Interview with Wimberly Royster, June 9, 2005

Partial Transcript: Dr. Royster, uh, the last time we talked--and I want to apologize for being so long getting back and, uh, it's, it's no, no excuse for it--um, we got you through most of your education and, uh, we almost got to--I was listening to the end of the tape the other day--we almost got your degree in post hole digging.--(laughs)--

Segment Synopsis: Royster discusses the basics of math, going into detail over the x,y axes in geometry in comparison to a complex plane. He speaks on how the complex plane consists of imaginary numbers on the vertical axis, rather than real numbers in geometry. Royster speaks on finishing his undergraduate education and the courses he was required to complete for graduate school. Royster discusses writing his twenty-four page dissertation and obtaining his PhD in 1952.

Keywords: Abstract algebra; Advanced Calculus; Algebra; Calculus; Complex planes; Complex variables; Dissertation writing; Doctoral degrees; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Geometry; Graduate schools; Imaginary numbers; Mathematics; PhDs; Real numbers; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster; X axis; Y axis

Subjects: Algebra.; Calculus; Calculus.; College students.; Geometry.; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty

Partial Transcript: I’ll back up just a little bit--

Segment Synopsis: Royster speaks on coming to the University of Kentucky in 1946 for the first time in the Mathematics Department. Royster explains that because of WWII, many professors took time off, and the department was heavily short staffed. He says that math researchers were needed and the university was busy trying to find them. Royster mentions how, in 1950, many professors were threatening to leave, but because of all the veterans returning from war, professors were in high demand. Royster discusses his family, two children, and a wife from Somerset, Kentucky. Royster adds that he was offered decent paying jobs from the University of Chicago, Purdue University, and Rutgers University. However, Royster states that he decided to take a higher paying job at Auburn University. Royster describes how he worked an average of fifteen hours a week in contrast to the standard twelve hour work week at other universities and how he rented a tourist home since there were no motels in the area. Royster explains that he had no money to buy furniture so it all had to be rented and how he was lucky that neighbors in his duplex took care of his young children. Royster describes how agriculture was the dominant discipline at Auburn and how, as a result, the mathematics department there was inferior to that of the one at UK. Royster states that he stayed at Auburn for four years, not including the final three summers. During those summers, he worked at a computing lab for extra money. He explains that the lab asked him to numerically solve equations, and he also wrote a research paper while he worked at the lab. Royster says that he was offered $10,000 to work at the University of California and, despite this being a significant amount of money at the time and double what his pay was at the time, he turned the offer down because he was not ready to take his family that far of a distance.

Keywords: Agriculture; Auburn University; Computing labs; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Family; Job offers; Lab work; Laboratory work; Mathematics professors; Mathematics researchers; Professors; Rutgers University; Summer work; WWII; WWII veterans; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster; World War II; Writing research papers

Subjects: Agriculture.; Auburn University; College teachers.; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: So, how does it turn out that you, uh, get an offer to come back here?

Segment Synopsis: Royster discusses how he returned to the University of Kentucky in 1956. He explains that the chair of the Mathematics Department at UK, J.C. Eaves, gave him a call and offered him a position since he knew that Royster was receiving job offers. Birdwhistell notes that the University of Kentucky was undergoing much change at the time, most importantly at the president position. Royster states that he barely knew any of the faculty upon his return to UK. He discusses President Dickey who had taken over the role of UK president in 1956. In 1958, Royster says that he was promoted to associate professor, followed by his promotion to a full professor in 1962. Royster explains that he knew the math department would need money to grow, so he applied for an NSF grant in the late 1950s. He also states that he applied for a semester off to do more research at a higher university, so in the winter of 1961, Royster went to Princeton University and found what he considered to be the example that all faculties should be built around.

Keywords: Associate professors; Dr. Frank Dickey; Dr. Frank G. Dickey; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Frank Dickey; Frank G. Dickey; Frank Graves Dickey; Grants; J.C. Eaves; Mathematics professors; NSF grants; Princeton University; Professors; UK faculty; UK presidents; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky faculty; University of Kentucky presidents; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster

Subjects: College administrators; College department heads; College presidents; College teachers.; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Princeton University; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences

Partial Transcript: Um, so you become a full professor--

Segment Synopsis: Royster mentions how his mentor at UK was Arthur Moore, a faculty member in the English department. He also states that Eaves was involved in his promotion to a full-time professor because Eaves wanted to keep Royster at the university. Royster talks about his role on the committee that evaluated the deans at UK. He explains that the heads of the departments were not aiming to push their departments further, which troubled him. Royster and other young professors aimed to make the University of Kentucky a better place while they were employed there. He also expresses that, while President Dickey was a well-liked man, he was too nice of a guy to be the president. Royster discusses how a faculty member at the University of Kentucky, Frank Peterson, was getting into trouble, which hurt the university. President Dickey announced he was leaving in 1963, and Royster hoped the university would go out and get a stronger president. Royster says that he was named chairman of the math department around the time that Jack Oswald was brought in as the new president of the university.

