana University Bloomington. Upon graduation from law school, he returned to Gary to work in a law firm and eventually became a senior partner. He discusses his time at both Indiana University Northwest and Indiana University Bloomington as well as his time serving on the Board of Trustees.

Paul Eisenberg joined the Indiana University faculty in 1966 as a member of the Philosophy Department, where he served until 1997. In this interview, he discusses the developments of and his experiences with the Philosophy Department, especially emphasizing his years as department chair. Eisenberg also speaks of his early life and his education, in addition to his teaching views and practices. Finally, he discusses the faculty council.

Donald Eissler, born on October 12, 1930, is a 1952 graduate of Indiana University and veteran of the Korean War. In this interview, he discusses his memories of the university and the growth and changes the university has experienced. A former student body president, Eissler relates anecdotes about campus politics, Greek life, athletics, and various figure who exerted significant influences on his life, including Herman B Wells, Christian Jung, and Gretchen Kemp. In addition, he praises Indiana University's School of Music, especially because of the education it afforded his son, David Eissler, a successful singer. Eissler also discusses problems and positive aspects of Indiana University through time, and he speaks of the university's administration.

Byron K. Elliott was born in Indianapolis in 1899. He attended Shortridge High School there and then went to Bloomington to attend Indiana University. He went to law school at Harvard University, then returned to Indiana, where he was chief deputy prosecutor in Marion County before he was elected to the Indiana Superior. Elliott then went on to work for the American Life Convention, a life insurance association, and then went to the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Elliott also describes his work with the Indiana University Foundation and reflects on the changes in the university since his student days from 1917 to 1920.

Peggy Elliott, born in Matewon, West Virginia on May 27, 1937, was both a student and faculty member at Indiana University. She discusses her time as a female student with children in the 1970s, her work as an administrator at Indiana University Northwest, and the challenges of being a female chancellor. Also she discusses changes to Indiana University Northwest under her leadership and Indiana University Northwest's relationship to the Indiana University system.

Leo Fay arrived at Indiana University in 1952 as a professor in the School of Education. He discusses his experiences setting up educational systems in Thailand on behalf of the university. He also talks about his university career, his service on the faculty council, the changes that have taken place in education since the nineteen fifties, Indiana University's different presidents, and the qualities that make a good university.

Robert H. Ferrell discusses his tenure as a professor at the Indiana University Department of History. He describes how his experiences as a soldier in World War II made him interested in studying history. He talks about his graduate experience at Yale and his mentor, Samuel Bemis. He describes the writing of his dissertation, and other publications after that. He talks about people he knows in the history department, and contacts with other historians in the United States. He describes the importance of being a good teacher as well as a good scholar, which he feels are inseparable despite the push in universities today where scholarship and publishing are valued far above teaching skills. He speaks of the declining quality of students since the 1960s. Finally, he speaks of the reasons for his retirement.

Carol Lee Finkel, née Drevno, was born in Chicago in 1926. She lived there and in Providence, Rhode Island, before coming to Indiana University in 1944. She describes her student days at Indiana University including her School of Music recitals, memorable classes and instructors, and post-World War II changes on campus. After her 1948 graduation, Finkel continued her involvement with the university through alumni association activities and the education of her four children. She describes her post-graduation career as a musician and owner of a wholesale automotive distribution business.