Interview with Nancy M. Mitchell, Dillard M. Grady, November 7, 1988

Partial Transcript: This is an interview Nancy Mitchell on November 7th, 1988 at 1 o'clock.

Segment Synopsis: Nancy Mitchell and her sister Dillard Grady discuss their upbringing as a farm family, how they were raised, and why their father was so insistent on them attending private schools.

Keywords: 1988; 320 acres; 5th grade; 7th grade; Academics; Bryan Station High School; Children; Clarkland Farm; Close-knit; Education for girls; Education for women; Education in Kentucky; Family farms; Farms; Lexington schools; Morton Middle School; Sayre School; Sisters; University High School; University Training School; University of Kentucky Training School

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); London (Ky.); Private schools; Public schools; Schools

Partial Transcript: When I was in the seventh grade there was only six children in my class.

Segment Synopsis: Mitchell goes into detail about her education at public and private schools in Lexington, Kentucky. She talks about the small class sizes and the fact that the school was mostly girls. They were taught the basic subjects that everyone learns but it was more efficient because of the smaller classes. It was a short day, but they had recess along with their classes.

Keywords: "Hicks"; "Snobby"; 1950s; 8th grade; Academics; Art; Better education; Bryan Station High School; Class sizes; Field trips; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Girls; Henry Clay High School; Individual attention; Library; Music; Piano; Prayers; Recess; Sayre School; Small classes; Small schools; Social; Sports; Young

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; School management and organization.; Schools

Partial Transcript: Well, there was a--we used to have a convocation thing.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewees explain how the school day at Sayre started off with the students praying before going into their typical school subjects. They go on to explain the difference between the number of girls and boys that attended Sayre, and the students' attitudes throughout the school.

Keywords: Behaved; Boys; Curriculum; Discipline problems; Excellent teachers; Few teachers; Girls; Girls schools; Good atmosphere; Honor roll; Paid education; Pledge of Allegiance; Prayers; Sayre School; Small schools; Strict

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Private schools; School discipline; Schools; Teachers--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What was the transition like from Sayre to Morton?

Segment Synopsis: Mitchell explains the clubs she was involved in at private school and how it was different from her new public school. She talks about the transition between schools and the differences between her experiences in private and public schools.

Keywords: Adjustment; Beta Club; Books; Buildings; Changes; Changing classes; Class officers; Cultural; Dislike; Education; Friends; Growth; High schools; Involved; Involvement; Leadership; Meeting people; Missing out; Morton Middle School; Neighborhoods; Parent Teacher Association (PTA); Pep Club; Sayre School; Smart; Struggles; Student Council; Transition; Unique

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; Schools

Partial Transcript: Why did you choose to send your children to public school?

Segment Synopsis: The interviewees discuss the reasons why they were sent to the schools they were sent to. They talk about how the communities felt towards the different schools. The families all had different personalities at each school. They discuss teachers at each school and how public school students perceived private school students.

Keywords: "Snobby"; Children; Connections; Control; Dissatisfaction; Dr. Curley; Dr. Lyman Ginger; Driving; Expensive; Good education; Latin; Lunches; Money; Parent Teacher Association (PTA); Personal attention; Privileged; Sayre School; School principals; Sheltered; Shut down; Shy; Skipping classes; Skipping school; Small classes; Snobby; Student teachers; Teaching methods; Transferring; Trouble; University High School; University of Kentucky Training School

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; School discipline; School management and organization.; Schools; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Can you compare the teaching methods between Sayre and the University school?

Segment Synopsis: The interviewees discuss disciplinary methods at each school they attended. There were other things offered at the schools that they attended other than just classes. One of their biggest complaints was the school lunches but other than that, they loved the schools they attended and everything they had to offer. Each school was different in its own way.

Keywords: Acting; Art; Basketball; Beta Club; Boys tennis team; Cafeteria food; Disciplinary methods; Dr. Lyman Ginger; Enthusiasm; Extracurricular activities; Football; Girls sports; Gym classes; Pep Club; Plays; Professors; School lunches; School manners; Skipping school; Sports; Student government; Teaching methods; Wealthy

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; School discipline; School management and organization.; Schools; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching; Women in education--Kentucky--Lexington

Partial Transcript: What was the drawing card for the University school? Why did people send their kids there?

Segment Synopsis: Mitchell explains the benefits of private schools, and how she felt the education was the same at both schools. The behavior of students at each school is also explained.

Keywords: "Brats"; Advantages; Attention; Behavior; Better education; Children; Disrespectful; Doctors; Henry Clay High School; Interests; Lawyers; Population; Problems; Professors; Respect; Respectful; Sayre School; Small classes; Social; Social aspects; Students; University High School; University of Kentucky Training School

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Education--Study and teaching; Lexington (Ky.); Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; School discipline; School management and organization.; Schools; Teachers--Kentucky; Teaching

Partial Transcript: What is your fondest memory of Sayre?

Segment Synopsis: Mitchell explains her memories of experiences with the teachers at Sayre School and University High School. She enjoyed school overall, but the small class sizes really helped the sisters and made them feel like it was easier for them to learn that way.

Keywords: "Nerds"; Better education; Better teachers; Books; Campus size; Class sizes; Differences; Disinterest in school; Enjoying learning; Friends; Friendships; Fun teachers; Good education; Mathematics; Morton Middle School; Quality; Reading; Sayre School; Shy; Small classes; Social differences; Social life; Student teachers; University High School; University of Kentucky Training School; Unpaid

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Private schools; Public schools; School discipline; School management and organization.; Schools; Teachers--Kentucky; Teachers--Salaries, etc.; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Did you all go away--did you go away to college?

Segment Synopsis: The interviewees talk about the colleges they went to. Their father did not believe in girls' education after high school. He wanted them to go to a school with mostly white families for social reasons. They both went to one year of college and then their sister went to Transylvania University, but their father had no clue all four of those years because she had a job and she paid her way through.

Keywords: All-girls schools; Boys; College education; Discrimination; Fathers; Graduated; Hospitals; Importance of education; Integrated; Mothers; Part-time students; Sayre School; Sons; Traditional girls schools; Transylvania University; Unique; University of Kentucky; University of Mississippi; Women's education

Subjects: College environment; College students--Social conditions; College students.; Education, Higher; Lexington (Ky.); Sex discrimination in higher education.; Universities and colleges.; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: Do you think that the University Training School was a wilder school than most?

Segment Synopsis: The interviewees discuss behavior in school. Mitchell talks about the people she knew from school. She talks about the rebellion that happened within public school. She talks about the locations of where the students attending the schools lived.

Keywords: "Wild schools"; Behavior; Big schools; City people; Class of 30; Country; Ditching classes; East End; Fairway subdivision; Girls schools; Hamilton School; Lunches; Private institutions; Reading; Richmond Road; Sayre School; Schools in Kentucky; Skipping classes; Skipping school; Small classes; Small schools; Smoking in school; Speech; Traditional; Tuition; University High School; University of Kentucky Training School; Versailles (Ky.); Waiting lists; Woodford County (Ky.)

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Private schools; Public schools; School attendance.; School discipline; School management and organization.; Schools; Women in education--Kentucky--Lexington