The Rutgers-Newark in the 1960s and 1970s Oral History Collection

Interviewer

Gilbert ("Gil") Cohen conceived of and carried out this oral history project. Cohen was a graduate of Far Rockaway High School (1947) and Queens College (1951), in New York. Following graduation from college, he worked as a welder at Bethlehem Steel (1952-1957). He then enrolled at the Rutgers Library School and took a position as a senior clerk at the Dana Library on the Rutgers-Newark campus (1957-1959). After earning his M.L.S. degree, he accepted a position as a librarian at the Newark Public Library (1959-1961) and then returned to the Dana Library as circulation librarian and served in many professional capacities there over a long career. After his retirement, he continued to volunteer in the library, and served as a mentor for two generations of young librarians. He resided in Springfield, New Jersey, for many years and served as a member and chair of the Springfield Public Library Board of Trustees and was active in the New Jersey Library Trustees Association.

Interviewees

Sam L. Agron completed his bachelor's degree in geology at Northwestern University in 1941. After serving as a naval officer in the World War II, Agron earned his doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1949, and began as an instructor at Brown University before joining the faculty at Rutgers-Newark in 1951, and going on to help build the geology department from the ground up. His research interests and publication involved rock structures in the Eastern United States, environmental geology and mineral resources, including fuels and energy.

Erma Brown first came to Rutgers-Newark in 1968 as an adult student returning to finish a degree she began at University College in New Brunswick years prior. While at Rutgers-Newark, Brown was active as a writer for the campus newspaper the Observer. After graduating from the Newark College of Arts and Sciences (NCAS) in 1970 with a degree in English, Brown worked for over 20 years as a staff writer and senior staff writer for the Office of Public Information.

Joseph Browne founded the Black Organization of Students (BOS) together with Richard Roper. Browne grew up in Newark and attended white Catholic schools prior to coming to the university. He had left Rutgers for a time to join VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) and participated in the Newark City Council election of 1968.

Robert Curvin, a retired U.S Army 1st Lieutenant, completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers-Newark in 1960. He later went on to obtain a master's degree at Rutgers University School of Social Work and a Ph.D. in political science at Princeton University in 1975. At Rutgers-Newark, Curvin served as an Adjunct Professor in the political science department and was also an active member and overseer of the Black Organization of Students (BOS).

Jane Chepich came to Rutgers-Newark as an undergraduate in 1966. During that time she worked as a senior clerk stenographer to Assistant Vice President Marvin Greenberg. Later Chepich went on to serve as an editor of the student newspaper the Observer.

Anne Coddington was born in Newfoundland in 1918 and attended school until age 13. In 1967, Coddington returned to finish high school at Jersey Prep in Newark, completed her GED, entered University College in 1968, and graduated with honors from Newark College of Arts and Sciences (NCAS) in 1972. After graduating, Coddington was a dedicated teacher in the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program before returning to school herself to complete her PhD in 1987 after which she continued to teach in the English department.

Marie Collins received her master's degree from Middlebury College and her doctoral from New York University. She spent time as a Fulbright scholar in France before joining the Rutgers-Newark faculty as a French teacher in 1963. During her time at the university, Collins was part of the Women's Caucus and involved in the development of the Women's Studies program. She is also the author of the book, Black Poets in French (1972).

John Cullity was born in 1928, and grew up in Jersey City during the Great Depression. After completing his undergraduate degree at St. Peter's College, he spent two years in the Army before heading to Columbia University where he studied economics under Arthur Burns. Upon completion of his PhD in 1963, he began a long and prestigious career in the Economics Department at Rutgers-Newark.

Dorothy Dinnerstein joined the Psychology Department at Rutgers-Newark in 1967, where she taught until her retirement in 1988. During her time at the university she was instrumental in bringing a successful class-action lawsuit against the university which addressed the disparity in compensation between men and women faculty members. Dinnerstein was a recognized feminist scholar and activist and the author of The Mermaid and the Minotaur (1976), which argues that misogyny is the result of childcare being left mostly to women.

Vickie Donaldson was the most prominent woman in the Black Organization of Students (BOS) and played an instrumental role in the organizaing activities surrounding the 1967 takeover of Conklin Hall. She grew up in Florida and moved with her mother in Newark in 1967. At Rutgers, she joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the campus NAACP chapter before gravitating to the BOS. She graduated from Rutgers-Newark College of Art and Sciences (NCAS) in 1972 with a degree in black studies and sociology. In 1974 she went on to obtain a graduate degree in political theory. She received her law degree from Rutgers in 1982. Since then, Vickie has served as the General Counsel to the Board of Education in Newark, as the town prosecutor in Orange,New Jersey and is now practicing law in Newark.

Lorraine Elias was born and raised in the City of Newark and received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers-Newark in 1969. She left to pursue a master's in English at Seton Hall University, and then a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers in New Brunswick. She returned to Rutgers-Newark as a professor of English in 1984.

Virginia Ellis worked at Rutgers-Newark from 1950 to 1981 and retired as a technical services supervisor. Prior to coming to Rutgers, she worked as a secretary for General Electric. Ellis did not receive a formal college education, but describes the cultural education of living in Newark and working at Rutgers during times of substantial social change.

Steven W. Firsichbaum graduated from Union High School in 1968 and attended Rutgers-Newark from 1968-1972, where he majored in economics, before heading to University of Vermont Law School where he received his J.D. in 1976. He has been practicing law since, and currently is the Director of the Workers' Compensation Department for the law firm of Fishman McIntyre.

John Gilmour was born on July 27, 1915, in Staten Island, New York. He completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University in New York City and received his master's in business at New York University. Gilmour served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, during World War II.He was a professor at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Business in Newark and later in his career, in the undergraduate school also in Newark. Gilmour died on January 1, 2007.

Sydney Greenfield joined the faculty as professor of botany at Rutgers-Newark in 1946. He led the development of the university's botany program and the undergraduate major. Upon retirement in 1984, he was named Professor Emeritus and continued to teach select courses at the university. During his tenure he was instrumental in the design as well as the landscaping of the Newark campus, which officially opened in 1968.

James Hall received his bachelor's and doctoral degree from the University of Toronto and his master's from University of Western Ontario. He came to Rutgers-Newark as a professor of physiology.

Peter Jackson graduated from Rutgers-Newark in 1969 and later joined the faculty in the Master of Public Administration program. He was a member of the Black Organization of Students (BOS) and was instrumental in negotiations with the university administration and in the group's takeover of Conklin Hall in February 1969

William Jonesreceived a bachelor's in English and Education from Rutgers New Brunswick and a master's degree from Teachers' College Columbia. After spending several years teaching in Africa, Jones came to Rutgers-Newark in 1969, as professor in the Academic Foundations department.

Delora Jones-Hicks was secretary for the Business and Industrial Coordinating Council before joining Rutgers-Newark's Office of Public Information in 1968. During her time at the university, she wrote press releases, developed relationships with news organizations, planned events, and was in charge of public relations with the surrounding community. She also served as chair of the Organization of Black Faculty and Staff.

Paula J. Hayne graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor of fine arts in public address in 1956 after which she taught briefly at University of Rhode Island before returning to Ohio University for her master of fine arts in public address with a minor in sociology. Hayne spent several years at Iowa State, and then University of Hawaii before coming to Rutgers-Newark in 1966. She left for Indiana University in 1972 to pursue her PhD in American Public Address, but continued to teach in speech and theater arts at Rutgers-Newark from 1973 onward. In 1981, Hayne received her PhD from Indiana University. A dynamic teacher and instrumental in the development of the theater arts curriculum, Hayne also was an important spokesperson for the rights of women faculty at Rutgers.

Edward Huberman served Rutgers-Newark as professor of English from 1947 until 1980. He helped to run the annual Poetry Reading Contest which brought together local high school seniors and students from surrounding universities. He was also a founding member of the College of English Association.

Michael C. Jaye joined the English Department at Rutgers-Newark in the 1970s. He served as president of the Newark chapter of the American Association of University Professors and on numerous faculty committees. Jaye was a chief organizer of the Conference on Literature and the Urban Experience held at Rutgers-Newark in 1980. This conference brought together over 50 writers and academics who spoke on the theme of the modern urban experience. The conference received national acclaim and was broadcast on public television as well as National Public Radio.

Maxine Kahn graduated with honors from Kean University with a bachelor's degree in political science. She then went on to the master's of public administration program at Rutgers-Newark. During her time at the university, Kahn worked at the MPA office, publishing their monthly newsletter. She graduated in 1979.

Stanley Kaish received his bachelor's degree from Cornell and an M.B.A from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. He joined the Rutgers-Newark faculty as professor of economics in 1963 while pursuing his PhD at New York University. Kaish was later named Professor Emeritus and also served as the Mayor of Springfield, New Jersey, from 1976-1985.

Vivian Sanks King was a member of the NAACP while enrolled at Rutgers-Newark, but migrated toward the more militant Black Organization of Students (BOS), and became an active leader. She graduated in 1970 with a political science degree from the College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Newark, and in 1985 completed her law degree at Seton Hall Law School. She served as General Counsel for the University Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) before going into private practice and has received numerous awards and honors for her dedicated service in law and policy. She presently serves on the Boards of Leadership Newark, New Jersey Public Policy Research Institute, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey, New Jersey Women and AIDS Network, the Garden State Bar Association, and is past chair of the Community Health Law Project.

Barry Komisaruk completed his undergraduate degree in biology at City University of New York, and continued his graduate work in animal behavior under Daniel Lehrman in in 1961. Komizaruk's received his PhD in 1965, and was part of the beginning of the Institute of Animal Behavior. He has produced seminal research on pain and sensory pathways, with dramatic implications for the rehabilitation of women with spinal cord injuries in particular. He has served as Dean of the Graduate School, brought millions of dollars in grant moneys to the University and been named Rutgers University Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor.

Lincoln Lawrence grew up in Jersey City and received his bachelor of science from Jersey City State College and a master's degree in school administration and supervision from Seton Hall. From 1963 to 1967 he was a science teacher and cultural coordinator at West Kinney Junior High School in Newark. He later worked as supervisor of math and science teachers and director of School Audio-Visual Materials Center for the city of Newark and instructor of manpower training at the Montgomery School in Newark. In 1968 he became assistant director of admissions for the Rutgers-Newark campus, and from 1970 to 1987 he served as Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Newark.

Peter Loeb spent much of his academic life as a part of Rutgers University. He graduated from Rutgers Newark in 1967 with a degree in Economics and then went on to earn his PhD in Economics from Rutgers in New Brunswick. In 1973, he returned to Rutgers-Newark as a faculty member where he specializes in teaching econometrics and transportation economics.

Joseph Maier was born in 1911, the son of an orthodox rabbi with a Ph.D., raised and schooled in Leipzig, and later moved to Dresden, Germany. In 1933, Maier, who by then was a committed socialist and scholar, fled Nazi Germany and arrived in New York, where he continued his studies at Columbia University. He completed his master's in 1934 and his PhD with a dissertation "On Hegel's Critique of Kant" in 1939, which was published by Columbia University Press in 1966. After working as a research assistant at the Princeton Radio Project, and later assistant editor of the German-Jewish weekly, Aufbau, Maier participated in the Nuremburg Trials as chief of the analysis section of the Interrogation Division, evaluating the involvement of war criminals including Commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf H�ss. Upon returning to the States, Maier joined the faculty in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers-Newark in 1947, where he served as chair for two decades, and remained until retiring in 1980.

Warren Manspeizer earned his bachelor's degree in geology from City College of New York in 1956 and his master's in science from West Virginia University in 1958. He joined Rutgers-Newark in 1958 and taught geology lab courses while pursuing his Ph.D. at Rutgers in New Brunswick. He joined the Newark faculty full-time in 1963 and was named Professor Emeritus in 2005. During his time at the university he was heavily involved in professional organizations and widely published.

Samuel B. McDowell was born in 1928 and was a long-time faculty member in the Department of Biological Science at Rutgers-Newark. He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from Columbia University under G.G. Simpson. His research emphases were in the area of comparative anatomy, and included New Guinea reptiles, evolution of the vertebrate skull, origin of snakes, notacanthiform fishes, and lipotyphlan mammals.

