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 Jennifer Dixon-McKnight - OH 729
O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 729
This interview was conducted by Abby B. Hieber with Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Dr. Dixon-McKnight offers insight into the challenges she faced as an educator, parent, and American amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the pivotal year 2020. She details her experiences in terms of the evolution of higher education, particularly virtual learning. She also discusses the personal and professional hurdles she faced due to the lack of social interaction with students, colleagues, and friends. Her interview sheds light on the Winthrop experience amid the pandemic, especially as a faculty member.
Otha Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, Ph.D. is a native of Burgaw, NC but now residents in Rock Hill, SC. She is an Assistant Professor of History & African American Studies and serves as Program Coordinator for the African American Studies minor at Winthrop University. She holds several degrees including a Ph.D. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill, specializing in Women’s and Gender history, U.S. history, and African American studies. She is a former Faculty Advisor for the Council of Student Leaders at Winthrop. In 2023, Dr. Dixon-McKnight was awarded the Outstanding Junior Professor Award and the Student Affairs Faculty Student Life Award. Dr. Dixon-McKnight is the director of 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 Glenda Pittman Owens - OH 620
Glenda Pittman Owens
OH 620
This interview was conducted as part of the Winthrop History Project, an initiative led by Winthrop President Emeritus Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio and Rebecca Masters. The project aimed to document Winthrop’s transformation over Dr. DiGiorgio’s 24-year tenure, tracing the institution’s evolution from Winthrop College to Winthrop University. Designed to supplement Dr. Ross Webb’s The Torch is Passed, which chronicles Winthrop’s history up to Dr. DiGiorgio’s presidency, this project sought to provide a comprehensive account of this significant period.
A key component of the initiative was a series of recorded interviews with members of the extended Winthrop community who played a role in shaping the university’s progress. These firsthand narratives preserve the voices, experiences, and perspectives of those who contributed to Winthrop’s growth and development.
This interview features Glenda Pittman Owens, a 1959 Winthrop graduate. Owens dedicated many years of service to the university in various leadership roles, including:
- Board Member of the Alumni Association (1991–1997)
- President of the Alumni Association (1997–1999)
- Member of the Winthrop Foundation Board
- Steering Committee Member for Winthrop’s Capital Campaign
- Trustee on the Winthrop Board of Trustees (2000–2009)
In recognition of her and her husband, Charles Jerry Owens’ contributions, Owens Hall on campus bears their name. In this interview, she reflects on her undergraduate experience at Winthrop, her extensive service to the university, and her working relationship with President DiGiorgio.
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Interview with Mazie Owens - OH 204
Mazie Owens
OH 204
In her interview with Michael Cooke, Mazie Owens discusses her experience and efforts to encourage the black community to register to vote in South Carolina. Mrs. Owens details her involvement in the efforts to assist people with the process of voter registration and the obstacles that black people faced with the Jim Crow laws, as well as the Progressive Democratic Party and the Democratic Party.
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Interview with James Earl Padgett, Jr. - OH 316
James Earl Padgett Jr. and Sickle Cell Anemia
OH 316
In his interview with Michael Cooke, Dr. James Earl Padgett, Jr. (1930-2016) discusses his work with the Department of Health and Environmental Control of South Carolina. Dr. Padgett describes the efforts to develop a program for sickle cell anemia. He details how the Health Department set up their program to screen and counsel people who might have the disease.
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Interview with Irving C. Pahl - OH 141
Irving C. Pahl
OH 141
IN PROCESSING
Subjects include background information and when he entered the service. Colonel Irving C. Pahl represented the U.S. in Czechoslovakia when the country was invaded by Soviet troops in 1968.
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Interview with Paige C. Woodham - OH 775
Paige C. Woodham, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Healthcare Worker
OH 775
This interview was conducted by Jackson Branch with Paige C. Woodham as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Dr. Woodham shares her experiences as a medical professional amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the evolution of the medical field due to the pandemic, notably the lab environment. She also notes the overall challenges and triumphs that both healthcare workers and patients endured amid the pandemic. Notable topics of conversation include COVID-19 testing and protocols, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical personnel shortages, and the pathology field.
Paige Cribb Woodham, MD, is a cytopathology specialist practicing in Charleston, S.C. Dr. Woodham earned her M.D. degree from The University of South Carolina School of Medicine in 2016 and completed her residency at the Medical University of South Carolina (M-USC).
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 Pamela Stephens - OH 766
Pamela Stephens, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Sun City Carolina Lakes
OH 766
This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight with Pamela Stephens as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Stephens shares her experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical year 2020, particularly as a retired American and active church member. Notable topics of conversation include the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, vaccination, religion and faith, education, social unrest, and the evolution of everyday following the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
Pamela Stephens (b. 1953), a native of Chicago, Illinois, is a resident of Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, SC. At the time of the interview, Stephens had resided in the community for nearly ten years. She is an active member of the Faith Presbyterian Church in Indian Land, SC.
