Interview with Robert F. Flege, July 13, 1990

Partial Transcript: --interview with Robert Flege for the University of Kentucky--

Segment Synopsis: His name is Robert F. Flege in Williamstown, Kentucky. His father's occupation was a farmer and school teacher. His grandfather was from Germany and his grandmother was from northern Kentucky.

Keywords: Birthdates; Birthdays; Family; Father's occupation; Fathers; Grade schools; Grandparents; Jobs

Subjects: Childhood; Education--Kentucky; Families.

Partial Transcript: Getting back to, I guess, your own upbringing.

Segment Synopsis: Flege grew up on a small farm where his father taught him in school from first through eighth grade. Then, he had to take a test to get into Williamstown High School in 1910.

Keywords: 1910-1914; Age; Brothers; Farms; One-room schools; Standardized tests; State tests; Williamstown High School

Subjects: Childhood; Education--Kentucky; Families.

Partial Transcript: I guess after that you, you ended up at UK.

Segment Synopsis: Flege was the salutatorian in his high school, therefore he was rewarded a scholarship into the UNiversity of Kentucky. He graduated with his brother, where they rode horse and buggy to and from school. Around the time World War I started, they started school. At UK, there were three women to every four men in 1914.

Keywords: College life; Entrance exams; High grades; High school testing; Horse and buggy; Scholarships; Traveling around town; WW1; Women in college; World War I

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher); World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: What were the neighborhoods like around campus?

Segment Synopsis: For fun, they played cards, organized sports, went to few fraternity events, and snuck beer in when they could. He and his brother lived on South Upper Street until they moved into the White Hall dormitory the following year.

Keywords: Activities; Dormitories; Dorms; Fraternities; Greek life; Housing; Parties; Playing cards; S. Upper Street; Unorganized sports

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Greek letter societies.; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns

Partial Transcript: You mentioned a few, a few minutes ago that when you started school was right after Germany had invaded Belgium.

Segment Synopsis: Flege says that two years' participation in the university's battalion was required. World War I impacted the classes by turning lectures into discussions about the war. Most professors thought it would only last 60 days.

Keywords: 60 day war; Battalions; Classes; Classes turned to discussions; First two years; Sixty day war; WW1; World War I

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Military education.; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: Okay, this, this is just a question--I guess just a general question about what life at the university was like.

Segment Synopsis: During the start of the war, Flege says students believed they could act out on campus, which resulted in violence and deaths. A car was flipped onto a student leading to his death. There were many fights. Freshmen and sophomores had a tug of war game because they wanted to see which class was superior.

Keywords: Cars flipped; Deaths; Fighting; Fights; Impact; Sophomores versus freshman; Tug of war; Violence on campus; WW1; World War I

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: Okay, I'm gonna skip up a little bit.

Segment Synopsis: Students who enlisted into the military from college were guaranteed their diplomas right away. It did not matter what year you were, some students graduated as freshmen. Students joked on campus that if their grades were not good enough then they would just enlist and graduate. The students who did not enlist went to trade school or stayed at the university. Flege ended up staying with less than a thousand other students on campus.

Keywords: Battalions; Early graduation; Enlisting; Graduate early; Graduating; Military; School-life; WW1 impacts on campus

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Military service, Voluntary--United States.; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: So, I guess there was a lot of opportunities for--you know either I guess the men could stay behind and work on their degrees...

Segment Synopsis: In the spring, World War I was in full effect and with the lack of students at UK, Flege decided to switch schools and take the pre-med track at the University of Cincinnati. Women were not allowed to participate in war efforts and were often made fun of for knitting in class. People were eager to talk about the end of the war, but it was not close to ending at that time.

Keywords: Cincinnati (Ohio); Colleges; End of war; Military; Pre-medical education; University of Cincinnati; WW1; Women; Women in military; World War I

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher); World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: --to the, I guess, the end of the summer 1917 when you first came back on campus.

Segment Synopsis: When Flege returned to UK, all of his friends were there and not much had changed. There was a new president, Dr. McVey, who Flege says was more of a politician than a college president. There was a new battalion leader, who seemed to be worse and more out of shape than the last one.

Keywords: Demographics; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. McVey; Friends; New president; Politics; Presidential; Social life; University presidents

Subjects: College administrators; College campuses.; College environment; College presidents; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; McVey, Frank LeRond, 1869-1953; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: I guess also October was about the time--you me--mentioned earlier that around September/October things started to settle down...

Segment Synopsis: There was a new military advisor on campus and he went by the name of General Paragord. He was very successful and did his job well. Physical education teachers began talking about the war and what was going on across the world. Many gave patriotic speeches to lighten the mood of the war on campus. The first death of a student was recorded and when the campus found out, they gave tribute to him.

Keywords: First death; First death of student; General Paragord; Military activities; Military personnel; Patriotic speeches; Physical education; Speeches; WW1; War speakers; World War I

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: And so you graduated, that was June of--

Segment Synopsis: Dr. McVey and Governor Stanley reached an agreement that the university would get a significant amount of money to help fund student activities. Students liked this and were more happy on campus. Flege says that Dr. McVey was doing a very good job as president and many students liked him.

Keywords: Augustus Owsley Stanley; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. McVey; Funding; Funding for the school; Governor Augustus Owsley Stanley; Governor Stanley; Happiness; Kentucky; Local laws; Politics; Students are happier

Subjects: College campuses.; College environment; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Kentucky--Politics and government; Lexington (Ky.); Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky; University towns; World War, 1914-1918