The Oral History Program's mission is to record unique life histories, documenting historical events and memories of our time by preserving and adding these voices to the historical record. The Pettus Archives have been collecting and preserving stories, personal accounts, and recollections through recorded interviews as part of the Oral History Program since 1973. The Archives holds more than 800 interviews in audio, video and text formats, on a wide variety of subjects, including life at Winthrop, Rock Hill, SC and the Catawba Region and people, mill life and workers, American Wars and conflicts, Veteran History Project, women in politics and society, African American, and many other topics.
Disclaimer: The content of oral history interviews are personal and interpretive in nature, relying on memories, experiences, perceptions, and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy, views, or official history of Winthrop University and the University makes no assertions about the veracity of statements made by individuals participating in the Oral History Program.
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Interview with Mark Y. Herring - OH 608
Mark Y. Herring
OH 608
This interview was conducted for the as part of the Winthrop History Project spearheaded by Winthrop President Emeritus Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio and Rebecca Masters to “document the 24-year path of the original Winthrop College to becoming Winthrop University.” This effort was to produce a history of the institution and Dr. DiGiorgio’s tenure as president as a supplement to Dr. Ross Webb’s history of Winthrop (The Torch is Passed) that covered Winthrop history up to Dr. DiGiorgio becoming president. A key aspect of the project was a series of audio-taped interviews conducted with various members of the extended Winthrop community who participated in or helped guide the advancement of Winthrop over these years. That way, the Winthrop story will be told in an array of participants’ own words, own voices and from their own perspectives.
This interview is with Dr. Mark Y. Herring. Dr. Herring was the Dean of the Library from 1999-2020. In this interview discusses his experiences working for Winthrop as well as his experiences and impressions working with Winthrop President, Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio.
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Interview with Lura Hess - OH 372
Lura Hess
OH 372
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with George Hicklin - OH 702
George Hicklin and Emmett Scott High School
OH 702
This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with George Hicklin for his Emmett Scott History Project. Emmett Scott was the segregated high school for African Americans that was named after Emmett Scott a former aide to Booker T. Washington and President Woodrow Wilson. Emmett Scott High School opened in 1920 and closed in 1970 with full integration of the Rock Hill School District. Mr. Hicklin attended Emmett Scott from 1951-1955. In this interview Mr. Hicklin discusses his experiences at Emmett Scott and the impact it had on the black community. He also details his experience in the military shortly after graduating high school. Mr. Hicklin details his military career and how he feels that Emmett Scott prepared him for success in life. Mr. Hicklin joined the Navy during the Vietnam war rising in rank to Chief Petty Officer.
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Interview with Thomas Nelson Hickman - OH 171
Thomas Nelson Hickman
OH 171
In his February 27, 2015 interview with Jenna Kasmarik, Thomas Hickman shares his experiences complying with Title IX in the athletic department. Hickman lends his perspective on the pros and cons of Title IX and how the athletic department has changed since Title IX became law. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Thomas Nelson Hickman - OH 609
Thomas Nelson Hickman
OH 609
This interview was conducted for the as part of the Winthrop History Project spearheaded by Winthrop President Emeritus Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio and Rebecca Masters to “document the 24-year path of the original Winthrop College to becoming Winthrop University.” This effort was to produce a history of the institution and Dr. DiGiorgio’s tenure as president as a supplement to Dr. Ross Webb’s history of Winthrop (The Torch is Passed) that covered Winthrop history up to Dr. DiGiorgio becoming president. A key aspect of the project was a series of audio-taped interviews conducted with various members of the extended Winthrop community who participated in or helped guide the advancement of Winthrop over these years. That way, the Winthrop story will be told in an array of participants’ own words, own voices and from their own perspectives.
This interview is with Thomas Nelson “Tom” Hickman. Tom came to Winthrop in 1989 as the Associate Athletic Director and served in this role until he became the Athletic Director in 1996. He retired in 2016. In this interview discusses his experiences working for Winthrop as well as his experiences and impressions working with Winthrop President, Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio.