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 Donald Parrish - OH 542
Donald Parrish, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham
OH 542
In his May 20, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Donald Parrish detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Parrish spoke of the time period of the 1950s through 2017 and on the following topics: segregation, integration, race relations, plant management, day to day job responsibilities and actions, technology changes, the buyout of the Bleachery by Springs, worker attitudes, interactions with co-workers, the decline of the Bleachery, family, and finally retirement to the year 2017. Parrish also offered his opinions on how Rock Hill was impacted by the Bleachery from the 1950s to 2017.
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Interview with Arvilla Parshall - OH 437
Arvilla Parshall
OH 437
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 Kay Patterson - OH 366
Kay Patterson
OH 366
This interview was conducted by Michael A. Cooke with South Carolina Representative, Kay Patterson who was a member of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. Kay Patterson was born in Darlington, South Carolina in 1931 and grew up in Sumter, South Carolina. Before entering politics, he was a teacher and advocate in his community for African American education and voting rights, including advocating for the voting rights act of 1965. In 1975, Kay Patterson became a member of the House of Representatives and served in the House for the 73rd district until 1985. In 1985, he became a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 19th district until he retired in 2008. He also served as the Secretary of the Black Caucus. In this interview, Kay Patterson discusses his background and his political career, including his personal goals and the goals of the Black Caucus.
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Interview with Ben Paxton - OH 215
Ben Paxton
OH 215
This interview was conducted by Jenna Kasmarik with Ben Paxton, Head Cross-Country and Track and Field Coach at Winthrop University, on March 25, 2015, for Kasmarik’s capstone project on Title IX at Winthrop University. Paxton discusses his arrival at Winthrop in 1993 and his experiences developing the university’s track and field program. At the time, Winthrop had an established cross-country program but no track facility, and Paxton describes the challenges of recruiting athletes, training on grass fields, borrowing equipment from other departments, and building the program from a small group of existing athletes. He discusses recruiting athletes from South Carolina and surrounding states, the support he received from other Winthrop athletic programs, and the early success of the men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field teams.
Paxton reflects on his 22 years at Winthrop and discusses his reasons for remaining at the university. He describes Winthrop’s emphasis on academics and the balance between academic and athletic priorities. The interview also focuses on Title IX and its effects on collegiate athletics. Paxton discusses the expansion of athletic opportunities for women and compares his experiences as a college athlete during the transition from the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He discusses the addition of women’s soccer and lacrosse at Winthrop and his belief that Title IX contributed to the expansion of women’s athletics and the composition of Winthrop’s athletic programs.
Paxton also discusses aspects of Title IX that he would change, including the distribution of track and field scholarships between men’s and women’s programs. He describes the development of combined men’s and women’s track and field programs and reflects on the advantages and disadvantages of having a single head coach for both programs. He discusses the opportunities Title IX has provided to women athletes and contrasts those opportunities with the experiences of women athletes before the expansion of collegiate women’s athletics. The interview concludes with Paxton’s reflections on the effects of Title IX on college sports and the financial and administrative considerations involved in adding or maintaining athletic programs.
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Interview with Gabriel Paxton - OH 151
Gabriel Paxton
OH 151
In his February 18, 2015 interview with Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, Gabriel Paxton shares the story of founding the grassroots organization Rock Hill for Equality. Included are his experiences as an ally in the Southeast and the partnerships he made to support Rock Hill for Equality. Paxton provides insight on this civil rights movement and speculates why the South is slow to change. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Lillian Paxton - OH 313
Margaret Lillian Rivers Paxton
OH 313
Margaret Lillian Rivers Paxton’s interview covers her experience as an undergraduate student at Winthrop College. Lillian graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and became a teacher in Greenville County after graduation. She mentions that her grandmother, (Lillian C. Hughes 1881-1920) attended Winthrop in the early years (1895-1896). Lillian discusses her experience with the entrance exam, getting accepted to Winthrop, and moving onto campus. Mrs. Paxton recounts life in the dorms (McLaurin Hall, Phelps Hall) as well as fun activities during free time. She also discusses specific dress code regulations and rules enforced by Winthrop, the food in the dining halls, and the physical education requires. Mrs. Paxton also discusses the changes in Winthrop College as society changed in the 1960s.
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Interview with Betty Williams Perkins - OH 192
Betty Williams Perkins
OH 192
Betty Williams Perkins (1943-2020) was a Northern Irish peace activist who won the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize for her work. In this interview, Mrs. Williams discusses her life in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, the Provisional IRA, her experience during the conflict within Northern Ireland, the events that led her to decision to begin her activism, her involvement in the Community of the Peace People, her reasons for leaving the peace movement in the 1980, her move to the United States, her social activism in the U.S., and the necessity of the unification of Northern Ireland before peace can be achieved.
