Interview with Ann Hunter, March 12, 1987

Partial Transcript: Good morning. Could you give me your name please?

Segment Synopsis: Ann Hunter is introduced. She talks about growing up in Illinois, her parents and grandparents, and her ancestors who were house slaves on a plantation. She talks about her ancestors buying their freedom and their relationships with their White owners.

Keywords: Buying freedom; Farming; Fathers; Grandfathers; Grandmothers; House slaves; Houses; Mothers; Parents; Plantations; Property; Second generation; Slaves; Working

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Genealogy.; Family histories.; Family--history; Gibson City (Ill.); Maryland; Nashville (Tenn.); Shelbyville (Ill.); Slavery--United States.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Now how did you get to Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter says her father was a minister in Illinois, and talks about her parents' education levels. She talks about the educations she and her siblings received. She talks about her experience attending the University of Illinois as the only Black student in her classes.

Keywords: Barbershops; Champaign (Ill.); Columbia University; Fathers; Grandmothers; High school education; Literacy; Maryland; Masters degrees; Methodist Church; Ministers; Mothers; Newspapers; Nurses; Oysters; Parents; Pre-pharmacy program; Reading; Schools; Sisters; Slaves; Working

Subjects: African American churches; African American college students.; African American families; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; College integration; Slavery--United States.; United States--Race relations.; University of Illinois

Partial Transcript: What kind of neighborhood did you live in?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks more about growing up in Illinois in a racially mixed neighborhood. She talks about race relations between the African Americans, Italian Americans, and Irish Americans in the neighborhood. She talks about attending segregated schools, the Native American ancestry in her background, and her experiences with racism. She discusses her parents' views on discipline.

Keywords: African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.); Better off; Catholics; Community; Cost; Dean of Women; Differences; Discipline; Entertainment; Fathers; Helping; Household dynamics; Interaction; Jobs; Mixed ancestry; Mixed neighborhoods; Native American ancestors; Parents; Police; Professors; Reading; Schools; Social events; Sunday school; Tuition; University of Illinois

Subjects: African American churches; African American families; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Genealogy.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Relations with Irish Americans.; African Americans--Relations with Italian Americans; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Childhood; Neighborhoods.; Neighborliness; Neighbors; Segregation in education.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: How did you get to Lexington?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about her sister and brother and their careers in teaching. She talks about the health issues she had which caused her to move closer to her sister. She talks about her experience working at Tillotson College, which was an integrated school.

Keywords: All-Black schools; Andrew Stokes Jackson; Brothers; Health issues; Job offers; Respect; Sisters; St. Louis (Mo.); Tillotson College (Austin, Tex.); Tumors

Subjects: Huston-Tillotson University; Lexington (Ky.); Segregation in education--Kentucky; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So I came back--oh, going down on the train to Texas from St. Louis I remember my sister made me up White and I rode the Pullman all the way down to Austin.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter describes her experience posing as a White woman on a train. She talks about what happened when it was discovered that she was Black. She talks about working for the Girl Reserves and the YWCA before working as the dean of women at Virginia State College.

Keywords: "Jim Crow car"; Black curtain; Boyd family; Dean of Women; Girl Reserves; Nashville (Tenn.); Promotions; Separation; Trains; Treatment; University presidents; Virginia State College; YWCA

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Race discrimination.; Racism; Segregation in transportation

Partial Transcript: And in, in the meantime in Nashville I met a fellow named Hartwell, Joshua Hartwell.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about meeting and marrying her first husband, Joshua Lightfoot Hartwell. She talks about how he contracted tuberculosis and what happened after his death.

Keywords: Asheville (N.C.); Death; Dentists; Fathers; Government jobs; Illinois; Joshua Lightfoot Hartwell; Married; Massachusetts; Money; Tuberculosis; Whiskey gaugers

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Health and hygiene.; African Americans--Marriage.

Partial Transcript: And I decided I'd register at the University of Illinois and--for a masters degree.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about why she accepted a job as dean of women at Kentucky State University. She talks about her experience with discrimination on her trip to Kentucky.

Keywords: "Jim Crow car"; "Whiskey train"; Dean of Women; Mothers; Taxis; Trains

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Kentucky State University; Race discrimination.; Racism; Segregation in transportation; United States--Race relations.; University of Illinois

Partial Transcript: And contrary to presidents now, President Atwood, president of the college, met me at the station.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter describes Kentucky State University President Rufus Atwood's home, as well as the facilities Hunter lived and worked in. She talks about her duties and salary at the university.

Keywords: Chandler Hall dormitory; Dances; Dean of Women; Dining halls; Grace Grevious Coleman; Gymnasium; Kentucky Hall dormitory; Laundry; Living conditions; President Rufus B. Atwood; President's house; Salary; University presidents

Subjects: African Americans--Economic conditions.; African Americans--Employment.; College environment; College facilities.; College presidents; College presidents--Dwellings; Kentucky State University; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Wages.

