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Interview with Rod Ruth - OH 778
Rod Ruth and Clover School District
OH 778
This interview was conducted by Kenya L. Lane with Rod Ruth as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Clover High School Principal Rod Ruth shares his experiences leading one of the state’s largest public schools amid the year 2020’s alarming rise in racial injustice. He discusses in detail the response of his school and school district to students and parents’ concerns regarding racism, especially in light of the unjust deaths of several African Americans across the nation that year. Ruth also talks about his efforts to understand the problems that African Americans students face. In doing so, he recounts participating in a march against racial injustice led by the members of the Roosevelt Community in Clover, SC. Notable topics of conversation include race, racism, diversity, education, leadership, Clover High School, and the Clover School District (CSD).
Rod Ruth served as the Principal of Clover High School from 2015 to 2023; he previously taught social studies education and served in several administrative capacities including as Assistant Principal of Oakridge Middle School (2012-14). In 2023, Ruth took on a new role as the CSD Chief Student Services and Secondary Education Officer. The same year, he was named the South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year by the SCASA. Ruth holds a B.S. degree from Francis Marion University, a M.Ed. degree from USC-Columbia, and an Educational Specialist degree from Winthrop University.
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 Raymond Roeske
Raymond Roeske
VHP 026
In his November 25, 2003 interview with Ray Nielson, Raymond Roeske details his training in the Army Air Corps and his missions overseas during WWII. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Theodore Rosengarten
Theodore Rosengarten
OH 268
IN PROCESSING
An author from Charleston, South Carolina, Rosengarten discusses himself and his books.
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Interview with Caroline Mayo Roueche - OH 035
Caroline Mayo Roueche
OH 035
IN PROCESSING
Ms. Roueche describes her experiences teaching in integrated schools, and experiences first as a high school student at the Winthrop Training School and then as a college student at Winthrop. Also discusses her grandmother and parents, her education, change of women’s roles, drugs, dating trends, and race relations.
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Interview with Jerry Rubin
Jerry Rubin
OH 229
In his interview with Ron Chepesiuk, Jerry Rubin discussed his time as a ‘60s radical and how those experiences aided in his career. Rubin covered topic of multilevel marketing, entrepreneurship, networking, Yuppies, protests, self-reliance, and journalism. He also discussed other activists such as Abbie Hoffman, Paul Krassner, and Anita Hoffman, along with CIA conspiracies, Hippies and Diggers, Groucho Marx, and the counterculture. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Emile Russett - OH 545
Emile Russett, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham
OH 545
In this June 28, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Emile Russett detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Russett spoke of the time period of the 1970s through 2017 and on the follow topics: layoffs, day to day job responsibilities and actions including ways he tried to communicate with the workers, technology changes, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery, involvement on the Bleachery Heritage Committee and the new changes with University Center.
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Interview with Rustica L. Hohn - OH 738
Rustica L. Hohn, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 738
This interview was conducted by William Calandro with Rustica L. Hohn as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Hohn details her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical year 2020. She discusses in depth the fragile state of the hospitality industry amid the pandemic, often noting the challenges she faced as a restaurant worker. Hohn later discusses working for the non-profit organization DREAM in 2020, notably her time filming advertisements for small businesses in Summerville, S.C. Hohn also shares her interests in social media (TikTok, podcasts, etc.) as well as the hobbies she picked up during the pandemic. Other notable topics of conversation include education, social injustice, political division, and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.
Rustica Lynn Hohn (b. 1994) is a native of Summerville, SC who is earning her M.A. in Teaching degree with a concentration in Social Studies at Winthrop University. She previously studied Mass Communications as an undergraduate student.
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 Betty Sakata
Betty Sakata
OH 406
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 Alice Hayden Salo
Alice Hayden Salo
OH 037
Professor of Dance in the Physical Education Department at Winthrop (1937-1944 and 1948-1973), Ms. Salo describes her childhood and education in Florida, her interests, philosophy and creativity regarding modern dance and its development, her career teaching tennis, swimming and dance at Winthrop and her attendance at the Demonstration School.
