Transcript of an interview with Mary George Billingsley Sullivan, a longtime Denton County resident, concerning her family history; farming life, religious practice, and education in the public schools of Argyle, Texas; marriage to Carson Sullivan and 1929 move to city of Denton; work for Denton Building and Loan Association; 1951 move to Dallas and 1973 return to Argyle; recollections of Influenza epidemic, Great Depression, World War II, and Kennedy assassination; admiration for Barack Obama. Appendix consists of four photocopies of photographs.

Transcript of an interview with Gudrun Raschen, a German-born immigrant to Denton, Texas, and adjunct professor of Music at Texas Woman's University. Raschen shares concerning her childhood, and education in Kiel and Hamburg, Germany; family history; parents' move to South Africa; own move to South Africa; discovery of the cello and decision to study it seriously; involvement in anti-apartheid movement; decision to move to the U.S. for graduate school; attraction of UNT Doctorate of Musical Arts program; first impressions of the U.S. and of Denton; comparison and contrast of life in Germany, South Africa, and the U.S.; plans for the future.

Interview with Dr. Victor Rodriguez, educator and author of the memoir "The Bell Ringer," about his life and career. Dr. Rodriguez is a North Texas alumni, member of the UNT Athletic Hall of fame, member of the Geezles Fraternity, and pioneer Mexican American educator. Dr. Victor Rodriguez spotlights significant insights into his storied career through five eras: his early all-Hispanic elementary school training; his continued study and budding athletic prowess in the Edna, TX, school district; his Victoria Junior College athletic achievements and learning; his higher education, Geezle membership, and track accomplishments at North Texas State College; and his 37-year career as a teacher, coach, and superintendent in the San Antonio school district. Inspired by his Anglo third-grade teacher in an all-Hispanic school in Edna, TX, Rodriguez responded to his teacher's challenge to be a civic contributor by becoming a daily bell ringer at the local Catholic church (described in detail in his book, The Bell Ringer), a job requiring him to arise at 4:30 each morning and to run two miles one way amid nipping dogs to ring the bell. This discipline and activity would tap his athletic ability later as he surfaced as a distance district winner despite …

Interview with Eugene Fowler, Jr., Joel D. Fowler, Joe W. Specht, and Melody Specht Kelly. The interview includes their personal experiences about the Duke and Ayres Store and the University of North Texas Lab School. The Fowlers and the Spechts talk about childhood and education, enlisting, family histories, the Denton square, various jobs, and race issues in Denton. The interview includes an appendix with photographs and articles.

Interview with long-time Denton resident Gladys Barns Lawhon for the Denton Historical Commission Museum. The interview includes Lawhon's family history, personal experiences about her childhood, life in Denton, impressions of neighbors, teaching music, and her travels for the National Guild of Piano Teachers.

Interview with Debbie Denmon, local news media personality and third-generation descendant of residents of Quakertown, as part of the Quakertown Oral History Project. The interview includes Denmon's personal experiences about childhood and education in Denton, having a career in broadcast journalism, and reporting on local efforts to capture Quakertown history. Denmon also speaks about memories of her great-grandmother Othella Hill, great-grandfather "Dollar Bill" Hill, and grandmother Norvell Williams Reed.

Interview with Denton resident Cassandra F. Berry, UNT employee with a personal interest in the history of Quakertown, as part of the Quakertown Oral History Project. The interview includes Berry's personal experiences about working at UNT as the Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity, as well as her service to the Denton African American Museum, which led to her interest in the history of Quakertown.

Transcript of an interview with Rev. Reginald Logan, Sr., a descendant of Quakertown homeowners, concerning the experiences of his father, John Logan, and other family members who were forced to move from the all-black Quakertown neighborhood of Denton, Texas. Logan also discusses his experiences while attending segregated schools in Denton; career in U.S. Air Force and communications industry and as a clergyman; and Quakertown in family's historical memory.