Keywords: Arthur K. Moore; Arthur Moore; College deans; College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Arthur K. Moore; Dr. Arthur Moore; Dr. Frank Dickey; Dr. Frank G. Dickey; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Frank Dickey; Frank G. Dickey; Frank Graves Dickey; J.C. Eaves; Mathematics departments; Mathematics professors; Professors; Promotions; UK College of Arts and Sciences; UK English Department; UK Mathematics Department; UK deans; UK faculty; UK presidents; University departments; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky English Department; University of Kentucky Mathematics Department; University of Kentucky deans; University of Kentucky faculty; University of Kentucky presidents; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster

Subjects: Administration.; College administrators; College department heads; College presidents; College teachers.; Deans (Education); Education, Higher--Kentucky; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences

Partial Transcript: So, when--when--when you learned that Jack Oswald was coming in, you know, and you're--you're connected to the--to the--the network that--young professors, what did you--what'd you make of that?

Segment Synopsis: Royster discusses President Oswald and the hope that his appointment gave the entire faculty. Royster explains that Oswald was a progressive who would push the university towards improvement. Royster states that Oswald instantly began to make tough decisions about promotions and faculty changes. Royster states that he did not particularly want to be the chair of the math department, but he became the chair after a coin toss with a colleague in the department.

Keywords: A.D. Albright; Arnold D. Albright; Arnold Dewald Albright; Department chairs; Dr. A.D. Albright; Dr. Arnold D. Albright; Dr. Arnold Dewald Albright; Dr. John Oswald; Dr. John W. Oswald; Dr. John Wieland Oswald; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; J.C. Eaves; John Oswald; John W. Oswald; John Wieland Oswald; Mathematics departments; Mathematics professors; Professors; Promotions; UK Mathematics Department; UK faculty; UK presidents; University administration; University department chairs; University departments; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky Mathematics Department; University of Kentucky department chairs; University of Kentucky faculty; University of Kentucky presidents; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster

Subjects: Administration.; College administrators; College department heads; College presidents; College teachers.; Deans (Education); Education, Higher--Kentucky; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences

Partial Transcript: So your--you've returned home, made a career, and now your chair of the math department. What’d you want to do?

Segment Synopsis: In 1967, Royster states that he was granted $1,000,000 from NSF for his recruitment of faculty members. In a year, Royster says that he recruited thirteen assistant professors. Royster states that when he came back to the university, there had been only twelve math faculty members total, but by the time he retired, there were thirty-five faculty members in the department. Royster describes how the connections of a faculty member in the department resulted in the NSF granting the department funding. Royster explains that he understood that the University of Kentucky would not be able to recruit the established older professors because of other universities like Princeton, Harvard, and Michigan. Instead, he concentrated his effort on recruiting promising young PhD’s. Royster’s vision was to compete with the major universities. As chair, Royster states that he had very few department meetings, but was loved because of his ability to talk to people. Royster claims that he never received a complaint in his three years as math chair. Even after firing faculty members, Royster states that he would help refer them for jobs at other universities. Royster says that he was also offered the position as head of the Arts and Sciences Department but declined the offer because he did not feel as if he could lead the department to the same success as mathematics.

Keywords: Assistant professors; Department chairs; Department meetings; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Faculty recruitment; Goals; Grants; Mathematics departments; Mathematics professors; Professors; Recruitment; UK Mathematics Department; UK faculty; University administration; University department chairs; University departments; University of Kentucky Mathematics Department; University of Kentucky department chairs; University of Kentucky faculty; Vision as chair; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster

Subjects: Administration.; College administrators; College department heads; College teachers.; Deans (Education); Education, Higher--Kentucky; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences

Partial Transcript: 'Course, now the--the reality is that you were raising a family. You did need to--a good income.

Segment Synopsis: Royster describes that his technique for recruiting faculty was not to advertise and wait like most people, but rather go out and find the professors he wanted. Royster states that he worked a lot of overtime, but never enough to keep him away from his family. He says that he was never worried that his salary did not accurately depict all the success he brought to the university. From 1967-1969, Royster states that he served as the Director for the School of Mathematical Sciences, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, and started the Statistics and Computer Sciences Departments at the University of Kentucky. Royster describes how the first computer was brought to the University of Kentucky in 1961 and what it was used for. Royster expresses that he didn't know how technology would evolve over time, but that he worked to keep up with it.

Keywords: Computer science; Computers; Dr. Wimberly C. Royster; Dr. Wimberly Calvin Royster; Dr. Wimberly Royster; Faculty recruitment; Mathematics departments; Mathematics professors; Numerical analysis; Overtime work; Professors; Programs; Recruitment; Salaries; Statistics; Technology; UK Mathematics Department; University departments; University of Kentucky Mathematics Department; Wimberly C. Royster; Wimberly Calvin Royster; Wimberly Royster

Subjects: Administration.; College administrators; College department heads; College teachers.; Deans (Education); Education, Higher--Kentucky; Mathematicians.; Mathematics.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences