Interview with Lyman Ginger, July 1, 1981

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with Lyman V. Ginger for the Alumni/Faculty Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Lyman V. Ginger is introduced. The interviewer, Bruce Denbo, gives a brief summary of Ginger's career and accomplishments.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Careers; Coaching; Kentucky Education Association (KEA); National Education Association (NEA); Service; University High School; University School of Education

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

Partial Transcript: Uh, now what I want to ask you is, uh--well first, I, I would like for you to, to discuss just a moment what--and, uh, this--I'm not, uh, putting these things in any kind of particular order...

Segment Synopsis: Ginger discusses his involvement with the Minimum Foundation Program, which restructured the way funds were allocated to public schools. He talks about others who were involved in the effort, the work they did, and the effects of the changes.

Keywords: Adron Doran; Amendments; Attendance; Bob Martin; Bob Mills; Census; Community; Dean William Taylor; Distribution; Dr. Robert Martin; Equity; Funding; Governor Earle C. Clements; Governor Lawrence Wetherby; Kentucky Education Association (KEA); Legislative bills; Minimum Foundation Program; Money; Private schools; Public education; Senator John Sherman Cooper; State legislature; State schools; Support

Subjects: College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; Education--Kentucky.; Educational change--Kentucky; Educational equalization; Educational law and legislation--Kentucky; Teachers--Salaries, etc.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Education

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, as, as president of KEA and then NEA, what would you consider to have been some out--some of the outstanding things that were accomplished?

Segment Synopsis: Ginger discusses his accomplishments as president of the Kentucky Education Association and later the National Education Association. He talks about his efforts to educate teachers, integrate both organizations, and encourage teachers' use of research.

Keywords: College education; College of Adult and Extension Education; Conflicts; Dean William Taylor; Dues; Horace Tate; Integrated schools; International education; Kentucky Education Association (KEA); Minimum Foundation Program; National Education Association (NEA); Southern states; Teacher certification; University High School; University School of Education

Subjects: African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Education--Study and teaching; Integration; Race relations--Kentucky; School integration--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's then--go, go ahead and talk about your years with the College of Education.

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about his early education, through college at Kentucky Wesleyan. He talks about why he began teaching, and why he pursued his masters degree. He talks about coming to teach at the University High School at the University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Dean William Taylor; Debate team; Elementary education; Family farms; Football players; Kentucky Wesleyan College; Masters degrees; Money; Mothers; Owingsville (Ky.); Principals; Quality of education; Texas Ranger; University High School; University School of Education; Vanderbilt University; Winchester (Ky.); Working

Subjects: College athletes; College majors; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Employment.; College teachers--Selection and appointment.; Educators; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Education

Partial Transcript: Now Dr. Donovan was a person who--really you mentioned this a while ago and this Adult and Extension Education.

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about his involvement with the University of Kentucky College of Adult and Extension Education, which eventually became Kentucky's community college system. He talks about the state of the colleges, the people involved, and the difficulties they faced in trying to improve the system.

Keywords: College of Adult and Extension Education; Correspondence courses; Covington (Ky.); Cumberland (Ky.); Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. John Oswald; Eastern Kentucky; Ellis Hartford; Extension centers; Extension classes; Extension courses; Jefferson County (Ky.); Northern Kentucky; Northern Kentucky University; Paducah (Ky.); Speech programs; University of Louisville; Wages

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Workload; Educational change--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. Community College System

Partial Transcript: Well, let's come back though to your, uh, career with the university, uh, that led up to your being dean of the College of Ed--

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about the circumstances that led to him being offered the job as dean of the College of Education and why he accepted the position. He talks about why the Tates Creek schools in Lexington did not become the university's laboratory schools for observation and practice teaching.

Keywords: Careers; Cost; Dean William Taylor; Deans; Dr. Frank Dickey; Job offers; Laboratory schools; Observation; Student teaching; Support; Tates Creek schools; University High School; University School of Education

Subjects: College administrators--Selection and appointment.; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Educators; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky. College of Education

Partial Transcript: That's re--uh, brings me up to the next thing I was going to ask.