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Interview with Margaret Hill - OH 455
Margaret Hill
OH 455
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with HIST-602 Class - OH 724
HIST-602, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 724
This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, Assistant Professor of History & African American Studies at Winthrop University, with graduate students in her fall 2020 course HIST602/603: History Colloquium I as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Dr. Dixon-McKnight and the seven interviewees reflect on their semester-long journey at the forefront of this oral history project—all eight served as interviewers during the fall of 2020. They discuss in detail their personal experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical year of 2020 in general, particularly in terms of educational, professional, and social challenges. Other notable topics include racial tensions, COVID-19 guidelines, and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.
The interviewees (Jackson Branch ‘22, Sarah Edwards ‘20, Abby Hieber ‘20, Kenya Lane ‘21, Jessica Rochester ‘21, Stacy Steele ‘21, and Cedric Streater ‘20) are all M.A. History graduates who conducted oral history interviews for Project 2020.
Spearheaded by Dr. Dixon-McKnight, Project 2020 is best summarized in her words: “The goal was to conduct interviews that explored the various ways in which Americans were experiencing and being impacted by the various watershed moments that emerged during 2020 (the global pandemic, social unrest, financial challenges, issues with healthcare, etc.)."
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Interview with James A. Hodge - OH 211
James A. Hodge
OH 211
In his interview with Michael Cooke, James A Hodge discusses his life and experiences in rural South Carolina. He also details his time with and memories of the Progressive Democratic Party, integration, African American voter registration and various politicians from Mullins, South Carolina. Mr. Hodge discusses the influence he witnessed within the black community especially in regards to the voter registration efforts.
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Interview with Anita Hoffman - OH 236
Anita Hoffman
OH 236
In her November 1992 interview with Ron Chepesiuk, Anita Hoffman detailed her experiences in the 1960s and her time with her ex-husband, Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman, aside from speaking about her ex-husband, covered such topics as poverty, racism, the Weathermen (Weather Underground), the Black Panthers and the Black Power movement, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Women’s Liberation, and the Youth International Party. Hoffman also discussed sexism, mental illness, in reference to Abbie and her studies as a Psychology major, the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill hearings, and the technology revolution. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Betty Morgan Holcombe - OH 794
Betty Morgan Holcombe
OH 794
This interview was conducted with Betty Jo Morgan Holcombe, Winthrop College Class of 1956, by Gina Price White, Director of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University. A native of Clemson, South Carolina, Mrs. Holcombe attended Winthrop from 1952-1956. The Milton W. and Betty Morgan Holcombe Alumni Center was named in her and her husband’s honor and Mrs. Holcombe was awarded the distinguished Mary Mildred Sullivan Award in 2025.
In this interview, Mrs. Holcombe reflects on her time at Winthrop College beginning with why she chose Winthrop; her experiences with students, faculty, and staff; her Dining Room Scholarship; classes; roommates; and other experiences while a student.
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Interview with John Holder - OH 655
John Holder
OH 655
This interview was conducted for the as part of the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks on the United States. This effort was to produce a history of the university’s, as well as the community’s, response in the days and weeks following the attacks. A key aspect of the project was a series of audio-taped interviews conducted with various members of the Rock Hill and Winthrop communities who felt their stories needed to be shared.
This interview is of Dr. John Holder, Associate Professor of Political Science at Winthrop University. In his interview with Andrew Russell, Professor Joh Holder discusses his memories and experiences during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Professor Holder describes his experience during the attack and the response of the Winthrop and Rock Hill community.
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Interview with Earl Honeycutt - OH 541
Earl Honeycutt, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham
OH 541
In his May 26, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Earl Honeycutt detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Honeycutt spoke of the time period of 1955 through 1977 and on the follow topics: race relations, day to day job responsibilities and actions, union, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery.
