Interview with Virgil Couch, January 12th, 1976

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: Virgil Couch is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky, class of 1930. He talks about his first associations with UK and why he chose to go to college there. He also talks about his parents' expectations that he went to college.

Keywords: Beaver Dam (Ky.); Beaver Dam High School; Kentucky schools; coal mines; colleges; debates and debating; debating teams; dropouts; family; farms; going to college; high school graduates; high schools; parents; students

Subjects: Education.; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about the lack of scholarships at UK, his roommate and his thoughts on UK as a new student.

Keywords: Memorial Hall; Tennyson Payton; campus; college campuses; debate; enrollment; funding; graduate students; graduate work; pre medicine; principals; professors; roommates; scholarships; university presidents

Subjects: McVey, Frank LeRond, 1869-1953.; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: Couch talks about the hazing freshmen were subject to and some of the competitions they had with other students, especially sophomores. He recounts some of their tug 'o war competitions and a prank that turned tragic.

Keywords: Clifton Pond; Limestone St.; competition; deaths; freshmen; hats; hazing; juniors; paddling; ponds; pranks; seniors; sophomores; steamrollers; tragedy; trolleys; tug o' wars

Subjects: McVey, Frank LeRond, 1869-1953.; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about Dr. McVey's reaction to the student's hijinks and his personality. He also discusses the chapel meetings that used to go on at UK and some of the pranks the students pulled at them.

Keywords: administration building; burlesque shows; chapel meetings; convocations; cows; elevators; freshmen; jokes; movies; mules; pranks; prayers; public speaking; speeches; streetcars; students; university presidents

Subjects: McVey, Frank LeRond, 1869-1953.; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about the lack of football in his hometown and the relationship that UK's students had with the Lexington community.

Keywords: athletics; bonfires; burlesque shows; businesses; chores; community relations; football; high schools; hobbies; managers; movies; parades; pranks; silent films; sports; students; theaters; volleyball

Subjects: Basketball.; Lexington (Ky.).; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about being on the advertising staff of the Kentucky Kernel and the relationship that he had with some of the local businesses.

Keywords: Kentucky Kernel; advertising; commissions; editors; fraternities; free passes; full page advertisements; high school newspapers; military; money; newspaper advertising; newspapers; opera house; promotions; sales; student newspapers and periodicals

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: Couch describes how he selected a major at UK.

Keywords: accounting; accounting majors; bookkeeping; prior experience; railroad worker

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He recounts his experience with having a professor who had worked in the business that he was teaching about.

Keywords: experience-based learning; grocery stores and markets; grocery trade; professors; retail education; school field trips

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He discusses the development of the College of Business at UK and Dr. James Martin.

Keywords: College of Business Administration; business department and college; business-research; international business

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about the various jobs he had while a student at UK.

Keywords: employed students; employment; employment on campus and off campus; fraternities; furnaces; studies

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He discusses the activities supported by ATO at UK.

Keywords: Alpha Tau Omega (ATO); fraternities

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: Couch talks about his years with the radio program "Farm and Home Hour".

Keywords: College of Agriculture; Farm and Home Hour; agriculture; radio; radio programs; radio repairing

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: He talks about a student parade in which everyone was in their nightshirt.

Keywords: football; football games; parades

Subjects: University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript:

Segment Synopsis: Couch talks about the volunteer students who were a part of SuKY and sold concessions. He also talks about his own concession business.

Keywords: concession stands; concessions; downtown districts; entertainment; snacks; student volunteers