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Interview with Persistent Pals - OH 421
Persistent Pals
OH 421
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 Esther Surasky Persky - OH 087
Esther Surasky Persky
OH 087
The interview conducted by Dr. Arnold Shankman of Winthrop College with 1918 Winthrop graduate Esther Surasky Persky outlines the life and experiences of a Jewish girl growing up and living in the South. Esther helped found the Hadassah chapter in Aiken, SC. Hadassah is an American Jewish volunteer women's organization. Subjects include education, family life, employment, college days at Winthrop College, marriage and Zionist organizations and activities.
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Interview with Dorothy Personette - OH 407
Dorothy Personette
OH 407
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 Ansel Peterson - OH 471
Ansel Peterson
OH 471
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 Cologera Petruzella - OH 120
Cologera Petruzella
OH 120
IN PROCESSING
Mrs. Petruzella talks about her life in Sicily and her life in the United States.
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Interview with Daniel Newton Pettus - OH 259
Daniel Newton Pettus, Fort Mill Manufacturing Company, Springs Industries, and Nancy Biggs Thomas Wofford
OH 259
This interview with Daniel Newton Pettus was conducted by Nancy Thomas Wofford for her 1984 Winthrop thesis titled, Fort Mill: Transition From A Farming To A Textile Community, 1880-1920. Subjects include Fort Mill Manufacturing Co., Springs Industries, Ivey’s Mill in Fort Mill, Catawba Power Company, and the Evolution of the Early Cotton Textile Mills in York County, SC.
Daniel Newton Pettus (1902-1998) left his father’s (Newton Thomas Pettus (1876-1954) farm in Belair, SC in Lancaster County and went to work for the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company in 1919. He filled batteries for 3 to 4 years, and “drawed ends” for 44 years, retiring in 1966 at the age of 62. He and his wife, Margaret Frances Lancaster Holcomb Pettus (1923-2017), lived in the mill village. Mr. Pettus discusses childhood and family who owned a three-room farm house in Belair, SC (which is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County near Indian Land today), cotton farm life, native Americans, 1916 flood, child labor, and much on the life working in the factory. Daniel Newton Pettus was a first cousin once removed of Louise Pettus (1926-2021) (namesake of the Winthrop Archives) and a first cousin of her father, Calvin Hall Pettus (1901-1949).
*Audio has an echo of the same interview in background of the recording.
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Interview with Louise Pettus - OH 258
Mildred Louise Pettus
OH 258
Louise Pettus shares her memories and thoughts about her years at Winthrop College (1942-1946). She discusses her switching her major from business to history, the kinds of productions and programs that occurred at Winthrop, and how buildings have changed since she was a student. She talks at length about the buildings and their uses, from Main Building becoming Tillman Hall to Carnegie Library becoming Rutledge. She also discusses the stricter student policies that took place while she was enrolled, like campusing students or shipping them home. If a student was campused as a punishment, they could not leave campus grounds for sometimes up to two weeks. She discusses the types of general education courses she took as well as some of the specialized classes for her history major. Some interesting classes she took include archery and spring hockey. She discusses the military men housed in Bancroft Hall during her time at Winthrop.
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Interview with Louise Pettus - OH 640
Mildred Louise Pettus
OH 640
Louise Pettus discusses her childhood growing up in Lancaster County, her experiences operating and working in a cotton gin owned by her family, her academic career, and her teaching career. Bob Gorman interviewed Ms. Pettus as part of his research into an article he wrote title “Queen Cotton: The Story of a Woman Ginner” that was published in the Winter 2005-2006 Sandlapper magazine.
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Interview with Emma Stella Higgins Phelps - OH 785
Emma Estella Higgins Phelps
OH 785
This audio recording is of Emma Estella Higgins “Stella” Phelps (1887-1971). Stella was the wife of Shelton Joseph Phelps who was the third president of Winthrop College (1934-1943).
This recording features Emma Estella Higgins Phelps 1887-1971) reading her reminiscences of Winthrop College during the presidency of her husband, Dr. Shelton J. Phelps, who served as the institution's third president from 1934 to 1944. Reflecting on their years at Winthrop, Mrs. Phelps describes the beauty of the campus, the construction of new buildings, improvements to academic programs, and the college's continued growth during her husband's administration.
Mrs. Phelps also recalls the friendships and relationships she and Dr. Phelps formed with faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and prominent visitors. She reflects on the dedication of the Winthrop community, particularly its alumni, and shares memories of traveling throughout South Carolina on behalf of the college. Throughout the recording, Mrs. Phelps expresses her deep admiration for Winthrop's traditions, the loyalty of its people, and the lasting impact the college had on her life.
