Winthrop University Oral History Program

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  Interview with Tysheeka Purvis - OH 756

  Tysheeka T. Purvis, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Black Women

  OH 756

  This interview was conducted by Autumn Jackson with Tysheeka Purvis as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Purvis discusses her experiences as a working mother during the COVID-19 pandemic, including balancing her professional responsibilities with caring for her two children, an eighth grader and a fourth grader, while they attended school from home. Purvis, a native of Bennettsville, South Carolina, had moved to North Carolina in October 2019 and worked as a child support case coordinator when the pandemic began. She describes adjusting to working from home while caring for her children and managing household responsibilities.

  Purvis discusses the challenges of remote education, childcare, and maintaining personal time during the pandemic. She describes feeling overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a mother, teacher, and employee and discusses finding support through friends, prayer, and crafting. She also discusses her reluctance to return to the workplace after approximately a year and a half of working from home and the difficulty of readjusting to an office environment.

  The interview also addresses Purvis’s concerns about her children returning to in-person education, including COVID-19 exposure, masking policies, and their adjustment after a year of remote learning. She reflects on their academic progress and the challenges of transitioning to new grade levels. Notable topics include motherhood, parenting, employment, remote work, education, childcare, mental health, COVID-19 safety measures, and changes to everyday life during the pandemic.

  Tysheeka T. Purvis (b. 1983) is a native of Bennettsville, South Carolina, and a Child Support Case Coordinator in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She earned a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Grand Canyon University and an M.S. in Human and Social Sciences from Walden University.

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  Interview with Misaye Uno - OH 401

  Misaye Uno

  OH 401

  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 Charles B. Vail and Emily Vail - OH 178

  Charles Brooks Vail and Emily Vail

  OH 178

  Dr. Charles B. Vail (1923-) was the sixth president of Winthrop, serving from 1973 to 1982. He is joined in this interview by his wife, Emily Vail. Grace B. Freeman, editor of the Winthrop Alumni Magazine, interviews Dr. and Mrs. Vail for an article in the publication. In this interview, Dr. Vail discusses teaching and administration at multiple institutions, serving as an administrator, and having to quit teaching. Mrs. Vail discusses her husband’s personality, voice, desire for challenges, her role as the first lady, and finishing her graduate degree. Dr. Vail also discusses deciding to be a college president at Winthrop, his personal thoughts on the job of a university president, his thoughts about Winthrop, his commencement speeches, his inauguration, and the future issue of Winthrop Alumni Magazine that features Dr. Vail and Mrs. Vail. They also discuss how they met in high school, their early college careers at University of Alabama (Dr. Vail) and Birmingham Southern (Mrs. Vail), and Dr. Vail’s time serving in the Navy.

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  Interview with Brenda Van Meter - OH 514

  Brenda Van Meter

  OH 514

  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 Regina Varnadore - OH 277

  Regina Varnadore

  OH 277

  In her June 26, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Regina Varnadore details her time at Winthrop from 1986-1989 as an Elementary Education major. In particular, Varnadore describes the process of earning a degree in Elementary Education. Varnadore discusses her experience student teaching and her career as a teacher. Varnadore mentions her opinions on education in Rock Hill and employees in the school district. Provided is information on Varandore’s family, the story of Varnadore earning her Master’s degree, and her future in the teaching profession. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

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  Interview with Cynthia Venables - OH 278

  Cynthia Venables

  OH 278

  In her July 3, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Cynthia Burris Venables shares her experiences at Winthrop from 1985-1989, as well as her career teaching English. Discussed is Venables coursework as an English major and the rigor of her studies. Additionally, Venables talks about Latin and Biology courses and who her favorite professors were. Venables details what it is like teaching in the 21^st Century, her opinions on technology and teaching, and her accomplishments as an educator.

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  Interview with David E. Vipperman and Elizabeth King Vipperman - OH 633

  David E. Vipperman and Elizabeth King Vipperman

  OH 633

  This interview is part of the Winthrop History Project, an initiative led by Winthrop President Emeritus Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio and Rebecca Masters to document the university’s transformation during Dr. DiGiorgio’s 24-year tenure. Designed to supplement Dr. Ross Webb’s The Torch is Passed, which chronicles Winthrop’s history up to Dr. DiGiorgio’s presidency, this project preserves firsthand accounts of the institution’s evolution through recorded interviews with key members of the Winthrop community.

