Interview with James F. Hopkins, November 3, 1975

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with Dr. James F. Hopkins, retired professor of history of the University of Kentucky, by Charles Hay, assistant archivist of the University of Kentucky Library for the Alumni/Faculty Oral History Project of the University of Kentucky Library.

Segment Synopsis: James F. Hopkins is introduced. He talks about coming to the University of Kentucky in 1937 to earn his MA in history, and gives his impressions of the university. He talks about his reasons for coming to UK and why he chose to pursue his doctorate at Duke University.

Keywords: Assistantships; Charles Sackett Sydnor; Doctorate; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Duke University; Graduate students; Grants; Great Depression; History faculty; Instructors; Prestigious; Roommates; Teaching; University of Mississippi; World War II

Subjects: College choice; Depressions--1929; Universities and colleges--Graduate work.

Partial Transcript: Then you went to Duke and started work on a doctorate and then you came back as an instructor here.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about how he came to work at the University of Kentucky, and discusses his participation in World War II. He talks about how UK changed during and after the war, mentioning overcrowded classrooms due to an influx of students taking advantage of the GI Bill.

Keywords: Army; Class size; Delay; Discharged; Dissertations; Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Draft; Duke University; Fathers; G.I. Bill; Grants; Hiring; Instructors; Jobs; Male students; Married; Overcrowded; Soldiers; Testing; Training; Vacancy; Volunteers; World War II

Subjects: College environment; College students--Social conditions; College teachers--Selection and appointment.; Educators; Teaching; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Veterans--Education (Higher)--Kentucky; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945--Veterans.

Partial Transcript: You know, talking about finances I know that you--in the forties the state legislature passed a law that limited public employees' salaries to five thousand dollars.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins discusses the provision in the Kentucky state constitution which limited the salaries of public employees to $5,000. He talks about how the faculty felt about these limitations and how they affected the university.

Keywords: Effects; History department; Leaving; Legislation; Public employees; Raises; Salary limitations

Subjects: College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance

Partial Transcript: Uh, do you recall the general campus reaction, perhaps the history department specifically...

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about the first African American students accepted at the University of Kentucky and the reactions of other students and faculty. He talks about whether the black students were accepted on campus and how he treated the students in his classes.

Keywords: Acceptance; History department; John Hope Franklin; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Racism; Segregated classrooms; Socializing; Undergraduates

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African American college students.; African Americans--Education--Kentucky--Lexington; College environment; College integration; College students, Black; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination in higher education; Minorities in higher education

Partial Transcript: Well during the 1950s there was the rise of--movement, force, commonly called McCarthyism.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about whether the University of Kentucky was affected by McCarthyism and outside political pressure, and how most faculty members felt about McCarthy. He talks about the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) and how UK faculty and administration felt about the organization.

Keywords: Academic freedom; Accusations; American Association of University Professors (AAUP); Attitudes; Dr. Herman Donovan; Fort Knox (Ky.); Issues; Lectures; McCarthy trials; McCarthyism; Menace; Outside pressure; Political pressure; Radio; Representation; Senator Joseph McCarthy; Threats; University presidents

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College teachers--Political activity; College teachers--Social conditions; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: You mentioned about the presidents. I'd like to maybe get your recollections and impressions of the various presidents that you either--a student here or that you served under.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins describes the various university presidents that presided during his time as both a student and a member of the faculty at the University of Kentucky. He talks about McVey, Donovan, and Dickey, describing their personalities and their effects on the university.

Keywords: Appearance; Austere; Contributions; Criticism; Dr. Frank Dickey; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Herman Donovan; Funding; Personal relationships; Personality; Politicians; Politics; Reputations; Scholarly; Selection committee; Tone; University presidents

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College administrators--Selection and appointment.; College presidents; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Finance

Partial Transcript: Well then Dr. Oswald came and, uh, the university kind of blossomed...

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about Dr. Oswald's policies of rotational chairmanships and an enforced retirement age and talks about how the faculty felt about these policies. He talks about Dr. Thomas Clark as the head of the history department.

Keywords: Building; College deans; Controversy; Dr. John Oswald; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Head of department; Mandatory retirement; Retirement age; Rotating chairmanship

Subjects: Campus size; College administrators; College department heads; College presidents; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance

Partial Transcript: Uh, generally what type of rela--working relationship you had with these various colleagues...

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins discusses his relationships with other faculty members and the conflicts that sometimes arose between colleagues. He talks about the emphasis that is often put on research at the expense of teaching and gives his opinion on the struggle between the two ideals.