Transcript of an interview with Fred Hill, a son of residents of Denton's historic all-black Quakertown neighborhood. Hill discusses concerning his experiences of his parents, Othella and T.C. Hill, and other family members who were forced to move from the all-black Quakertown neighborhood of Denton, his career in the U.S. Army and as an undertaker in Denton, and Quakertown in family's historical memory. Appendix includes photographs (five pages), a map of Quakertown (one page), and a list of sources (one page).

Interview with Ruby Cole, resident of southeast Denton, as part of the Quakertown Oral History Project. The interview includes Cole's personal experiences about attending segregated schools in Denton, and living in a house moved from Quakertown. Cole also talks about her memories of educator Fred Moore, the folklore of Quakertown neighborhood and reasons for its disintegration, the efforts to create an African American museum in Denton, and Quakertown in the community's historical memory.

Transcript of an interview with Charles Williams, a son of resident's of Denton's historic all-black Quakertown neighborhood and long-time Denton resident, concerning his early childhood and education in Denton, including experiences with racial segregation and experiences with integrating Denton public schools; interest in radical black politics; influence of uncle, Fred Hill; career in U.S. Navy; family's historical memories of Quakertown. Includes photographs (two pages), a map of Quakertown (one page), and a list of sources (one page).

Transcript of an interview with Norvell Hill Williams Reed, a longtime Denton resident and former resident of Denton's historic all-black Quakertown neighborhood. Reed shares concerning her childhood in Quakertown; family history; family's forced move out of Quakertown to Solomon Hill neighborhood of Denton; race relations in Denton; participation in Denton Christian Women's Fellowship; family's historical memories of Quakertown. Appendix includes photographs (13 pages), one map (1 page), and a list of sources (1 page).

Interview with William Whitman, a Army Air Force WWII veteran from Denton, Texas, who served with General Curtis LeMay. Whitman discusses flight training, becoming a heavy bomber pilot, service in the European theater, joining LeMay's staff, and stories about LeMay's work and personality.

Interview with African American North Texas State University alumnus James Gayle. The interview included Gayle's personal experiences of childhood, playing basketball at Fort Worth's all-black Terrell High School, attending North Texas and enrolling in the ROTC program, and his experience as a boarder in "Shack Town" neighborhood of Denton. Gayle talks about the comparison of race relations in Artesia, New Mexico, and Waco and Forth Worth, Texas, the "neutral" stance of NT administration toward black students and the "self-support" system among students, as well as his relationships with professors and white students, and his perception of what he gained from his NT experience.

Interview with former North Texas State Teachers College student John Ed Balentine, longtime resident of Denton County, Texas. The interview includes Balentine's personal experiences about life on Denton farms, including descriptions of ranch work, wheat harvest, and entertainment options in Denton, education in Denton schools, dropping out of school to work for magnolia Oil Co. in Kermit, Texas, and being inducted into the U.S. Army. Additionally, Balentine speaks about his family's economic difficulties during the Great Depression, undergraduate studies at North Texas as an Industrial Arts major, descriptions of student social life, his World War II service in an anti-battalion, returning to Kermit, courting and marrying Jeanette Smith, and descriptions of historic Denton County photographs. The interview includes an appendix with photographs and Balentine's autobiography.

Interview with Alma Clark, first-generation descendant through marriage of Quakertown residents, as part of the Quakertown Oral History Project. The interview includes Clark's personal experiences about childhood and education, marrying Rev. "Willie" Clark, moving to Denton, and participating in Denton Christian Women's Fellowship. Clark also discusses her family's experience in Denton as well as her husband's feelings regarding Denton's Civic Center Park, on the site of Quakertown. The interview includes an appendix with photographs.

Interview with Margaret Hunt Davis, alumna of North Texas State University. The interview includes Davis' personal experiences about childhood in rural East Texas, making the decision to attend North Texas, campus life, graduating with a degree in library science, and having a career in Dallas public schools.