  This interview features David E. Vipperman and Elizabeth King “Kloo” Vipperman. David Vipperman served as a member of the Winthrop Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2011 and was appointed to the South Carolina Educational Television Commission in 2012 by Governor Nikki Haley. Kloo Vipperman, a Winthrop alumna, served on the Winthrop Alumni Association Board and comes from a family with deep ties to the university. In this conversation, they share their experiences and insights on working with President Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio and reflect on their connections to Winthrop.

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  Come-See-Me Festival Interview - OH 048

  David Vipperman, Phil Pierce, Dennis Parlow, Bob Hope, Charlie McConnell, Vernon Grant, C. H. Albright, Emmett Jerome, and Come-See-Me Festival

  OH 048

  In this April 21, 1978 interview, the origins and history of the Come-See-Me Festival are discussed. Included is an overview of the events for the 1978 event. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program

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  Interview with Mary Kell Wade - OH 122

  Mary Kell Wade

  OH 122

  IN PROCESSING

  Mrs. Wade was the granddaughter of John R. Schorb. Mrs. Wade identifies photographs from the John R. Schorb Collection to be used in an article for Sandlapper magazine by Ron Chepesiuk. She also discusses her genealogical research on the Schorb family.

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  Interview with Gloria Walker - OH 691

  Gloria Walker, Emmett Scott High School, and Civil Rights

  OH 691

  This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with Gloria Walker with a focus on the History of Emmett Scott High School. Emmett Scott 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 was closed in 1970 when full integration was implemented in Rock Hill, SC schools. Gloria Walker is a 1969 graduate of Rock Hill High School discusses attending Rock Hill Schools during integration and the civil rights movement at large.

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  Interview with Hattie Walker - OH 66

  Hattie Walker

  OH 066

  This interview with Ms. Hattie Walker discusses the lives of African Americans in Chester, South Carolina around the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Ms. Walker talks about what she remembers being told about slavery and what she remembers from her childhood about share cropping, going to school and church, shopping, railroads, lynching and the KKK, not being able to vote, segregation, presidents, and African American leaders. She also talks about what changes she would like to see made in the south that would further benefit the lives of African Americans.

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  Interview with Alice Wand - OH 478

  Alice Wand

  OH 478

  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 McKinley Washington - OH 357

  McKinley Washington

  OH 357

  Rev. McKinley Washington (1936-2022) was a lawmaker having served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1975 through 1990 and in the South Carolina Senate from 1990 through 2000. He also served as pastor of the Edisto Presbyterian Church for 50 years. In this interview. Rev. Washington discusses his up bringing and his career, while focusing on his role as chairman of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus.

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  Interview with Tressa Waters - OH 475

  Tressa Waters

  OH 475

  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 Tom Watson and I. A. Crawley - OH 075

  Tom Watson and I. A. Crawley

  OH 075

  IN PROCESSING

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  Interview with Hope Weatherly - OH 271

  Hope Weatherly

  OH 271

  In her May 22, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Hope Weatherly detailed her thoughts and memories at Winthrop from 1970-1976. In particular, Weatherly discusses the evolution of her studies at Winthrop, starting as a music major then graduating with a degree in education. Weatherly recalls her opinions on University presidents, professors, and food. Weatherly concludes her interview by discussing her career as a social worker and the challenges she faced in her profession.

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  Interview with Ann Webb - OH 493

  Ann Webb

  OH 493

  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 Thomas O. Webb - OH 786

  Thomas O. Webb and Dinkins Program Board

  OH 786

  This interview was conducted by Winthrop student, Debbie Mollycheck, for an article for the Johnsonian (student newspaper) that was published on April 26, 1976 titled, “Webb: “Activities Enhance Education.” Debbie Mollycheck is a Winthrop College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in 1976 and a Master of Science in 1979 and worked for a time as a student editor for the Johnsonian. She conducted this interview with Thoms O. Webb, Jr. who was the Director of the Dinkins Student Center from 1975-2001. The subject of the interview is the Dinkins Program Board which started during the 1975/1976 academic year with 8 sub-committees and the interview starts with an interview of a student who was running for the 1976/1977 President of the Dinkins Program Board.

  The first 4:14 minutes of the recording are of an unknown student (possibly Debra J. Kimbrell, ’77, who served on the 1975/1976 ATS Committee and served as President of the Dinkins Program Board during the 1976/1977 academic year) who was serving on the ATS Committee or the Special Events Committee the year prior (1975/1976) and then ran for President of the Dinkins Program Board for the 1976/1977 academic year. The first interviewee discusses what the Dinkins Program Board is and the 8 committees that it comprises, their role in organization and what the role of the president is.