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Interview with Dan Howechyn - OH 179
Daniel Andrew Howechyn
OH 179
This interview was conducted with Daniel Andrew Howachyn (1950-2023) for an article to be written on blacksmiths. Mr. Howachyn discusses why he moved south, how he became interested in blacksmithing through first making horseshoes, and the art of blacksmithing. As well as, a little bit about his past before he got into blacksmithing, how he learned blacksmithing, getting inspiration and tips from other blacksmiths through magazines and the North American Blacksmith Association, how certain blacksmith techniques are done, and what he sees as the future of blacksmithing. Many years later he relocated to Black Mountain, NC and founded Black Mountain Iron Works.
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Interview with Edith Huffman, Agnes Klein, Ethel Watkins and Edna Christian - OH 521
Edith Huffman, Agnes Klein, Ethel Watkins, and Edna Christian
OH 521
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with Ericka Huggins - OH 248
Ericka Huggins
OH 248
In her May 1994 interview with Ron Chepesiuk, Ericka Huggins discussed her part in the 1960s radical movements. Huggins described motivation for joining the BPP and her time as a member, her current work as an AIDS activist, and her work with prison inmates. Huggins covered several topics of the time, including Black Power, Huey Newton, separation movements, FBI involvement, the US Organization, and Charles Hamilton. She also discussed the Thomas-Hill hearings, COINTELPRO and its involvement, the NAACP, the Oakland Community Learning Center, her husband, AIDS and HIV, and her work at the Shanti Project. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Gertrude Humphries - OH 453
Gertrude Humphries
OH 453
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with Peggy Hunter - OH 275
Peggy Hunter
OH 275
In her June 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Peggy Hunter detailed her thoughts and memories of her experience here at Winthrop. Hunter spoke of the time period 1968-1971 with an emphasis on the follow topics: Student teaching, Winthrop traditions, and college life from the perspective of a non-traditional college student. Hunter also discussed how Winthrop’s student teaching program had prepared her for a career in teaching. Hunter gives praise as she reminisce and reflect on how Winthrop has grown. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Rhoda Carter Hunter - OH 222
Rhoda Carter Hunter
OH 222
IN PROCESSING
This interview focuses on Winthrop from 1925-1930. Topics include dorm life, church, the Blue Line, uniforms, D. B. Johnson, the dining hall, swimming, Dr. Kinard, Greek letter clubs, favorite teachers and classes, weekend activities, dating, religion, admission of men and minorities, and Dr. DiGiorgio and changes he brought to Winthrop.
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Interview with I. Hutchendorf - OH 399
I. Hutchendorf
OH 399
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with Phyllis Thompson Hyatt and Elsie White Springs - OH 666
Phyllis Thompson Hyatt, Elsie White Springs, Emmett Scott High School, Civil Rights, and Friendship College
OH 666
This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with Phyllis Thompson Hyatt, and Elsie White Springs for his history project on Emmett Scott High School. The school was the segregated high school for African Americans in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was named for Emmett Scott, a former aid to Booker T. Washington and President Woodrow Wilson. Emmett Scott High School was opened in 1920 and later closed in 1970 with the full integration of the Rock Hill School District. Mrs. Hyatt and Mrs. Springs are alumni of Emmett Scott High School and graduated in 1960. They also attended Friendship College and were part of the sit-in movement in Rock Hill. They discuss their experiences at Emmett Scott and Rock Hill as a whole. They detail their experiences during the sit-ins as well as the surrounding circumstances that lead to the movement. Mrs. Springs and Mrs. Hyatt were protesting along with the Friendship Nine and discuss the events that led to the Nine going to jail.
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Interview with Irene Y. Wong - OH 774
Irene Y. Wong, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Sun City Carolina Lakes
OH 774
This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight with Irene Y. Wong as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Ms. Wong shares her experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and critical year 2020, particularly as a retired Asian American and Sun City resident. She discusses the collaborative work of her neighborhood at the onset of the pandemic, notably their efforts to make face masks and to increase technological literacy—e.g. online grocery shopping. She also shares her journey of grief after the loss of her husband and other loved ones during this period of social isolation. Other notable topics of conversation include vaccination, race, social unrest, and the 2020 political climate.