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about his relationship with Dean Martin White, head of the UK College of Arts and Sciences. He talks about the faculty's opinions on the quality of the students enrolled in the College of Education, and the students' general education within the College of Arts and Sciences.
[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Dean Martin White; Functions; General education; Humanists; Personality; Pragmatists; Quality of education; Role of university; Teacher education

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College environment; College majors; College teachers--Social conditions; Education--Study and teaching; Educators; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Evaluation; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences; University of Kentucky. College of Education

Partial Transcript: Well do you want to say anything else about your, your time with the College of ed--Education?

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about the relationship between the College of Education and the College of Agriculture, as well as the College of Commerce (now the College of Business and Economics). He talks about why the Psychology Department at UK would not teach courses in child psychology which would have been beneficial to the education students.

Keywords: Child psychology; College of Commerce; Cooperation; Curriculum; Experiments; Mathematics; Psychology of learning; Relationships

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College majors; College students--Social conditions; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Education--Study and teaching; Educators; Teachers--Kentucky; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Curricula.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture; University of Kentucky. College of Business and Economics; University of Kentucky. College of Education; University of Kentucky. Department of Psychology

Partial Transcript: Lyman, I'm going to ask you a general question now and follow it up with a kind of a, of a specific one and, and if it looks as though I'm not in any kind of sequence it may be because I'm not, but, but this is the way I see it.

Segment Synopsis: Ginger talks about the main function of university professors. He says that not every faculty member should be expected to teach as well as conduct research. He says that just because a person is good at one does not mean they will be good at the other.

Keywords: Abilities; Dean Martin White; Functions; Funding; Purpose; Quality of education; Roles; Service

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Rating of.; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: What I want to do is to ask your opinion of "Uncle" Herman Donovan, Frank Dickey, and John W. Oswald.

Segment Synopsis: Ginger describes university presidents Herman Donovan and Frank Dickey. He talks about their selection for the position, their abilities as president, and their contributions. He discusses the pressures affecting Dickey during his tenure as president.

Keywords: Abilities; Adron Doran; Bob Martin; Contributions; Dr. Frank Dickey; Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. Robert Martin; Eastern Kentucky University; Elvis Stahr; Friends; Growth; Morehead State University; Needs; Outside pressure; Political influence; Reactions; Relationships; University presidents

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

Partial Transcript: Now, with Oswald this is a different--

Segment Synopsis: Ginger tells the story of meeting John Oswald and talks about his initial reactions. He talks about an education conference at UK and the reactions of participants when Oswald wanted a place in the event. He talks about Oswald's decision to close the University High School, his policy of rotating deans, and Ginger's reaction to his own dismissal as dean of the College of Education. He discusses Oswald's views on applied versus fundamental research.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Agriculture; Applied research; Bill Duncan; Changes; Closing; Contributions; Council on Public Higher Education; Dean Cecil Carpenter; Deans; Dr. John Oswald; Education conferences; Effects; Fayette County Alumni Association; Functional research; Functions; Fundamental research; Publishing; Purpose; Reactions; Receptions; Relationships; Rotating deanship; Service; Society; State superintendent of education; University High School; University School of Education

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College department heads; College environment; College presidents; College publications; College teachers--Job satisfaction; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences; University of Kentucky. College of Education

Partial Transcript: So I'm not trying to tell you what your interview's about but I, I want to wind this up by, by, uh, asking you, in your judgment has the university--

Segment Synopsis: Ginger briefly discusses whether the University of Kentucky has improved since he left the university. He talks about Otis Singletary's influence on the institution. The interview is concluded.
[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Criticism; Dr. Otis A. Singletary; Funding; Improvements; Morale; Progress; Service

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College graduates; College presidents; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Alumni and alumnae.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Public relations; University of Kentucky