Winthrop University Oral History Program

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  Interview with Frances Patton Statham - OH 647

  Frances Patton Statham

  OH 647

  Frances Patton Statham (1931-2020) was born in Catawba, South Carolina to Ernest Boyd & Kathleen Patton. She attended Winthrop College and graduated with a B.S. degree in 1951. The next year on June 28 Frances married Dr. George Wilkes Statham. Continuing her education, Mrs. Statham attended the University of Georgia and received a M.F.A in 1970. Frances also studied at the Royal Conservatory in Canada and with tenor Ralph Errolle. In November of 1976, France Patton Statham divorced her husband and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Mrs. Statham has written several historical romances set in the south. In this interview, Mrs. Statham discusses the Winthrop College sextet, the changes in Winthrop since her time there, her work on the Winthrop College Foundation Board, her research in Europe for some of her novels (including Wings of Fire), “creative listening/looking” within her research process, her process for completing her novels, her latest novel To Face the Sun, the key to being a successful historical author, and the success of Wings of Fire.

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  Interview with Lillian McCullom Steury - OH 480

  Lillian Pearl McCullom Steury, National Extension Homemakers Council, and Voices of American Homemakers

  OH 480

  Lillian Pearl “Lillie” McCullom Steury (1902-2004), born and raised in Missouri, was an active member of the Missouri Extension Homemakers Club for more than 47 years. In this interview, she reflects on club life, homemaking, childbearing, and family management in the small towns and rural communities where she lived. She also discusses the important role that Extension Homemakers groups played in the lives of women during that time. This interview was conducted as part of a three-year oral history project titled Voices of American Homemakers, funded by a 1983 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and organized by the National Extension Homemakers Council (NEHC). The project resulted in approximately 200 interviews with women across the United States, documenting their experiences in the early homemakers club movement.

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  Interview with Ida Crawford Stewart - OH 197

  Ida Barksdale Crawford Stewart

  OH 197

  This interview was conducted by Winthrop archivist and professor Ron Chepesiuk for an article on Mrs. Ida Crawford Stewart for The State Magazine published on January 5, 1986 titled, “Estee Lauder’s Missionary.” Ida Crawford Stewart (1922-2023), art-educator, beautician and businesswoman, was a 1943 Winthrop College graduate and served as Director of Alumni Affairs at Winthrop College. She began her career at Estee Lauder in 1961 as Vice President and later Acting President for Estee Lauder Inc., New York The interview focuses on Stewart’s Winthrop experiences and her career.

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  Interview with J. B. Stewart - OH 306

  J. B. Stewart

  OH 306

  This interview focuses on Winthrop alumna Mrs. J. B. Stewart, class of 1933, and her time at Winthrop College. Mrs. J. B. Stewart attended Winthrop College from 1929-1933 and graduated magna cum lade. She was a French and English double major. In the interview, Mrs. Stewart discusses her classes and teachers at Winthrop College, dorm life and campus life, and what has changed on campus since she attended.

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  Interview with Brenda Stone - OH 326

  Brenda Stone

  OH 326

  In her June 1984 interview with Michael Cooke, Brenda Stone discussed her work with DHEC and her relationship with the community organizations that dealt with sickle cell. Stone discussed topics of DHEC’s role in handling sickle cell patients, the community organizations, and sickle cell patient care. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

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  Interview with Gary Lee Stone- OH 629

  Gary Lee Stone

  OH 629

  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 Dr. Gary Lee Stone, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Winthrop University. Joining the faculty in August 1975, Dr. Stone served as the Director of Winthrop's Center for Economic Education and held the position of Chief Faculty Marshal for several decades. In this discussion, he reflects on his experiences at Winthrop and his interactions with President Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio.

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  Interview with Jessie Lee Strong - OH 077

  Jessie Lee Strong

  OH 077

  IN PROCESSING

  A Rock Hill resident, most of the discussion concerns Mrs. Strong and her activities as a teacher and community leader, but also included is information on the Depression and the lives of African Americans in Rock Hill.

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  Interview with Oriska Stroschein - OH 397

  Oriska Stroschein

  OH 397

  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 Katharine Strozier - OH 112

  Katharine Strozier

  OH 112

  In her December 6, 1980 interview with Rebecca Myers, Katharine Strozier shares the details of her life at Winthrop from the time she was in Training School until the time she graduated. Included are the memories of her life after Winthrop as a teacher and how her mother lived after the death of President James P. Kinard. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

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  Interview with Phyllis Sullivan - OH 458

  Phyllis Sullivan

  OH 458

  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 Sun City Residents - OH 726

  Sun City Carolina Lakes and COVID-19 Pandemic

  OH 726

  The interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight and Michaela Bessinger with eight women from Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, SC as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. The group provides critical insight into the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 experience. Topics of conversation include the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination, social isolation, social justice, and political polarization, especially in regards to the 2020 U.S. Election and the Black Lives Matter movement. Other notable topics include the January 6th Attack on the Capitol (2021) and even travel experiences right before and during the pandemic. This all-female, retired group living in a 55-plus community provides a unique lens to examining the critical year 2020.

  The interviewees include Wendy Anderson, Susan F. Bradley, Patricia Karlsson, Linda G. Neu, Barbara Riegel, Lorraine M. Russell, Paula Schmelzer, and Penelope A. Wilkinson. Most of the interviewees are natives of the Midwest and Northeast United States who ultimately retired in the Sun City Carolina Lakes Community of Indian Land, SC. Several have in fact served in the U.S. Foreign Service or worked in other capacities in the U.S. Intelligence Community.

  Spearheaded by Dr. 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 Susan O. Wallerstein - OH 772

  Susan O. Wallerstein, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Sun City Carolina Lakes

  OH 772

  This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight and Michaela Bessinger with Dr. Susan Wallerstein as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Dr. Wallerstein first details her personal and professional background; she later shares her experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and critical year 2020, particularly as a retired American living in Sun City Carolina Lakes. She notes how this period in her life opened the door to learning, reflection, and personal growth. A Francophile at heart, she also shares her love for language and culture. Notable topics of conversation include the COVID-19 pandemic, education, culture, civic engagement, social unrest, and political polarization.

  Susan Olsen Wallerstein, Ph.D. (b. 1949), a native of Seattle, Washington, and longtime Connecticuter, is a retired education professional who now resides in Sun City Carolina Lakes in Indian Land, SC. In addition to her forty-year career as an educator and administrator, Dr. Wallerstein served on several local and state boards, notably as Chairwoman of the Norwalk Arts Commission (2014-2019). Dr. Wallerstein holds a B.A. and Ph.D. degree from the University of Connecticut and a M.A. degree from the University of Bridgeport.

  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 Susan Petrow - OH 753

  Susan Petrow, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Sun City Carolina Lakes

  OH 753

  This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight with Susan Petrow as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Petrow discusses her experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and critical year 2020, particularly as a retired American living in the Sun City Carolina Lakes community of Indian Land, SC. She also details her virtual work with H.O.P.E (Helping Other People Effectively), a non-profit organization in Lancaster County, SC, and how it became a medium to escape the monotony of quarantine. Notable topics of conversation include social isolation, vaccination, COVID-19 protocols (masks, social distancing, etc.), social justice efforts, historical monuments, and the slow return to normalcy.

  Susan Petrow (b. 1953) is a New Jersey native who moved to Sun City Carolina Lakes in 2014. She has since relocated to the Rehoboth Beach area of Delaware.

  Spearheaded by Dr. 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 Lonny L. Svantesson - OH 109

  Lonny L. Svantesson

  OH 109

  This interview with Lonny L. Svantesson was conducted by Ernest Lewis Gibson about Lonny’s experiences as a transfer student at Winthrop College from Sweden in 1980. The interview was conducted for a class assignment by Mr. Gibson. In this interview, Mr. Svantesson discusses social customs, economics, hobbies, politics, education, Winthrop and comparisons of the U.S. and their countries.

