Interview with Cecil C. Carpenter, January 10, 1974

Partial Transcript: Interview with Dr. Cecil Carpenter, Dean of the College of Commerce emeritus, January 10th, 1974.

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Cecil Carpenter is introduced. He talks about Dr. Frank McVey as an administrator, stating that after McVey resigned he did not interfere with Dr. Donovan's administration of the university. He talks about McVey's effects on the university during his tenure, including improving the quality of the faculty.

Keywords: Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Joseph Pryor; Henry S. Barker; Interference; James K. Patterson; Modernization; Neighbors; Personality; Professors; Undergraduates

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Rating of.; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Ratings and rankings.

Partial Transcript: Uh, Dr. McVey kept trying to teach a class and he had a course called, uh, International Law, I guess.

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks about taking a class taught by Dr. McVey on the subject of international law, and talks about McVey's teaching style.

Keywords: Assistant Dean Levi J. Horlacher; Dr. Frank McVey; International law; Law briefs; Law cases

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College presidents; College teachers--Rating of.; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Are you pointing me as to what to say now?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter tells a story of an incident in which some UK students overturned a man's wagon and damaged his property, and discusses how Dr. McVey handled the issue.

Keywords: Class officers; Damages; Dr. Frank McVey; Honesty; Misbehavior; Registration fees; Rowdiness; Rowdyism; Snake dances; Tug-of-war; Wagons

Subjects: Campus violence; College administrators; College discipline; College environment; College presidents; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Universities and colleges--Administration.; University towns

Partial Transcript: Uh, oh Professor Grant Knight lived over there.

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks about his experiences in graduate school. He talks about becoming an assistant professor at UK in 1936. He talks about his strategy for getting Dr. McVey to approve his proposals.

Keywords: Approval; Assistant professors; Dr. Frank McVey; Expansion; Governor Happy Chandler; Graduate school; Grant Knight; Influence; Jim Morris; Marshall University; Money; Personality; Proposals; Reactions; Working

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College presidents; College students--Employment.; College teachers--Selection and appointment.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Um, I didn't, uh, have as much contact with Dr. McVey as a faculty member of course.

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks about his experiences with Dr. McVey as a neighbor on Shady Lane. He talks about McVey's personality, and tells several anecdotes to demonstrate their relationship.

Keywords: Architecture; Bees; Chickens; Children; Contact; Dogs; Dr. Frank McVey; Eleanor Roosevelt; Grandchildren; Houses; Mistakes; Neighbors; Newspapers; Painting; Partnerships; Personality; Reading; Retirement

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College presidents--Dwellings; College teachers--Social conditions; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: In what year did you become dean?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks more about Dr. McVey as an administrator, discussing his way of making decisions, his views on paper and clutter, and his personality as an administrator. He talks about McVey working with the legislature on the university budget, and protecting the staff from political influence.

Keywords: Budgets; Dan Talbert; Dean James Graham; Deans; Death; Decisions; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Herman Donovan; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Economics; Frankfort (Ky.); Interviews; North Dakota; Offices; Papers; Policies; Political campaigns; Political contributions; Research; State employees; Withdrawing

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance

Partial Transcript: Someone told me that you were in the first, uh, group taken into Phi Beta Kappa after it was established here, is that correct?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks about the beginning of the Phi Beta Kappa organization at UK and why he was not a member until he was in graduate school at the University of Illinois.

Keywords: Dr. Albert Kirwan; Graduate students; Invitations; Paul Cooper; Phi Beta Kappa fraternity; Senior year; Treasurers; University of Illinois

Subjects: College students--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: What do you recall about Dr. McVey's, uh, relationships with the AAUP and, uh, his attitude toward it?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter discusses McVey's views on the American Association of University Professors and the professors who were members. He talks about McVey asking the faculty to temporarily cut their salaries by ten percent during the Great Depression, and talks about the professors who took issue with this when the debt was not later repaid.

Keywords: American Association of University Professors (AAUP); Attitudes; Budgets; Chamber of Commerce; Debts; Dr. Frank McVey; Dr. Latimer; Dr. Morris Scherago; Dr. Ralph Weaver; Funds; Great Depression; Labor unions; Opposition; Repaid; Salary cuts; Salary reductions

Subjects: College administrators--Rating of; College presidents; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teaching.; Depressions--1929--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance

Partial Transcript: When did you leave your place there on Shady Lane and move out here?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks more about his relationship with Dr. McVey as a neighbor, and discusses why he moved from Shady Lane. He talks about other professors who visited Dr. McVey in his home, and talks about the professors McVey brought with him when he came to UK from North Dakota.

Keywords: Carl Lampert; Dean James Graham; Dean Thomas Cooper; Dr. Frank McVey; Ezra Gillis; Family; James K. Patterson; Moving; Outsiders; Personality; Rose Street; Shady Lane; University of North Dakota; Visiting; Wives

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College presidents--Dwellings; College teachers--Social conditions; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Well you can ask me anything you can think of that might stir my memory.

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter talks about McVey's wife Frances Jewell, his daughters, his brother, and a distant relative named Lincoln McVeigh. He discusses the spelling of McVey's last name.

Keywords: Brothers; Daughters; Dr. Frank McVey; Giving; Helping; Janet McVey; Lincoln McVeigh; MacVey; Mary Frances Jewell McVey; Name spellings; Personality; Relatives; Virginia McVey

Subjects: College administrators; College presidents; College presidents' spouses; Families.; Family histories.; Family--history; Universities and colleges--Administration.

Partial Transcript: Oh, let's see, I heard a story once about the appointment of Dr. McVey. You want this?

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter tells a story about why Judge Stoll, as a member of the Board of Trustees, voted for McVey to become the next president of UK. He talks about McVey's opinion of Stoll as a board member.

Keywords: Board members; Board of trustees; Dr. Frank McVey; Henry S. Barker; Judge Richard Stoll; Support

Subjects: College administrators--Selection and appointment.; College presidents; Universities and colleges--Administration.

Partial Transcript: Well I feel like I've taken enough of your time Dr. Carpenter--

Segment Synopsis: Carpenter and the interviewer discuss the interviewer's project, historical research, and the importance of historical documentation. Carpenter talks about donating his personal library to Midway College.

Keywords: Documents; Evidence; Historical records; History; Midway College; Resources

Subjects: Academic libraries.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Uh, what men did you work with in your professors?

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer discusses which professors he studied under at UK. He talks about his church involvement, along with others in the church who were associated with the university. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Death; Dr. Fortune; Dr. Thomas D. Clark; Economics; G.I. Bill; Graduate school; Leadership; Leslie Smith; Mathematics; News; Obituaries; Professor Charles Talbert; Professor W. Clement Eaton; Professor Walter Jennings; Professors

Subjects: Churches--Kentucky; College teachers--Rating of.; College teachers--Social conditions; Universities and colleges--Faculty.Educators