Files
Loading...
Description
Oral history interview with Illinois State University alum Irene Nordine, Class of 1934. The interview was conducted during Homecoming 1979 by Denise Cook of ISU Alumni Services.
Nordine notes that the student body in 1934 was much smaller than the record enrollment of 19,576 in 1979 and estimates that her entire graduating class could have fit into one of the larger classrooms on campus. She reminisces about the tradition of singing "Funiculì, Funiculà" in Capen Hall every Monday morning.
Nordine remembers being active dramatics and touches on various student organizations she was a part of like Jesters and Orchesis, as well as school dances with headlining singers such as Wayne King and Jan Garber. She discusses the significance of radio as a source of news and entertainment and mentions participating in a radio broadcast with a Second City-style improvisational format.
The interview touches on the challenges of the Great Depression, with a focus on the dismal job market for students like herself who weren’t protected by federal programs. “People who were blue collar workers did better in keeping their jobs than the white collar,” she recalls. Nordine discusses the proposal of the Townsend Plan as a predecessor to Social Security and notes that some of her friends were unable to get to class because they couldn’t pay the 5-cent fare to ride the Bloomington streetcar system. She offers price comparisons for staple goods and remarks that her beginning salary as a Bloomington school teacher was $630 per year.
Nordine describes the housing arrangements for ISNU students, with (white) freshmen required to live in Fell Hall and upperclassmen rooming in private homes with local families. She describes Bloomington as “the Buckle on the Corn Belt,” a shopping and transportation hub for Central Illinois.
The interview concludes with Nordine reflecting on the quality of education she received at ISNU in the 1930s. She also remarks on the success of her classmates Wendell Oliver and William “Bill” Kuhfuss.
Interview Date
11-3-1979
Index
- Introduction; comparative enrollment: 00:00-01:36
- University administration: 01:36-02:43
- Extracurricular activities: 02:43-03:46
- Faculty and facilities: 03:53-06:27
- Participation in radio show: 06:27-07:28
- Great Depression and Townsend Plan: 07:28-09:35
- Vidette and debating societies: 09:35-10:53
- Dances and entertainment: 10:53-11:40
- Bloomington-Normal: 11:40-13:33
- Student housing: 13:33-14:52
- Prices and cost of living: 14:52-15:19
- Reflections on ISNU experience: 15:19-16:38
- Classmates’ careers post-graduation: 16:38-18:16
Biographical Statement
Irene Lavilla Nordine (1913-2008) was born to Fred and Mollie (Wieland) Nordine in Bloomington, Illinois. She attended Illinois State Normal University from 1930-1934, where she participated in many extra-curricular organizations, including Orchesis, the Jesters, and Honor Council. After receiving her Bachelor of Education and teaching for several years in Bloomington, she went on to earn a master’s degree from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago in 1951. Nordine spent the remainder of her career as a child welfare social worker and was recognized as 1982 Social Worker of the Year by the Springfield, Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Recommended Citation
Nordine, Irene Lavilla, "Interview with Irene Nordine, Class of 1934" (1934). Alumni Oral Histories. 5.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/5