Interview with J. Allan Smith, December 9, 1975

Partial Transcript: Dr. Smith we can begin this morning then by, uh, uh, finding out when you first came to UK, uh, and what were the reasons for you deciding to come to UK to work.

Segment Synopsis: Dr. J. Allan Smith is introduced. He talks about his work at the University of Illinois and his reasons for leaving to work for the University of Kentucky. He talks about how he became involved with the Agriculture Department and his job as editor for the department.

Keywords: Contributions; Dean Thomas Cooper; Editing; Editors; English PhD; Great Depression; Head of department; Jobs; Office of Publications; Salaries; Staff; University of Illinois; WWII; Wife; World War II

Subjects: College department heads; College publications; Depressions--1929; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Course when you came to UK, uh, Thomas Poe Cooper was then Dean of the College of Agriculture and was also acting president of the university.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his opinions of several University of Kentucky presidents and deans of the College of Agriculture. He talks about why Dean Thomas Cooper did not become university president, his own impressions of President Donovan, and various presidents' opinions on the College of Agriculture. He talks about how the agricultural experiment station was funded.

Keywords: Attitudes; Board of trustees; Control; Dean Thomas Cooper; Deans; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Herman Donovan; Entertaining; Experiment station; Funding; Hostess; Impressions; Independence; Influence; Mary Frances Jewell McVey; Mrs. Frank McVey; Opinions; Special funds; State colleges; State schools; University presidents; Wife

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College facilities.; College presidents; College presidents' spouses; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Dr. Smith, we had talked about when you first came and the, and, uh, the way the, uh, College of Agriculture was run at the time.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his duties as editor for the College of Agriculture publications. He talks about the types of information they published and the audience for each type of publication. He talks about speaking with Dean Cooper when he was first hired about whether his revisions would be accepted by the department.

Keywords: Committees; Dean Thomas Cooper; Doctorate; Duties; Editing; Editing program; Editor; Equals; Experimentation bulletins; Experimentation circulars; Extension division; Extension editors; Farmers; Information; PR; Publications; Revisions; Speciality; University of Illinois; Writing

Subjects: Agricultural education; Agricultural extension work--Kentucky; College publications; Universities and colleges--Periodicals.; Universities and colleges--Public relations; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. Agricultural Extension Service; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: How large was your staff when you first came?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about being the only person working in the editing department when he was first hired, and discusses how many people were added to the department over the years. He talks about whether the provision in the Kentucky state constitution that limited salaries to $5,000 had any effect on the university.

Keywords: Assistant editor of publications; Editing staff; Growth; Haggin Fund; News releases; Press; Radio; Salary limitations; Supplementation; Television; Visual aids

Subjects: College department heads; College publicity; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Course, uh, right after you came too, and you mentioned earlier, about the outbreak of World War II and its effects on agriculture in general.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about how the College of Agriculture changed during WWII, citing decreased enrollment, faculty on leave for military service, and pamphlets created to promote milk production for the war effort.

Keywords: Enrollment; Leaflets; Military service; Milk; Mistakes; Production; University Press; WWII; War boards; War effort; World War II

Subjects: College attendance; College publications; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Well then in 1951 when Dean Cooper retired [unintelligible] a lot of talk at the time was if it would be a political replacement.

Segment Synopsis: Smith describes Dean Cooper and the process the university went through to choose his replacement, Dean Welch. He talks about why Welch was chosen as dean. He talks about why the Dean of the College of Agriculture was often also the Director of Extension Services and the Director of the Experimentation Station.

Keywords: Associate deans; Board of trustees; Changes; Dean Thomas Cooper; Dean of College of Agriculture; Director of Experiment Station; Director of Extension Services; Dr. Frank J. Welch; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Herman Donovan; George Roberts; Land grant colleges; New positions; Politics; Replacements; Suggestions; Titles

Subjects: College administrators--Selection and appointment.; College department heads; Universities and colleges--Administration.; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: [unintelligible] Department of Public Information started. Right about this time.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about how the Department of Public Information began at UK. He talks about the Kellogg Foundation's influence on the agriculture industry and on the creation of the Department of Public Information.

Keywords: Agricultural communications; Agriculture industry; Board of directors; Department of Public Information; Kellogg Foundation

Subjects: Agricultural education; College publications; Educators; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Moving on then, uh, in, uh--actually going back to 1948 at the university, a black applied for admission to the University of Kentucky Law School and, uh, was turned down, but soon after that, as you know, blacks were admitted to graduate school.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about black county agents serving black farmers in Kentucky. He talks about where the county agents were educated, and discusses what happened when the schools and extension service were desegregated.

Keywords: African American farmers; County agents; Integration; Kentucky State College; Kentucky State University; Recruitment

Subjects: Agricultural education; Agricultural extension work--Kentucky; Agricultural extension workers--Training of; County agricultural agents; University of Kentucky. Agricultural Extension Service; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Moving on then to, uh, a controversy that arose in the early fifties.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the controversy over Kentucky 31 Fescue, a type of grass seed promoted by Dr. E. N. Fergus. He discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the seed and talks about the rivalry that grew between two University of Kentucky faculty members, William C. Johnstone and Ralph Kenney. He talks about Dr. Martin Weeks, who was fired for not terminating Kenney's employment.

