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.
-
Interview with Nellie Yost - OH 431
Nellie Yost
OH 431
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.
-
Interview with Vivian Zeiders - OH 552
Vivian Zeiders, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham
OH 552
This interview with Mrs. Vivian Zeiders was conducted by Alex Windham for the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University as part of its oral history program. In the interview, Mrs. Zeiders reflects on her experiences working at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, locally known as “the Bleachery,” where she was employed from 1976 to 1982.
Mrs. Zeiders discusses her work in the finishing department, where she mixed textile finishes, operated machinery, and later drove a forklift—roles that were traditionally held by men. She describes the gender dynamics of the workplace, noting both the challenges she faced as a young woman entering a male-dominated department and the support she received from many of her coworkers. She also reflects on workplace culture, including training practices, union influence, and the largely segregated nature of departments within the plant.
In addition to her duties at the Bleachery, Mrs. Zeiders places her experience within the broader context of the regional textile industry. She compares her time at the Bleachery with her work at the Celanese plant in Rock Hill and Springs Mills in Chester, South Carolina, highlighting differences in management, labor conditions, and union presence. She emphasizes the Bleachery’s family-oriented atmosphere and its importance as a major employer in the community.
Mrs. Zeiders also describes the Bleachery’s significant social and economic impact on Rock Hill, including its role in shaping neighborhood life, providing recreational opportunities such as Joslin Park, and sustaining generations of local families. She reflects on the plant’s gradual decline in the late twentieth century, citing layoffs, economic changes, and increased global competition, as well as the uncertainty faced by longtime workers.
Overall, the interview provides insight into the daily realities of textile work, the role of organized labor, and the lasting impact of the Bleachery on both the Rock Hill community and Mrs. Zeiders’s personal and family life.
-
Interview with Saundra Zook - OH 430
Saundra Zook
OH 430
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.