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  Interview with Daisy Taylor - OH 441

  Daisy Taylor

  OH 441

  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 Elizabeth Ellis Taylor - OH 196

  Elizabeth Ellis Taylor

  OH 196

  The subject of the interview is Mrs. Mary Gordon Ellis (1890-1934), the first female senator in the South Carolina General Assembly from Jasper County, 1928-1932, and county Superintendent of Education from 1924-1928. She was involved in controversial issues such as school consolidation, hiring of African American supervisors, buses for both races, equal textbooks, and required in-service training for teachers.

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  Interview with Lois Dean McLaughlin Taylor - OH 097

  Lois Dean McLaughlin Taylor

  OH 097

  IN PROCESSING

  Taylor, a Winthrop graduate, speaks of her experiences as a teacher in the Presbyterian Missionary School at Woodstock in the Himalayan Mountains in India during 1931-1939.

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  Interview with Gale Teaster - OH 068

  Gale Teaster

  OH 068

  In her October 2014 interview with Rebecca Nave, Gale Teaster detailed her thoughts and memories of her time at Winthrop University (then Winthrop College). Teaster spoke of the time period of 1971-1975 on the following topics: Coeducation, Winthrop traditions, student life, and outside opinions on the coeducation of Winthrop College. Teaster also offered her opinions on how Winthrop has changed between the 1970s and today. Teaster then discussed the change in diversity at Winthrop as a result of coeducation. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

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  Interview with Terri B. Cowan - OH 725

  Terri B. Cowan, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Healthcare

  OH 725

  The interview was conducted by Jackson Branch with Terri Cowan as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Cowan discusses her experiences as a healthcare worker in a rural community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, notably as someone who conducted rapid COVID-19 test at a drive-thru testing clinic for nearly five months. Cowan also details the greater developments in the healthcare industry in response to the pandemic such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), patient-physician relations, telehealth, and the logistical evolutions in the field.

  Terri B. Cowan, PA-C is a physician assistant in Bennettsville, SC. She has been in the medical field for nearly thirty years. Cowan completed her PA program (1993) at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.

  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 Bob Thompson - OH 547

  Bob Thompson, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham

  OH 547

  In his June 29, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Bob Thompson detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Thompson spoke of the time of the 1970s through 2017 and on the follow topics: Public relations, Springs buyout of the Bleachery, Springs perspective on the closing of the Bleachery, reasons for the decline of the textile industry and his ideas on the future of the Bleachery as University Center of Knowledge Park.

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  Interview with Daniel W. Thompson - OH 208

  Daniel W. Thompson

  OH 208

  In his interview with Michael Cooke, Daniel W. Thompson discusses his involvement with the Progressive Democratic Party. Mr. Thompson details his involvement in the start of the Party and his role as the Secretary of the Columbia South Carolina Chapter. Mr. Thompson discusses the local chapter of the Progressive Democratic Party and its impact on the Columbia South Carolina area and African American voter registration.

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  Interview with Mabel Thompson - OH 164

  Mabel Thompson

  OH 164

  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 Robert L. Thompson - OH 630

  Robert L. Thompson

  OH 630

  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 Robert L. “Bob” Thompson, who played a significant role in Winthrop’s governance. Thompson was a member of the Board of Visitors in the mid-1980s and later served as President of the Winthrop Foundation Board. In 1992, he was appointed to Winthrop’s Board of Trustees, serving two terms from 1992–2005 and 2008–2014. In this conversation, he reflects on his experiences and insights from working with President Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio.

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  Interview with Winifred Thrush and Mary Shultz - OH 374

  Winifred Thrush and Mary Shultz

  OH 374

  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 Larry Timbs Sr. - VHP 015

  Lawrence C. Timbs

  VHP 015

  In his November 27, 2003 interview with Larry Timbs Jr., Larry Timbs Sr. recollects his career in the army during WWII and the Korean War. Timbs explains why he entered the service, his relationship with civilians while overseas, and comments on the Iraq War. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.