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Interview with Deliyah Tillman - OH 769
Deliyah Tillman, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 769
This interview was conducted by William “Bill” Calandro with Deliyah Tillman as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Tillman first details her experiences as a high school student in a dual enrollment program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She touches on the difficulties of losing a loved one to COVID-19 complications, all while trying to transition to college at Winthrop University amid a public health crisis. Tillman also notes the influence of the A.M.E Zion Church on her life, and the evolution of the church experience. She concludes by noting the importance of social justice efforts and her participation in a march against racial injustice in the summer of 2020.
Deliyah Tillman (b. 2001) was born in Greenwood, SC but was raised in Calhoun Falls, SC. She is an active member of the A.M.E. Zion Church and aspires to be an athletic director. At the time of the interview, she was a senior at Winthrop University studying Exercise Science with a minor in Health. She previously studied at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, SC through a high school dual enrollment program.
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 Dave Dellinger
David T. Dellinger
OH 235
In his February 1994 interviews with Ron Chepesiuk, Dave Dellinger revealed his view of his involvement during the anti-war movement. Dellinger was a non-violence activist and a leader of the anti-war movement of the 1960s. Dellinger discussed topics such as the sixties counterculture, Ho Chi Minh and their friendship, non-violence, self-esteem, drugs, the Chicago 7, Abbie Hoffman, and the legacy of the 1960s. Dellinger also discussed his views of activism of the 1990s, his view of the Clinton administration, the U.S. government and military, violence vs. non-violence, and the impact of the end of the Cold War on the anti-war movement. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Mary Depew
Mary Depew
OH 519
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 St. Julian F. Devine - OH 207
St. Julian F. Devine
OH 207
In his interview with Michael Cooke, St. Julian F. Devine (1916-2000) discusses his life and experiences in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Mr. Devine details his work with the South Carolina Progressive Democratic Party as well as various other political organizations such as the Palmetto Voters Association. He also details his political work in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Devine served on the Charleston City Council from 1967 to 1975, making him the first African American member on the council since Reconstruction. He also served as Mayor Pro Tem in 1975. Mr. Devine was a very active participant in the Civil Rights Movement and efforts to improve the lives of the black community.
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Interview with Charlene Diel
Charlene Diel
OH 419
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 Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs - OH 687
William P. Diggs and Civil Rights
OH 687
This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with Reverend William P. Diggs as part of his History of Emmett Scott High School and Rock Hill, South Carolina. Emmett Scott High School was the segregated African American high school named after Emmett J. Scott, a former aid to Booker T. Washington and President Woodrow Wilson. The school opened in 1920 and closed in 1970 with the integration of Rock Hill School District. Many Emmett Scott students went on to Friendship College. Reverend Diggs worked at Friendship and was involved in the Civil Rights Movement in Rock Hill. Reverend Diggs discusses his experiences growing up as well as his connection to Friendship College both personally as his grandfather Mansel P. Hall founded Friendship as well as professionally. He also discusses his work with support of the Civil Rights movement both in Friendship College and Rock Hill in general. Reverend Diggs also discusses some of the famous Civil Rights activists that he has met and worked with such as Martin Luther King Jr, and Benjamin Mays.
“Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs[1]
A leader in the church and community, the Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs contributed decades of his life for the betterment of the lives of South Carolinians. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1926 and reared in Rock Hill. He earned several degrees: a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College; a Master of Arts in Sociology from Atlanta University; a Master of Divinity from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School; and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago.
He helped organize South Carolina’s first sit-in demonstrations, held Feb. 12, 1960 in Rock Hill, primarily involving students from Friendship Junior College. As pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Florence, SC for more than fifty years, he facilitated: the purchase of additional property; establishment of a highly acclaimed preschool ministry; a federally operated credit union; and purchase of commercial property that includes barber shops, beauty salons and a restaurant.
In addition, he has contributed his time and expertise to many institutions and organizations. He served as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Friendship, Benedict and Morris colleges for an aggregate of twenty-four years. Diggs has served as board member of Friendship, Benedict and Morris colleges; Morehouse School of Religion; the Interdenominational Theological Center; Nannie Helen Burroughs School; the Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity; and the Florence Mayor’s Human Relations Committee. He has also served as president of the Florence Branch of the NAACP.
He is a recipient of numerous awards and honors including: the Order of the Palmetto; SC Black Hall of Fame; The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce “Building the Bridges Humanitarian Award”; and seven honorary degrees.
Diggs retired from the pastorate in December 2013. He has been married to Clotilda Daniels Diggs for 62 years, and the couple has two adult children — Mary Lynne and William, Jr. (Lennette). They have one grandson, William II.”
Dr. Diggs dedicated his life and work to the betterment of lives for South Carolinians. Dr. Diggs helped organize the first sit-in demonstrations in South Carolina, February 12, 1960, primarily involving Friendship Junior College students which predated the Friendship Nine sit-in the following year.
[1] South Carolina African American: https://scafricanamerican.com/honorees/rev-dr-william-p-diggs/
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Interview with Anthony DiGiorgio
Anthony Joseph DiGiorgio
OH 156
In his February 20, 2015 interview with Daniel Lee, Anthony DiGiorgio recollects the impact Hurricane Hugo had on Winthrop University and the Rock Hill Community. DiGiorgio discusses weather reports leading up to the hurricane, his personal experience with the storm, and the aftermath of Hugo on campus. DiGiorgio shares the ways in which Winthrop University assisted the community and its faculty and staff. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Richard Dinning
Richard Dinning
OH 309
In his October 17, 2012 interview with Robert Ryals, Richard Dinning (1922-2022) details his thoughts and memories as an Army Air Corps cadet at Winthrop. Dinning includes details of his career in the Army Air Corp during WWII.
Captain Richard Dinning (1922-2022) was a combat pilot and WWII veteran. Capt. Dinning flew a B-17 bomber on 33 missions over Germany from 1944 to 1945. Before his stint in the war his Army Air Corp training brought him to Winthrop College. In 1943 the U. S. Army established the 41st College Training Detachment at Winthrop College to train young men for assignments in the Army Air Corps. These young men took classes at Winthrop, lived in “Fort Bancroft” [Bancroft Hall] and completed flight training at Roddey Field located just south of the city of Rock Hill off of SC Highway 72. Richard Dinning was one of the young men who arrived at Winthrop, which was an all-female institution at the time, and stayed for nine weeks in the Spring of 1943.
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Interview with Anna Heriot Dixon
Anna Heriot Dixon
OH 008
Anna Dixon, in her July 1974 interview with Ann Yarborough Evans, described the lifestyle and traditions she experienced during her years as a student at what is now Winthrop University (then Winthrop Normal and Industrial College). Dixon graduated in 1917 and covered topics such as being campused, the train station, education for women, uniforms, curriculum, and the training school. She also touched on what might get a girl expelled and how the students were graded. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Bernardine Dohrn - OH 244
Bernardine Dohrn
OH 244
In her interview with Ron Chepesiuk, Bernardine Dohrn detailed her part in the 60s anti-war movement. She covered such topics as the Gulf War, the feminist movement and gender rights, the Weather Underground, former SDS members, Kent State, and other movement events. Dohrn also discussed her involvement in dealing with poverty and children’s rights as a lawyer. Dohrn’s focuses before and after the Vietnam War was the failure of family court and the United States’ inability to deal with impoverished families and children. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Written Reminiscences of Dorothea Jansen
Dorothea Jansen and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 783
These written responses were completed by Dorothea Jansen as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. These recollections provide insight into the COVID-19 pandemic and critical year 2020, notably from the perspective of a retired American living in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Notable topics of conversation include COVID-19 virus, vaccination, masking, social isolation, education, social unrest, and disinformation.
Dorothea Jansen (b. 1947) is a native of Syosset, New York, and longtime resident of the Carolinas. She currently resides in the Legacy Park Community of Lancaster County, 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 Paul White Drennan - OH 157
Paul White Drennan and World War I
OH 157
This interview is with Paul White Drennan, Sr. who was a WWI veteran. Mr. Drennan was born in York, South Carolina on February 13, 1896 and passed away on April 3, 1992. In this interview, Mr. Drennan reminisces about his life and experiences from 1918 and 1919, including such topics as training at Camp Watson in Spartanburg, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a battleship, his time in France, his work as a member of the 131st Engineers, witnessing the Saint-Miheil Operation and General Summerall on October 8th and 9th and the “Watch on the Rhine” done by the 1st Division, being sick with the mumps, signing the payroll, and more.
*audio is poor after 00:14:40 mark
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Interview with Eugene 'Gene' Driver
Julius Eugene Driver
Driver, Gene, 2018
In his January 24, 2018 interview with Emily Deinert, Gene Driver discusses his career in the Air Force – he served during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. During the Cold War, he was loaned out to the CIA and worked in Area 51 with an alias doing research with the spy planes. He discusses who else worked in Area 51 with him (he knows only aliases), and why they were chosen to work on this secret project. Driver then talks about when he was sent to Vietnam in 1967, and describes the mortar attacks on the air force base at which he was stationed and how he earned a bronze star with the “V” device.
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Interview with Raya Dunayevskaya
Raya Dunayevskaya
OH 033
IN PROCESSING
Feminist, Marxist theoretician and secretary to Leon Trotsky for a short period during Trotsky’s exile in Mexico, Dunayevskaya discusses her upbringing, political philosophy (Marxism), relationship with Trotsky, male chauvinism, views on women’s rights, labor union activities, membership in the Socialist Workers Party, and translations of books on economics.
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Interview with Anne Duncan
Anne Duncan
OH 285
In her January 7, 2014 interview with Cody Willis, Anne Duncan reminisces of her time at Winthrop from 1974-1978 as a Physical Education major. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Donna C. Durst - OH 292
Donna C. Durst
OH 292
This interview was conducted with 1983 Winthrop Graduate, Donna C. Durst who attended from 1979 to 1983. Donna is credited with writing the melody and co-writing the lyrics the Winthrop Alma Mater. She attended Winthrop due to it being a local and earned her degree in computer science in the College of Business. In the interview, Donna discusses the development of the Alma Mater and her experiences while attending Winthrop. She describes living in several different dormitories on campus while at Winthrop. She discusses the courses she took and how Winthrop has changed since she attended.
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Interview with William Easley - OH 538
William Easley, Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, Bleachery, and Alexander Keith Windham
OH 538
In his July 7, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, William Bill Easley detailed his thoughts and memories of his time associated with the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Easley spoke of the time of the 1920s through 2017 and on the follow topics: Race relations, his father Joseph Easley Assistant Plant Manager of the Bleachery and his childhood around his father, day-to-day job responsibilities and actions when he began work for Springs, technology changes, the buyout of the Bleachery by Springs, the decline of the Bleachery, his work as a Springs employee, his thoughts on the redevelopment of the Bleachery site into University Center at Knowledge Park and his activities until 2017. Also Easley offered his opinions on how Rock Hill was impacted by the Bleachery from the 1930s to 2017.
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Interview with Doug Echols
Doug Echols
OH 198
In his March 16, 2015 interview with Rebecca Masters, Doug Echols comments on the transitions that took place at Winthrop from 1982- present. In particular, Echols provides detail on the efforts of the DiGiorgio Administration to build Winthrop as a brand and the struggles that Winthrop faced in this transition. Echols concludes his interview with ideas for bridging the gap between Winthrop and Rock Hill and his perceptions of the eleventh President’s role in the Rock Hill community. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.