Keywords: Balance; Colleagues; Conflicts; Emphasis; Professors; Promotions; Publishing; Working relationships

Subjects: College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Again I would think the [unintelligible] holdings of the libraries improved over the years.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins discusses the quality of the libraries at the University of Kentucky and how they have changed over the years. He talks about conducting research for the book he wrote on the history of the university.

Keywords: Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; History; Holdings; Improvement; Organized; Original documents; Quality; Resources; University of Kentucky history; W. T. Young; Writing books

Subjects: Academic libraries.; College facilities.; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. Libraries

Partial Transcript: Then you were, you were thinking of doing a [unintelligible] second volume didn't you?

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about a project he worked on arranging and describing the archival records of Henry Clay. He talks about the funding for the project and the organizations that were involved, and describes the work he did to collect the materials and make them accessible to the public.
[Several interruptions in taping occur in this segment.]

Keywords: Collections; Committees; Finance; Funding; Henry Clay papers; Microfilm; National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC); Publications; Records; Traveling; Typing; University archives

Subjects: Academic libraries.; College teachers--Leaves of absence; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. Libraries; University of Kentucky. Libraries. Division of Special Collections and Archives

Partial Transcript: Uh, you mentioned Mr. Denbo, I know he's the, uh, Director of the University of Kentucky Press.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about the importance of the University Press of the University of Kentucky for publishing academic works. He talks about UK's academic reputation among other universities and organizations.

Keywords: Bruce F. Denbo; Effects; History department; Publishing; Reputations; Scholarly works; University Press

Subjects: College publications; Universities and colleges--Evaluation; Universities and colleges--Ratings and rankings.; University of Kentucky. Press

Partial Transcript: Um, just a couple more questions if I can.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about his participation in various faculty organizations and gives his opinion on the usefulness of committees. He talks about the relationship between the University of Kentucky and the Lexington community.

Keywords: Community issues; Constitutional revision; Faculty committees; Membership; Purpose; Relationships; Role; University Senate; University committee; Useful

Subjects: College teachers.; Educators; Lexington (Ky.).; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University towns

Partial Transcript: Well, on the campus, uh, there's a, today, a big emphasis on the woma--women's movement.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about women's role on the faculty of the history department, how it has changed over the years, and the issues that were still being challenged.

Keywords: Changes; History department; Pay disparity; Role of women; Status; Wages

Subjects: College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; Educators; Sex discrimination in higher education.; Sexism in higher education; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Women in education--Kentucky--Lexington; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: You mentioned about, uh, you served as chairman. I know you were selected in 1968 or '69.

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about why he was chosen as chairman of the history department. He talks about the job, and why he decided to step down after several years as chairman.

Keywords: Conflicts; Department chairman; Head of department; Issues; Relationships; Retirement; Time

Subjects: College department heads; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Something kind of similar to that, uh, I know Dr. Donovan in his book about the university mentions that...

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins discusses the claim that more emphasis is put on athletics at the university than on academics and talks about the financial issues involved.

Keywords: Academics; Athletics; Campus events; Dr. Herman Donovan; Emphasis; Football; Funding; Interest; Legislators; Sports; State legislature; Support

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College sports--Economic aspects--United States.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Public relations

Partial Transcript: In that light have you, uh, noticed a change in the work habits or attitudes of the students since you've come to the University of Kentucky?

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about how the university, and specifically students' attitudes, have changed since he first arrived. He discusses how the relationships between students and faculty have changed over the years. He briefly mentions student social activity and talks about his experiences with the protests that occurred in May 1970 after the shootings at Kent State.
[An interruption in taping occurs in this segment.]

Keywords: Absences; Changes; Personal relationships; Protests; Social activity; Telephone

Subjects: Campus violence; College attendance; College discipline; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Political activity.; College students--Social conditions; College teachers--Political activity; Kent State Shootings, Kent, Ohio, 1970; Student protesters; Universities and colleges--Examinations; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Have you ever, or do you keep any tabs on any of your former students?

Segment Synopsis: Hopkins talks about keeping in touch with his former students and talks about their accomplishments. He and the interviewer discuss donating his personal papers to the university archive. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Contact; Correspondence; Donating papers; Former students; Graduate students; Success; University archives

Subjects: Academic libraries.; College graduates; College students--Employment.; College teachers.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Alumni and alumnae.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. Libraries. Division of Special Collections and Archives