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Interview with Sam Gaertner - OH 733
Sam Gaertner, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Sun City Carolina Lakes
OH 733
This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight with Sam Gaertner as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Gaertner reflects on his personal experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as a resident of the Sun City Carolina Lakes Community in Indian Land, SC. He discusses in detail the evolution of everyday life following social isolation and the sudden turn to a digitized world (Zoom, online shopping, etc.). Other notable topics of conversation include social unrest and the politicization of the pandemic in terms of vaccination, face masks, and COVID-19 guidelines.
Sam Gaertner, Ph.D. (b. 1942), a native of Brooklyn, New York, is a retired social psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. He now resides in Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, SC. He moved to the Community in the mid-2010s following retirement.
Spearheaded by Dr. 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 Sarah Willette Padgett Satterwhite - OH 004
Sarah Willette Padgett Satterwhite
OH 004
IN PROCESSING
Ms. Satterwhite received a B. A. degree in 1945 and discusses student life during the 1940s. Subjects discussed include dorm life, World War II, the AFROTC (Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp), rules and regulations, uniforms, fire drills, food, clubs, classes, cheating, recreation, the Blue Line, dating, President Phelps, Henry Sims, and the teacher training school.
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Interview with William Saunders - OH 200
William Saunders and Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation
OH 200
This collection consists of an interview with William Saunders (1935- ), the executive director of Committee on Better Racial Assurance (COBRA). In this interview, Saunders discusses his early life, his experience in the Army, life on Johns Island, the Progressive Club, the Gullah language spoken on Johns Island, his introduction to sickle cell disease, media coverage, the origin of the COBRA organization in 1970, the hospital workers’ strike in Charleston in 1969, police brutality and excessive sentencing towards Black men, the sickle cell program within COBRA, unethical sickle cell testing on Johns Island, other contributors to the formation of the COBRA sickle cell program, the educational process surrounding sickle cell, the unique features of COBRA, and the objectives of the COBRA sickle cell program.
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Interview with James H. Scales
James H. Scales
OH 055
IN PROCESSING
A discussion of Scales life and work as a secret service agent for President Harry S. Truman. This interview focuses on Mr. Scales’ life in Tennessee in the early 1900s followed by his duty with the Secret Service.
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Interview with Masa Scheerer
Masa Scheerer
OH 515
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 Neva Schlatter
Neva Schlatter
OH 440
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 Walter Schrader - OH 256
Walter Herman Schrader, Coeducation, and Winthrop University
OH 256
This interview was conducted with Walter Herman Schrader (1912-2005) who was the first male to be awarded a degree by Winthrop in 1969. Winthrop’s charter stipulated that only females could receive a degree from Winthrop, so although men have attended classes (mostly evening and summer classes) since as early as 1898, men would have to transfer to other institutions to receive a degree. Winthrop had been making efforts to move towards coeducation when Walter Schrader sued to get his degree and helped expedite the process of Winthrop becoming a fully coeducational institution in 1974. In this interview, Walter discusses his background and his early academic career. He spends most of the interview discussing the process he took to receive his degree from Winthrop and the reception he received as a result. He offers his opinion on Winthrop and what he envisions for the future of the college.
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Interview with Annie M. Scoville
Annie M. Scoville
OH 223
IN PROCESSING
Ms. Scoville discusses classes at Winthrop, basketball, teacher training, career as a teacher, marriage, restrictions, uniforms, daily routines, pranks, homesickness, clubs, swimming, sports, entertainment, library, professors and Christmas at Winthrop.