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Interview with Emma Reid Echols
Emma Reid Echols
OH 190
This is a recording of Emma Reid Echols (1903-2002) reading out a history of education among the Catawba Indians, called A Long Road to Education for the Catawba Indians. She begins by quoting a speech given at Winthrop University given by a Catawba Indian graduating from Rock Hill High School celebrating the education opportunities the Catawba have received. She then discusses the beginnings of education on the Catawba reservation, including a lady in Lancaster who opened her school to some Catawba at the end of the Civil War. She quotes a doctor who commented on the poverty of the Catawba reservation, including the state of their homes and clothes. Two boys, Ben and Robert Harris, did chores for a local woman in exchange for learning to read. They became involved with Catawba leadership as adults. She describes the first rudimentary schoolhouse being built on the reservation in 1897, and its first teacher Mrs. Dunlap. She talks about the Mormon missionary teachers that came after to educate the Catawba. She goes into detail on the different educators and their histories before educating the Catawba. She discusses Chief Sam Blue and his encouragement for Catawba education. She continues quoting various teaches and doctors who had experience with the Catawba Indians in regard to education, explaining the development of education on the reservation.
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Interview with Lillian Eckert
Lillian Eckert
OH 433
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 Allen David Edwards - OH 224
Allen David Edwards
OH 224
This is an interview with Dr. Allen David Edwards (1905-2004) who taught at Winthrop College from 1944 to 1971. Mr. Edwards talks about Winthrop College and the combined Sociology and Social Work Department and how these have changed and developed over the time that he worked there and after he left. As he discusses Winthrop policy changes, he talks about the changes in uniforms, the shift to being a co-ed college, and the change from a single college with many departments to Winthrop having multiple colleges each with multiple departments under them. He then talks about the connections that were forged between Winthrop and York County while he was there. Mr. Edwards also mentions Winthrop’s presidents and faculty members that were fired while Mr. Edwards was at Winthrop. He ends with what he went on to do after leaving Winthrop College.
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Interview with Zilphia Edwards
Zilphia Edwards
OH 470
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 Moore - OH 748
Elizabeth Moore, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 748
This interview was conducted by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight and Michaela Bessinger with Elizabeth Moore as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Moore discusses personal, professional, and educational challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the process, she sheds light on Winthrop University’s response to the pandemic, specifically as a Residence Life staff member. Notable topics of conversation include the vaccine debate, COVID-19 health protocols, residence life, and the greater challenges that Winthrop and other higher education institutions faced in the critical year 2020.
Elizabeth Moore, a native of Lexington County, SC, is the Academic Advisor for the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences’ Student Academic Services at Winthrop University. She previously worked in Residence Life at Winthrop. Moore holds a B.A. degree from Winthrop, an M.B.A. degree from USC-Columbia, and a M.Ed. degree from Northeastern University.
Spearheaded by Dr. Dixon-McKnight, Assistant Professor of History and African American studies, 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 John Lee "Bird" Ellis - OH 709
John Lee Ellis and Emmett Scott High School
OH 709
This interview was conducted by Dr. George Garrison with John Lee (Bird) Ellis for Dr. Garrison’s project 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 closed in 1970 when full integration was implemented in Rock Hill, South Carolina schools. In this interview, Mr. Ellis discusses his family history, including his maternal grandfather who was a slave owned by the Barnes family, known in Rock Hill for owning Comporium. Mr. Ellis discusses at length his experiences growing up in Rock Hill and his education starting at a Rosenwald School and continuing at Emmett Scott. Mr. Ellis also discusses his military service and career after attending Emmett Scott High School. Mr. Ellis details extensively his musical career as well as the career of his brother, Jimmy Ellis, who was the lead singer for The Trammps, their most famous song was ‘Disco Inferno’.
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Interview with Emmy Peace - OH 751
Emmy Peace, Winthrop University, and COVID-19 Pandemic
OH 751
This interview was conducted by William Calandro with Emmy Peace as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Peace discusses in detail their experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical year 2020, notably as a high school and later college student. Peace details the effects of the pandemic on their education as well as their personal and social life. Notable topics of conversation include mental health, vaccination, social isolation, education, virtual learning, race, civil unrest, and social activism. Peace also touches on the issue of political polarization as well as the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election and its aftermath.
Emmy Peace (b. 2004) is a native of Red Bank, Lexington County, S.C. At the time of interview, Peace studied Graphic Design at Winthrop University.
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.)."