Interview with Carl Denmon, African-American alumnus of North Texas State University. The interview includes Denmon's personal experiences about childhood in Houston, Texas and undergraduate education at Wiley College. Additionally, Denmon discusses his employment as band director at Fred Moore High School in Denton, graduate studies in Music and Education at NTSU, his career with and retirement from Dallas County Community College, and his perceptions of changes in Denton and at North Texas over forty years.

Interview with Murphy Daniels, African-American alumnus of North Texas State University. The interview includes Daniels' personal experiences about childhood and education, enrolling in North Texas rather than Texas Southern University, majoring in pre-med, serving in the United States Air Force, studying at Southwestern Medical School, and pursuing medical research. Additionally, Daniels speaks about his difficulties with white professors and graduate assistants, race relations on campus, social life among black students on campus, and off-campus life in "Shack Town" and the support from black citizens of Denton.

Interview with Abe C. Cooper, African-American alumnus of North Texas State University. The interview includes Cooper's personal experiences about childhood and early adulthood in Dallas, Texas, attending all-black schools, and enrolling at North Texas State College in 1958. Cooper speaks about the adjustments required for attending school in an integrated setting, boarding with African-American families in the "Shack Town" neighborhood of Denton, and the comparative experiences with students and faculty in the Schools of Engineering and Education.

Transcript of an interview with Jo Cyel Rodgers, a member of the first generation of African-American students at North Texas State College, concerning her remembrances about her childhood and education in Fort Worth, Texas. Rodgers discusses her experiences at I.M. Terrell High School; decision to enroll at North Texas as a sixteen-year-old high school graduate in 1957; off-campus life in "Shack Town" and support from black citizens of Denton; social life among African-American students and relations with white students and faculty; experiences with President J.C. Matthews; graduation with major in physical education in 1962; teaching career in Fort Worth ISD during era of desegregation and later experiences with "Trailblazers" organization.

Interview with Burlyce Logan, one of the first African American students at North Texas, and UNT alumna whose college education began in 1956 and concluded in 2011. She recalls her childhood and education in Dallas and New York City; love of piano and musical education; decision to become one of the first African American students at North Texas; experiences as a college student, including racist incidents on campus, and as a boarder in Southeast Denton; decision to drop out in 1958; marriage to Raymond Logan, move to California, and return to Denton; decision to return to UNT as a student in 2005 and experiences on campus in the 21st century; 2011 graduation.

Interview with Dennis Dunkins, African-American alumnus of North Texas State University. The interview includes Dunkins' personal experiences of childhood and education, enrolling in North Texas, majoring in Industrial Technology and his graduation in 1963, having a career with General Motors, as a business owner, and with Fort Worth ISD. Additionally, Dunkins speaks about off-campus life in "Shack Town" and support from black citizens of Denton, social life among African-American students and relations with white students and faculty, efforts to desegregate public facilities in Denton, and his summer jobs with Texas & Pacific Railroad Company. The interview includes a photograph of the University of North Texas Trailblazers in 2005.

Interview with longtime Denton residents Frank and Betty Ann Barrow for the Denton County Historical Commission. The interview includes Frank's personal experiences about his childhood and moving to Denton, having a career as a radio announcer, serving in the Special Services division of the Army Air Forces, having a career as an automobile dealer, insurance agent, and haberdasher in Denton, working with a Methodist church, being involved in the Denton Community Theatre, serving on the Denton City Council, and his political career as mayor of Denton. It also includes Betty Ann's family history and how they coped with the Great Depression, information on her education at North Texas State College, and her personal experiences about marriage, the death of her husband in a flying accident, widowhood, her marriage to Frank Barrow, her clothing business, and working to liberalize Denton race relations. The interview includes an appendix with photographs, a photograph legend, a letter sent out to family members, a pamphlet for The Barrow Society, and an editorial piece about Frank Barrow.