Partial Transcript: What was your attrition rate at, uh, Kentucky State in those days?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about how Kentucky State University has changed over the years, citing attrition rates, students' attitudes, and the quality of education.

Keywords: "Open door policy"; Attrition rates; Business managers; Changes; Dean of Students; Dean of Women; Failing; Flunking out; Jobs; Morals; President Rufus B. Atwood; Quality of education; University presidents; Values

Subjects: College attendance; College discipline; College presidents; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Educational change--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Tell me more about your experience at Kentucky State. What else happened after that?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about her conflict with President Atwood over her leaving Kentucky State University to work for the U.S. Army during World War II. She talks about why she decided to move to California to work for the USO Board.

Keywords: Camp Atterbury (Ind.); Graduating class; Leave of absence; Leaving; Los Angeles (Calif.); Moving; President Rufus B. Atwood; Resigning; Telegrams; USO Board; University presidents; WWII; War duties; World War II

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; College presidents; United States. Army; World War, 1939-1945--Women

Partial Transcript: A--and I went down to the United States Employment Office and applied for a job.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about her experiences working in a Japanese internment camp in the desert of the United States during World War II. She talks about how the Japanese Americans were treated, her duties at the camp, and what became of the prisoners once the war ended.

Keywords: Atomic bomb; Building railroads; Children; Counselors; Desert; Employment office; Hostesses; Japanese internment camps; Japanese relocation camps; Military service; New Jersey; Translators

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945.; World War, 1939-1945--Women

Partial Transcript: So where did you go after that?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about the prejudice and discrimination she faced when she took a job with the Veterans Administration. She talks about being transferred from Tennessee to Tuskegee.

Keywords: Murfreesboro (Tenn.); Newspaper headlines; Oaths; Prejudice; St. Louis (Mo.); Telegrams; Transfers; Tuskegee; Undertakers; Veterans Administration; Walla Walla (Wash.); Washington (D.C.)

Subjects: African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Discrimination in employment.; Race discrimination.; Racism; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: So we 'bout to the end.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about returning to Kentucky State University to become the Dean of Students until her retirement in 1964. She talks about her second marriage in 1935 to John Hunter, brother of Dr. Bush Hunter. She talks about their life in Lexington until their separation. She briefly talks about her experiences as a Donovan Student at the University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Apartments; Central Baptist Hospital; Dean of Students; Donovan Scholars; Dr. Bush Hunter; Government jobs; Harrodsburg Road; Howard University; Hunter Hall; John Hunter; Postman; President Rufus B. Atwood; Property; Remarried; Retirement; Separated; Tuskegee; Upper Street; Veterans; Volunteering

Subjects: African American college students.; African American families; African American physicians; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Employment.; African Americans--Marriage.; African Americans--Social conditions.; Kentucky State University; Lexington (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Tell me, do you think the education system today is better than it was when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Hunter discusses how the Black community has changed over the years and whether they are better off now than during her childhood.

Keywords: Better off; Ministers; Politics; Quality of education; Selfish; Slavery; Stores

Subjects: African American churches; African American leadership; African American neighborhoods; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Education.; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; Race discrimination.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Oh I started to tell you about the book.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about why she began writing a book on the history of Kentucky State University. She talks about her struggle to have the book published and printed. She talks about Martin Luther King, Jr. coming to Kentucky State University and facing discrimination at local restaurants. She talks about the CORE group that organized at the university and President Atwood's reactions to the group.

Keywords: "Against the Tide"; Alabama; Board of trustees; CORE (Congress of Racial Equality); Centennial; Classes; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Fires; Frisch's restaurant; Gymnasiums; Lawsuits; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Organizing; President Rufus B. Atwood; Printing; Protest marches; Publishers; Revolution; Support; University presidents

Subjects: African American college students--Social conditions; African American leadership; African Americans--Education (Higher); African Americans--Social conditions.; Campus violence; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; College discipline; College environment; College integration; College presidents; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College teachers--Political activity; Kentucky State University; King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968; Race discrimination.; Segregation in education--Kentucky; Segregation in higher education.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Now you live here in Richmond Place.

Segment Synopsis: Hunter talks about her current living situation, her relationships with her siblings and friends, and talks more about the book she wrote. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Brothers; Donovan Scholars; Friends; Librarians; Living conditions; Moving; Richmond Place; Sisters; Visiting; Writing books

Subjects: African American families; African Americans--Conduct of life.; African Americans--Housing.; African Americans--Politics and government.; African Americans--Recreation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Social life and customs.; Integration; Lexington (Ky.)