Files
Description
Oral history interview with Illinois State Normal University alumni Barbara Blatnik and John Blatnik, Class of 1943. The interview was conducted on October 29, 1983 by Madonna Curtis, then a member of the Student Alumni Council.
John Blatnik remembers ISNU as a small teacher’s college without a graduate program. He recounts that no smoking was allowed on campus due to fire regulations and drinking was strictly prohibited. The president at the time was Raymond Fairchild, whom the Blatniks describe as an imposing man but able administrator. They recount several influential faculty members and administrators, including Dean Barton, Dean Keaton, Professor Holmes, and Professor Hibler. John recalls A. R. Williams, head of the business department, recommending him for a Navy commission during World War II. He says that the war significantly affected male students, many of whom enlisted or enrolled in the Navy V-12 program.
The Blatniks recall many academics and entertainers coming to campus, including Robert Frost, Bob Crosby, and Ted Weems. Gamma Phi Circus, debating societies, and athletic events also served to entertain students. They describe students gathering at the Co-op and Fell Gate after class, as well as the Green Goblin in Normal. ISNU and Illinois Wesleyan University’s athletic rivalry led each school to try to prank the other. Homecoming festivities included a parade, football game, and dance featuring big name bands.
Barbara and John describe the boundaries of campus and the buildings that existed at the time. They reminisce about Old Main, which had since been torn down, and discuss students’ living situations, which mostly involved rooming in private homes instead of dormitories. Barbara remembers graduation being held on the southern edge of the quad in “Sherwood Forest,” where the Center for the Performing Arts now stands.
Interview Date
10-29-1983
Index
- Introduction: 00:00-01:47
- President Raymond Fairchild: 01:47-02:29
- Notable faculty and administrators: 02:29-03:33
- Impact of Great Depression and World War II: 03:33-05:22
- Extracurricular activities: 05:22-06:56
- Cost of living and tuition: 06:56-07:44
- Local hangouts: 07:44-08:34
- Fads and hijinks: 08:34-09:03
- Typical mode of dress: 09:03-09:49
- Towns of Bloomington and Normal: 10:21-11:21
- Campus boundaries and buildings; dormitory life: 11:52-15:00
- Old Main: 16:19-17:24
Biographical Statement
Barbara Mae Orr (1921-2013) was born in Villa Grove, Illinois to Clarence Orr and Edith (Kuechler) Orr. As a child she moved to Normal, Illinois in 1929 when her father took a position on the faculty of Illinois State Normal University. Barbara graduated from University High School in 1939 and from ISNU in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. While at ISNU, she participated in Student Council, Women’s League, Home Economics Club and Senior Advisory Board. Following graduation she taught at Argo Community High School from 1943-1944. In April of 1944 she married former classmate John Blatnik at Cambridge, Massachusetts; her first child was born soon after. After her husband’s discharge from the Navy at the close of World War II, she and John moved to suburban Chicago. Her second child was born in 1950. Over the following decades she remained an active volunteer with the Stickney and Berwin Units of the American Legion Auxiliary. Barbara Blatnik died in Western Springs, Illinois at the age of 91.
John Victor Blatnik (1921-1992) was born to John and Jennie (Dwornik) Blatnik in Spring Valley, Illinois. He graduated from DePue High School in 1939 and from Illinois State Normal University in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in business education. While at ISNU, he served as president of Kappa Phi Kappa and was a member of Pi Omega Pi, University Club, Business Education Club, and the Senior Class Advisory Board. Upon the recommendation of Prof. A. R. Williams, Blatnik received a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy while still enrolled. At the time of his marriage to Barbara Orr in April 1944 he was completing his training as an ensign in the naval supply division at Harvard University. Two months later he was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia, and then to an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) flotilla in the Pacific Ocean where he served as a supply officer. By the time of his separation from the Navy in April 1946 he had attained the rank of Lieutenant junior grade.
After the war, John, Barbara, and their first child moved to suburban Chicago, where John went to work for Barber Oil Company as an office manager. Over the decades, he remained an active member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and his church community. John Blatnik died in Western Springs, Illinois at the age of 71.
Recommended Citation
Blatnik, Barbara Mae and Blatnik, John Victor, "Interview with Barbara and John Blatnik, Class of 1943" (1943). Alumni Oral Histories. 31.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/31