Irene Y. Wong (b. 1950) is a native of Hong Kong and former business professional living in Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, SC. At the age of seven, she immigrated to the United States as a refugee and resettled in the Washington, D.C. area. She later attended university in Massachusetts and worked for many years in both New England and the Southeast. Following retirement, Ms. Wong moved to Sun City.
Spearheaded by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, an Assistant Professor of History & African American Studies at Winthrop University, Project 2020 is best summarized in her words: “The goal was to conduct interviews that explored the various ways in which Americans were experiencing and being impacted by the various watershed moments that emerged during 2020 (the global pandemic, social unrest, financial challenges, issues with healthcare, etc.).”
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Interview with Julia Mobley Irwin - OH 023
Julia Mobley Irwin
OH 023
In her November 9, 1976 interview with Sally Tyler, Julia Mobley Irwin details her life as a day student in the early 1900s. Irwin recalls her favorite classes, describes uniforms, insists that there was never a swimming pool at Winthrop, and relates the traditions of graduation week. Irwin also shares Benjamin Tillman's message to students at her 1904 graduation ceremony. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Ruth Irwin - OH 462
Ruth Irwin
OH 462
IN PROCESSING
Interviews with extension members and agents throughout the country documenting the history and development of the extension movement in the U.S. The interviews describe homemaking, child bearing and family management in the small towns and rural areas where they live. They also discuss the role of extension homemakers groups in their lives.
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Interview with Emily Richardson Ivory - OH 663
Emily Richardson Ivory, Emmett Scott High School, Civil Rights, and Cecil Augustus Ivory Sr.
OH 663
This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with Emily Richardson Ivory (1925-2008). Mrs. Ivory was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and a longtime elementary school teacher in the Carolinas. After moving to California, Mrs. Ivory retired in 1991 from the Los Angeles Unified School District with 38 years of service. Mrs. Ivory was a member of numerous civic and social organizations and was the widow of Reverend Cecil Augustus Ivory (1921-1961), a prominent civil rights leader and minister at Hermon Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mrs. Ivory discusses her and her husband’s upbringing and life before arriving to Rock Hill in 1948. She recalls Rev. Ivory’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, especially the Rock Hill bus boycott and sit-in movement. She also discusses Emmett Scott High School (1920-1970), Rock Hill’s segregated school for African Americans named after the prominent educator and close aide to Booker T. Washington and President Woodrow Wilson, Emmett. J. Scott (1873-1957). Interviewer, Dr. Garrison, was childhood friends with Cecil A. Ivory, Jr. and both attended Emmett Scott. A Rosenwald school, Emmett Scott transitioned to a junior high and high school in 1956. In 1970, following the formal integration of S.C. public schools, the school closed its doors. Today it serves as a community center.
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Interview with Emily Richardson Ivory - OH 664
Emily Richardson Ivory, Emmett Scott High School, Civil Rights, and Cecil Augustus Ivory Sr.
OH 664
Dr. George Garrison interviews Emily Richardson Ivory (d.2008). Mrs. Ivory was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and was an elementary school teacher in North and South Carolina. After moving to California, Mrs. Ivory retired in 1991 from the Los Angeles Unified School district with 38 years of service. Mrs. Ivory was a member of numerous civic and social organizations and was the widow of Reverend Cecil A. Ivory (1921-1961). Reverend Ivory was the minister at Hermon Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mrs. Ivory discusses her and her husband’s involvement in the Civil Rights movement. Specifically Mrs. Ivory details Reverend Ivory’s work with the bus boycott and sit-ins that occurred in Rock Hill during the movement. Mrs. Ivory also discusses her life and experiences after Reverend Ivory’s death and her lasting connection to the Rock Hill community and the Emmett Scott High School. Emmett Scott High school was the segregated high school for African-Americans, which was named after Emmett Scott, a former aide to Booker T. Washington and President Woodrow Wilson. The school opened in 1920 and closed in 1970 when full integration was implemented in Rock Hill, SC schools. Interviewer Dr. Garrison was childhood friends with Cecil A Ivory Jr. while both attended Emmett Scott High School. Mrs. Ivory and Dr. Garrison discuss the impact her family had on the local community.