Keywords: "Fescue foot rot"; Cattle; Control; Controversy; Dean Thomas Cooper; Dr. Fergus; Dr. Martin Weeks; Experiment station; Extension specialists; Feuds; Fired; Grasses; Kentucky 31 Fescue; Opposition; Problems; Ralph Kenney; Resignation; William C. Johnstone

Subjects: College administrators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Well I'm a little hazy on the next part. When did Dean Seay become Dean of the College of Agriculture?

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about how several university presidents felt about the College of Agriculture, including Donovan, Dickey, and Oswald. He talks about why university administration opposed building a new Agricultural Science Center and how Governor Breathitt influenced the situation. He talks about whether there was any outside pressure on the college in regards to lobbying or public relations.

Keywords: Agricultural Science Center building; Agronomy doctoral program; Campus development; Dean William Seay; Dr. Albert Kirwan; Dr. Frank Dickey; Dr. Frank Welch; Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. John Oswald; Dr. Price; Editing publications; General Assembly; Governor Breathitt; Head of Agronomy; Influence; Lobbying; Opposition; Outside pressure; PR; Radio; University presidents

Subjects: College administrators; College buildings.; College facilities.; College presidents; Politics and government; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Again with the university as a whole, and, and, uh, and this is a [unintelligible] I wanted to ask you.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about how people at the university felt about President Oswald's policies of rotating department heads and of a mandatory retirement age. He discusses the claim that there is too much emphasis on research and publication and not enough on teaching.

Keywords: Controversy; Dr. John Oswald; National changes; Opposition; Outside review; Policies; Problems; Publication; Publishing; Recognition; Retirement age; Rotating department heads; Rotational chairmanship

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College publications; College teachers--Tenure.; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: A question that's interesting in this...

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the relationship between the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and other state colleges and universities.
[The audio in this segment is of poor quality.]

Keywords: Agricultural extension work; Bachelors degrees; Changes; Cooperation; State colleges; State universities

Subjects: Eastern Kentucky University; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture; Western Kentucky University.

Partial Transcript: [unintelligible]--to get a veterinary school--[unintelligible]--you know, the UK College of Agriculture position on the--[unintelligible]

Segment Synopsis: He talks about the decision not to create a veterinary school at the University of Kentucky. He talks about the remodelling and expansion of campus that resulted in parts of the College of Agriculture being moved. He talks about the opposition to this relocation.
[The audio in this segment is of poor quality.]

Keywords: Building; Dean Charles Barnhart; Dean Thomas Cooper; Dr. Frank Welch; Expansion; Experiment station; Experiments; Farms; Medical school; Moving; Opposition; Relocation; Veterinary colleges; Veterinary school

Subjects: Campus planning.; Campus size; College administrators; College facilities--Planning.; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: Just a few more questions here, if you have time.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the claim that the university and other outside influences placed more emphasis on athletics than academics.
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Keywords: Academics; Adolph Rupp; Athletics; Bear Bryant; Dr. Herman Donovan; Football teams; Funding; Legislators; Memorial Coliseum

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

Partial Transcript: Well in, in terms of the library...

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the quality of the M. I. King Library and the Agriculture Library during his time at the university.
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Keywords: Agricultural Science Center building; Agriculture Library; Collections; M. I. King Library; Resources; Studying

Subjects: Academic libraries.; College facilities.; College students--Books and reading.

Partial Transcript: Well when attending, uh, professional meetings...

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about the attitudes towards the UK College of Agriculture from outsiders, including other editors and the United States Department of Agriculture.
[The audio in this segment is of poor quality.]

Keywords: Attitudes; Dean Charles Barnhart; Dean Thomas Cooper; Dr. Frank Welch; Editors; Experiment station; Reputations; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Subjects: Universities and colleges--Evaluation; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture

Partial Transcript: One question I'd like to bring up for just a second is the, uh, role of women in the College of Agriculture and, uh, role of women at the university in general.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the role of women in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture as both students and instructors.
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Keywords: Agricultural extension work; Animal husbandry; Changes; Home economics; Role of women

Subjects: College environment; College students--Social conditions; College teachers--Social conditions; Gender issues; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: Well are there any, any, uh, stories or anecdotes that, uh, you recall from your years at UK, or any other information that we haven't discussed today that you think should be included in this interview?

Segment Synopsis: Smith tells a story he heard about an interaction between President Donovan and Dean Cooper during the construction of Donovan Hall. Smith talks about how Dean Cooper convinced him to stay at UK when he was considering leaving to work in Illinois. The interview is concluded.
[The audio in this segment is of poor quality.]

Keywords: Dean Charles Barnhart; Dean Thomas Cooper; Donovan Hall; Dormitories; Dr. Herman Donovan; Personality

Subjects: College administrators; College buildings.; College presidents; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture