Rich & Zettl SC Oral History Collection (MS 542)

Finding Aid

Materials within the G. Eugene Rich and Herbert Zettl Springfield College Oral History Collection include transcriptions and audio recordings of oral histories conducted with Springfield College Alumni, Faculty, Presidents and Coaches. The oral histories were conducted by Springfield College professors G. Eugene Rich and Herbert Zettl or their students as part of class work between 1970 and 2010.  In addition, there are some class materials and directions from Professor Zettl’s HIST388 - History Class and a three-part oral history conducted with Professor Zettl by Gillian Menezes, the processor of this collection, about his oral history project and his time at Springfield College as a member of the faculty and the first coach of the Springfield College women’s varsity soccer team. The oral histories of Alumni and Alumnae start with Samuel Pond from the class of 1912 and end with Chris Fabry who graduated in 2002. Some of the notable Alum include Leslie Judd, Dorothy Audette, Irv Schmid, and John J. Costello. Faculty and Administration include President Glen Olds, President Paul Limbert,  Dean Thornton Merriam, Dr. Joel Cohen, and Dr. Margaret Thorsen. Themes discussed in these oral histories include life on campus, freshman orientation, traditions of the College. the 1969-70 student protests, physical changes to the campus, changes to the curriculum, World War I, and World War II.