Irwin L. Merker received his bachelor's degree from New York University in 1955 and his master's and Ph.D. in classics from Princeton in 1957 and 1958 respectively. In 1960, after serving in the military at the Historical Office of the Chemical Corps, he joined Rutgers-Newark as professor of history. Later named Professor Emeritus, Merker taught ancient Greek and Roman history and courses on ancient technology.

Kenneth Miller completed undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Kansas, and his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins in 1955, before joining the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University. During his tenure in the Rutgers-Newark Political Science Department Miller served on a host of faculty committees, helped introduce new courses on European government and foreign policy, and was instrumental in building the department, quite literally, from the ground up.

Lester Moore served as Emeritus Professor of Theater Arts at Rutgers-Newark from 1952 until 1987. He led the development of the theater arts program curriculum which included courses in film, television, stage acting, directing, and scene design. Moore also served as the first chair of the department.

Gilbert S. Panson was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1920. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a degree in chemistry in 1941. He received his master's in 1951, and Ph.D. in 1953 from Columbia University. Panson was an instructor and assistant professor at Hobart College from 1941 to 1944 and also worked for the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, from 1944 to 1946 before coming to the Rutgers-Newark faculty in 1946. At Rutgers-Newark, he was a professor of chemistry until 1985, and played a vital role in the building of the department itself, serving as chair for ten years. He was acting dean of the Newark College of Arts and Science (NCAS) from 1971-1972, and the first dean of the Graduate School in Newark (1975-1981).

Charles Pine joined Rutgers-Newark as an undergraduate in 1940 and earned his degree in 1947 after having served in the Army. After graduation, Pine began to teach at the university while pursuing his master's and Ph.D. During his time at the university he developed remedial math courses for the Academic Foundations Department and was involved with developing statewide math assessment tests. In 1984 he helped to establish the New Jersey Algebra Project, which aimed to develop new ways of teaching mathematics. Pine was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award by the Alumni Association in 1960 and again in 1983.

Clement A. Price was born in Washington, D.C., in 1945 and attended the D.C. public schools. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from University of Bridgeport, and his Ph.D. in history from Rutgers. After a year teaching African American history at Essex County College, Price joined the faculty at Rutgers-Newark in 1969, where he has established himself as one of the university's most esteemed faculty members. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including serving as chair of President Obama's transition team for the National Endowment for the Humanities and vice chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. He has played leadership roles with many organizations in New Jersey, including the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Fund for New Jersey, the Newark Public Schools, the Newark Black Film Festival, the Newark Public Library, the Newark Education Trust, and the Save Ellis Island Foundation. Over the years, Dr. Price has published widely in African American History, Urban American History, and American Cultural Policy. He now continues to teach in the history department at Rutgers-Newark as Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor.

Blossom Primer began teaching in the English department at Rutgers-Newark in 1959 while pursuing her Ph.D. at Columbia University, which she received in 1964. She taught in both the English and women's studies departments until 1988. Primer also served as director of the Women's Studies Program from 1985-1988.

Irwin Primer completed his B.A. at Brooklyn College in 1949, and continued his graduate work at Yale, receiving his master's in English in 1954 and PhD in 1961. In 1958 Dr. Primer began what would be a 40-year tenure in the English department at Rutgers-Newark. He served on numerous committees, chaired the department for seven years, and published widely with a special interest in the life, works, and cultural moment of Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733).

James Ramsey holds a bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University and a master's in education from Brown University. He began his career as a biology teacher in Cedar Grove, New Jersey and joined Rutgers-Newark as a professor of biology in the Academic Foundations Department in 1969; he was appointed its director in 1970. The Academic Foundations Department provided remedial programs for students who were underprepared for college work. Ramsey was key in developing the center and making it an integral part of the university. Ramsey later served as mayor of Montclair, New Jersey from 1984-1986 and on the Montclair board of education. He has also been active in numerous civic affairs in the City of Newark.

Richard Roper graduated from Rutgers-Newark with a bachelor's degree in economics and completed a master's in public affairs at Princeton University. During his years at Rutgers-Newark, he served first as the president of the NAACP chapter, and then as co-founder and president of the Black Organization of Students (BOS), which was organized out of the time of social unrest following the Newark Riots and an era of civil rights struggle. After college Roper held a number of positions in Newark and federal government. He was a legislative aide and lobbyist for Newark's first African-American mayor, Kenneth Gibson, served as director of the Office of Newark Studies, was appointed special assistant to the secretary of commerce, Juanita Kreps under the Carter Administration, and served for 12 years as assistant dean at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Morris Roth was born and raised in Newark. After serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II, he received his bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Colorado at Boulder. He worked for a variety of newspapers in the West before returning to New Jersey to work for the Newark Evening News and later the Elizabeth Daily Journal. In 1968, Roth began a 24-year career at the Rutgers University News Service, serving as the director of public information at Rutgers-Newark until 1974, before moving to the New Brunswick campus.

Antonio Rufino emigrated to the United States from Italy in 1957. He received his teaching degree from New York University and subsequently joined the faculty at Rutgers in Newark in 1965. Rufino taught Italian language and literature courses until his retirement in 1987.

James Schlegel received a bachelor's from University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Iowa State University in 1962. He came to Rutgers-Newark as assistant professor of chemistry in 1962.

Heinz Seelbach served as emeritus professor as well as chair of the department of Political Science at Rutgers-Newark. Each year, the university grants the "Heinz Seelbach Award" to the political science major with the highest grade point average.

George Smith came to Rutgers-Newark from Princeton University 1948 with the task of building the Psychology Department from the ground up. When he arrived, the department consisted of only two people, and Smith, serving as chair for the next 20 years, played an instrumental role in development of every aspect of the department from bringing in star faculty such as Daniel Lehrman, who went on to build the Institute of Animal Psychology, to supporting new facilities, staff, and curricula.

Vern Smith was professor of theater arts at Rutgers-Newark from 1963 to 1987 and served as chair of the department from 1985 to 1987. He was a specialist in stage design, though he taught courses in a number of areas. Smith was also an internationally recognized painter who exhibited in Paris and Milan and was awarded the Prix de Rome and the Prix de Paris.

Harrison Snell grew up in Newark and graduated from Rutgers-Newark in 1970. He received his law degree from Rutgers-Newark School of Law in 1973, and has practiced law for many years as a member of the State Bar Associations of New Jersey, New York, and Washington, DC. While at Rutgers-Newark, he served as president of the Black Organization of Students (BOS) and played an integral part in the planning and negotiation of the 1969 takeover of Conklin Hall and related events.

Leo Troy earned his doctoral degree in economics from Columbia University. His 50-year career as economics professor in the Newark College of Arts Rutgers began in 1958. He served as department chair as well as president of the Newark chapter of the AAUP. Troy published widely in the field of labor relations, particularly the effect of labor unions on the economy, and has earned numerous awards and honor for his scholarship and years of service to Rutgers and the academy.

Cecile Stolboff had been involved in her local chapter of the League of Women Voters before returning to graduate school as an adult. She received a master's degree in education from Rutgers in New Brunswick and was a teaching assistant at Douglass College. In 1967, she joined the faculty of Rutgers-Newark and taught in the Academic Foundations Department as well as in University College. In 1972 she earned her PhD in political science. During her time at the university, Stolboff was involved with the development of the Academic Foundations Department and served as Dean of Instruction for Newark College of Arts and Sciences (NCAS) and University College.

Leonard Wang received his bachelor's from City College of New York and went on to receive a master's and doctoral degree from Columbia Unviersity. He came to Rutgers Newark as a professor of Rcheomance languages in 1958.

Walter Weiker graduated from Antioch College in 1954. After being drafted and serving in the Army, he attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and received his master's degree in Middle Eastern Affairs. Upon completion of his PhD from Princeton University in 1962, he served as a research assistant at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and thereafter joined the Rutgers-Newark faculty as professor of political science. Weiker was fluent in Turkish and the author of a number of books on Turkish politics.

Carol Weill joined Rutgers-Newark as professor of chemistry in 1947 and was instrumental in the development of the university's chemistry courses and science curriculum. He retired in 1987.

Judith S. Weiss is a Professor Emeritus in the Biological Sciences Department at Rutgers-Newark. Weiss completed her bachelor's degree in zoology at Cornell in 1962 and her Ph.D. in Biology at New York University in 1967 at which point she joined the faculty at Rutgers-Newark. During her long tenure at Rutgers, Weiss has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards for her research in marine biology and public service at Rutgers.