Oral history interview with Irene Cooper Harrington, 2012

Partial Transcript: ST: Today is December 3, 2012. My name is Sarah Turner; I'm the oral history interviewer for the [UNCG Institutional Memory Collection] African American Institutional Memory Project.

Segment Synopsis: Interview introduction

Partial Transcript: ST: I'd like to start, Ms. Harrington, by asking you to tell me about your background...

Segment Synopsis: Harrington briefly discusses her background and origins.

Partial Transcript: ST: Okay. You started in January?

IH: Yes.

ST: Why is that?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes working before coming to Women's College to save up money.

Partial Transcript: ST: Can you tell me about your family and your home life?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her siblings. Harrington also describes the segregation of Henderson, the town she grew up in.

Partial Transcript: IH: We had what was called Henderson Institute as our high school. One of the unique things about Henderson Institute was the fact that it had what they called a teacherage on campus.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the Henderson Institute, where she went to high school.

Partial Transcript: IH: Our guidance counselor, in fact, lived in Greensboro, and she was the one who urged me to apply to UNCG...

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes what influenced her to apply to UNCG for college.

Partial Transcript: ST: And what was her name?

IH: Yvonne Cheek [Class of 1967].

Segment Synopsis: Harrington discusses her friend and fellow UNCG alum Yvonne Cheek.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, what did your parents do?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her parents professions.

Partial Transcript: ST: What were your favorite things to study in school prior to coming to college?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her early and enduring love of literature.

Partial Transcript: IH: But when I graduated and was offered a job here in Greensboro, I just thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes teaching middle school for one year.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, you said that you chose to attend UNCG on the guidance counselor's recommendation. Did you apply to any other schools?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes considering several other universities to apply to before deciding on UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: Was there a bus from Henderson, or did you have to catch it in another town?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes moving from Henderson to Greensboro on the bus.

Partial Transcript: ST: Did you say what number you were in your family?

IH: I am the oldest of seven.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her siblings.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, you told me about how you got to campus. Can you tell me about your first day coming into the dorm; who your roommate was, things like that?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her roommate and living situation while staying in the dorm rooms.

Partial Transcript: ST: What kind of emotions did you have? Was there fear or anxiety or happiness?

IH: I didn't have enough sense to be fearful.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her emotions coming to UNCG for the first time.

Partial Transcript: ST: And what did you do that semester you worked? What kind of work did you do?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes working as a "ticket girl" for J.P. Taylor Tobacco Factory in her semesters off from UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: And you said you were the only person in your family to go to college. How did your parents feel about you going to college?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her mother's reaction to Harrington's admission to UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, what was college like for you academically?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes academics at UNCG, including differences from studying in high school.

Partial Transcript: IH: If the college had integrated it's faculty by then, it was not apparent to me.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes some memories of prejudice from staff and other students while at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, you said you lived in Reynolds [Hall] and Coit [Hall]. Did you live anywhere else on campus?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her living situation while at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: And did you room with Yvonne the whole time or did you have different roommates?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her different roommates while at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: IH: And during that spring break when I was student teaching and was living in Phillips-Hawkins Residence Hall, she invited me over for dinner...

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her husband and how they met.

Partial Transcript: ST: Do you stay in touch with Alice?

IH: Occasionally we run into each other.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes Alice Brown, one of her friends.

Partial Transcript: ST: And who did you live with your junior year, because Alice was your sophomore year, right?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington continues to describe her roommates.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, can you tell me - i know you said that things you did for fun were read and go get books, but were there other things you did for fun that you can remember?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes what she did for fun in Greensboro, including listen to music, and go to the Krispy Kreme store.

Partial Transcript: IH: But I enjoyed those kinds of things and, believe it or not, I enjoyed the time I could go home because I could just relax and, you know, not worry about being discriminated against or any of that stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the separation of the races in Henderson, her hometown.

Partial Transcript: ST: What kind of places would you go to downtown? Like, where would you shop or eat? You said Krispy Kreme, other places you would eat?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes downtown Greensboro in the 1960s, including stores and movies.