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Interview with Samuel William Searles - VHP 057
Samuel William Searles
VHP 057
In his November 1, 2005 interview with Ebony Williams, Samuel William Searles recalls being drafted for the army during WWII. Searles explains his job during war and how he and fellow soldiers celebrated the end of the war. Searles also shares his memories of more of the harrowing experiences of war: segregation, death, and the mental effects of war. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Etta Sue Sellers
Etta Sue Sellers
OH 495
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 Semeka Randall Lay - OH 758
Semeka Randall Lay, Winthrop University, Women's Basketball, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 758
This interview was conducted by Olivia “Liv” Paxon with Semeka Randall Lay as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Coach Randall Lay discusses her upbringing, collegiate years, and later professional career as a WNBA basketball player and NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach. She details her journey as part of Winthrop University’s women’s basketball coaching team (2019-present), notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shares her experiences as a Black athlete, coach, and woman. Notable topics of conversation include women’s basketball, Winthrop athletics, racial and gender disparities, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Semeka Chantay Randall-Lay (b. 1979), a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is the head coach of Winthrop University’s women’s basketball team, a position she took on in 2021. She is also a former collegiate and professional basketball player. Coach Randall Lay previously served as associate (2019-2020) and interim head coach (2020-2021) for the women’s basketball team at Winthrop.
Spearheaded by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, an Assistant Professor of History and 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 Shacara Taylor - OH 768
Shacara Taylor, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Black Women
OH 768
This interview was conducted by Autumn Jackson with Shacara Taylor as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Taylor discusses her experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a Black woman, mother, and educator. She details the challenges she faced as a teacher in terms of the evolution of the classroom experience (virtual learning, COVID-19 protocols, etc.). She also shares her pregnancy experience during the pandemic and difficulties she later confronted trying to balance motherhood and teaching. Other notable topics of conversation include mental health, financial security, marriage, and parenting.
Shacara Janai Hanna Taylor (b. 1995) is a native of Lake City, SC and is a secondary English teacher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Francis Marion University in 2017. The same year, she began teaching English at Dillon High School in Dillon, 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 Shaniya Simmons - OH 762
Shaniya Simmons, Black Women, and Social Justice
OH 762
This interview was conducted by Delmarie Wilson with Shaniya Simmons as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. In the interview, Simmons shares her experiences as a Black woman navigating 21st-century American society, notably in the context of the year 2020. She particularly recounts her participation in social justice protests during the summer of 2020. Notable topics of conversations identity, gender inequality, race, racism, social activism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Shaniya Simmons (b.2000) is a native of Atlanta, GA and, at the time of the interview, was a college student at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.
Spearheaded by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, an Assistant Professor of History and 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 Shauntoria Currence - OH 727
Shauntoria Currence, Black Women, and Small Businesses
OH 727
This interview was conducted by Winthrop student Kaniya Simpson with Shauntoria Currence as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History, with specific emphasis on Black women in business. Currence discusses her experiences as a Black, female business owner balancing her many roles as an accountant, mother, wife, and community member. She sheds light on the importance of providing livable wages to her workers, especially in the local African American community.
Shauntoria Currence, a Rock Hill native, studied Psychology at USC-Upstate and Entrepreneurship at York Technical College. She owns and operates New Generation Installation and Repair, LLC (formerly New Generation Electrical Contractors) in Rock Hill, SC. The company specializes in residential and commercial electrical contracting as well as installation services.
Spearheaded by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, 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 Lloyd Braxton "Bud" Shaw and Ruby Shaw Moore - OH 267
Lloyd Braxton Shaw and Ruby Shaw Moore
OH 267
This interview discusses the Shaw family and interviews both Lloyd Braxton “Bud” Shaw (1913-1993) and Ruby Ellena Shaw Moore (b. 1910). Bud and Ruby Shaw were born in Pineville, North Carolina and later moved with family to the upstate of South Carolina. Bud and Ruby discuss their parents (Thomas Palmer Shaw and Lois L. Little Shaw) and grandparents, where they lived and how they moved around a lot during their childhood, what their parents did for hobbies and for work, and their family bible. They also share different memories from their childhood.
