Files
Loading...
Description
Oral history interview with Illinois State Normal University alum Marilyn Judd, Class of 1969. The interview was conducted on November 3, 1979, by Jan Garey, Class of 1980. Garey was at the time employed by ISU Alumni Services.
Judd reminisces about the rapid expansion of the university during her time as a student, highlighting a 70% increase in enrollment from 1965 to 1969. Despite this growth, she emphasizes the retention of a small university atmosphere characterized by friendliness and strong student-faculty interaction. They also discuss the growth in faculty and support staff, with Judd noting a 93% increase during her four years at the university. She remembers President Robert Bone fondly for his tenure, but lacked the same positive sentiment for his successor, David Burlo.
Judd discusses the extracurricular activities that prepared her for leadership opportunities in the world of business, including her participation in the Association of Women Students and the De Young Lecture Committee. She attributes her development of management skills and self-confidence to these activities, considering them more important even than her academic pursuits.
The interview touches upon memorable professors, particularly in the English Department, such as Bob Sutherland and Bill Linneman, highlighting their impact on Judd's academic and personal development.
Judd recalls the tumultuous late 1960s as being marked by student protests and riots, including the tragic events at Kent State University. She contrasts the level of student activism then with what she perceives as a decline in organized student involvement in the 1980s.
The interview explores the relationship between the university and the surrounding communities of Normal and Bloomington, noting past tensions and efforts towards cooperation. Judd highlights the election of former ISU faculty member Carol Reitan as the first female mayor of Normal and the perceived improvement in town-gown relations. The conversation concludes with a discussion of student involvement in local governance, particularly regarding the possibility of student representation on the City Council. While Judd supports open communication between students and local authorities, she expresses reservations about granting hypothetical student councilmembers voting rights due to their transient nature within the community.
Interview Date
11-3-1979
Recommended Citation
Judd, Marilyn A., "Interview with Marilyn Judd, Class of 1969" (1969). Alumni Oral Histories. 23.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/23