Partial Transcript: IH: I did- I was a student worker; I worked on campus all of my time here.

ST: Where did you work?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes working for UNCG, Guilford College and Bennett College.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, going back to your college experience: you told us about living in the dorm and you said, you know, you had that experience in the room when you were ironing.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the atmosphere she faced, living in the dorms.

Partial Transcript: ST: What do you remember about the dining hall?

IH: The food was awful, especially for a country girl.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the food available on and off campus, including at the dining hall, Yum-Yum's and Mel's.

Partial Transcript: ST: Can you tell me about any - I have a list of your extra-curricular activities from your yearbook that said a list of things that you were involved in all four years. Can you tell me about any memories you have of those activities?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington briefly describes not remembering being involved with the Junior Show.

Partial Transcript: IH: I remember we had jackets according to our year.

ST: Do you remember what color your jacket was?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington briefly discusses her class jacket.

Partial Transcript: IH: I don't even remember these.

ST: Dorm Committee, SNAE [Student National Education Association].

Segment Synopsis: Harrington continues to describe her extracurricular clubs and activities.

Partial Transcript: ST: You said since you were considered the class of coming in, '63 but you graduated in '68. You graduated in the Spring or in the Winter?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes taking semesters off to work, therefore graduating later.

Partial Transcript: ST: How were you able, the other two years, to go straight and not have to come back home?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes receiving increasing amounts of financial aid, allowing her to stay at college instead of taking semesters off to work.

Partial Transcript: ST: And can you tell me about your-any kind of social or academic events that stand out in your mind; things that maybe happened on campus?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes visiting A&T for athletic events and games, as well as men from Chapel Hill visiting UNCG by bus.

Partial Transcript: ST: Did you ever have any relationships with students at Bennett? Did any of your classmates go to Bennett?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes students of Bennett College.

Partial Transcript: ST: And what was it like for you once you left campus and went into town? I mean, how was the interaction with the outside world? Still a segregated society?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the segregation still in Greensboro in the 1960s, and her reaction to it.

Partial Transcript: ST: How were you treated? You talked about your one- your health professor.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes some prejudice she experienced in classes, such as being ignored by the professors.

Partial Transcript: ST: Do you remember any of your professors by name?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her memories of several professors, including Dr. Frank Melton and Dr. May Bush.

Partial Transcript: ST: So you went to graduate school?

IH: Yes, here.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes going to graduate school at UNCG for a graduate degree in Educational Administration.

Partial Transcript: ST: What were some subjects that were more challenging in undergraduate? You talked about things you love.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes the courses she enjoyed, as well as the courses she found difficult while in undergraduate school.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, what was your favorite experience or aspect of college?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes some of her favorite memories in college, including student-teaching a tenth grade class and having free time.

Partial Transcript: IH: I think that's pretty much it, but one interesting experience I had when I was here that I'm not so fond of was: when I came to college, I could not type.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes struggling to try to learn typing while at UNCG.

Partial Transcript: ST: And did you ever visit UNCG? I don't know if we talked about that earlier. Before you came, did you?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes never having come to UNCG before starting school.

Partial Transcript: ST: Do you have any memories about Chancellor Otis Singletary or Chancellor James Ferguson?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her memories of Chancellors Singletary and Ferguson.

Partial Transcript: ST: Can you remember who your favorite teacher was? Did we talk about that? You told me who you could remember, but who was your favorite?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington briefly describes not having a favorite professor.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, what do you remember about the escalation of the Vietnam War?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes losing several relatives and friends in the Vietnam War.

Partial Transcript: ST: What do you remember about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her memories and feelings about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, some kind of things we want to move towards just at the end are kind of what you did after UNCG, which we've touched on a lot of that already.

Segment Synopsis: Harrington describes her interaction with UNCG and fellow students after graduation.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, my last question is: What would you want future students and scholars to know about your experience at UNCG?

Segment Synopsis: Harrington relates a message that she would like future students to hear, mostly regarding how important UNCG has been in changing her perspectives about life.

Partial Transcript: ST: Well, I guess we are done here. Thank you so much for-

Segment Synopsis: Interview conclusion