  The recording (00:04:14 – 00:36:01) then switches over to an interview with Dinkin Student Center Director, Tom Webb. Tom Webb discusses the differences between the Dinkins Program Board, the Dinkins Policy Board, and the Dinkins Student Center. He discusses the differences in makeup and the duties of the committees. Tom Webb also discusses the change in social atmosphere that has occurred at Winthrop with the admission of men as students. Webb also talks about the different types of Winthrop students, and the effect that their living situation has on their attendance of Winthrop events.

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  Interview with Roger Weikle - OH 634

  Roger Dale Weikle

  OH 634

  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. Roger Dale Weikle, who dedicated 42 years to Winthrop University, serving as a professor in the Department of Management and Marketing from 1975 until his retirement in 2017. He held the position of Dean of the College of Business Administration from 1996 to 2017. In this discussion, Dr. Weikle reflects on his experiences and insights while working with Winthrop President Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio.

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  Interview with Frankie Welch - OH 183

  Frankie Welch

  OH 183

  Frankie Welch, born Mary Frances Barnett (1923- ), was a fashion designer and a former Distinguished Visiting Professor of Merchandising and Design in the School of Consumer Science at Winthrop College from 1982 through 1985. She became well-known for designing scarves for many prominent political figures from 1960s to 1990s, a dress design known as “The Frankie,” and a dress worn by First Lady Betty Ford in her official portrait. Subjects of the interview include Welch’s background, interest in designing, consulting business, relationships with family, friends, and Winthrop College and her views on the ERA.

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  Interview with James F. Wells - OH 682

  James F. Wells

  OH 682

  This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with James Wells with a focus on the History of Emmett Scott High School. Emmett Scott 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 was closed in 1970 when full integration was implemented in Rock Hill, SC schools. Mr. James F. Wells (b. ca. 1942 - d. 2018) was a native of Rock Hill, SC and graduated from Emmett Scott High School in 1959 and attended Friendship Junior College. He was a member of a South Carolina civil rights group known as the Friendship Nine and spent a month in jail in 1961 after he and eight other black men were charged with trespassing at a whites-only lunch counter (McCrory’s) in Rock Hill. The men, who were attending nearby Friendship Junior College, chose to spend time in jail rather than pay a fine in what was called the "jail, no bail" movement. Their time on a chain gang in York County encouraged protesters to stay in jail to fight segregation, Jim Crow laws and other forms of racism. In the interview Mr. Wells discusses his experiences growing up in the area, attending the Emmett Scott High School and Friendship Junior College, his role in the Friendship Nine, and the Civil Rights movement in general.

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  Interview with Betty Wenig - OH 408

  Betty Wenig

  OH 408

  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 Susan Winn Westbrook - OH 280

  Susan Winn Westbrook

  OH 280

  This interview was conducted with Rock Hill native Susan Winn Westbrook. Mrs. Westbrook is a 1987 Rock Hill High school graduate and initially came to Winthrop to become a teacher in 1987, but dropped out after her freshmen year. In 2006, she returned to Winthrop and graduated in 2011, majoring in early childhood education. She did not live on campus, but commuted to school and she discusses what being a commuter student is like. She discusses the friends she made on campus and her experience with her family while being a student, as well as the general experiences of a non-traditional student at Winthrop. She also discusses how Winthrop helped prepare her teaching career, specifically as a second grade teacher at Sunset Park Elementary School.

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  Interview with Susie Westbrook - OH 119

  Susie Ann Thomas Westbrook

  OH 119

  Mrs. Susie Ann Thomas Westbrook (1906-1994), a 1927 graduate of Winthrop College, talks about her student days at Winthrop, including the Winthrop Training School, teachers, uniforms, culture, entertainment and changes to the school.

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  Interview with Jane West - OH 274

  Martha Jane Cato West

  OH 274

  In her July 15, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Jane Cato West (Class of 1968) details her time at Winthrop as a Biology major in the 1960s. Briefly, West discusses student life and Winthrop traditions, but she provides insight into her life student teaching at Florence High School. Additionally, West includes her experience in required courses like English and Math, as well as experiments conducted in her Biology courses. West concludes the interview with her overall perceptions of Winthrop.