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Description
Oral history interview with Illinois State Normal University alumni Donald Hamilton and JoAnne Paton, Class of 1952. The interview was conducted on October 9, 1982, by Linda Polkow, then president of the Student Alumni Council.
Hamilton and Paton reminisce about the small, intimate ISNU campus of their time, contrasting it with the larger, more modern university they visit. They recall the warmth of faculty and the close-knit community, where personal interactions with instructors were common and the campus felt like an extended family. The interview touches on various aspects of campus life, from extracurricular activities like dances and sports to the social norms of dress and behavior. They discuss the affordability of education at the time, with low tuition fees and living expenses, highlighting how they managed to work their way through school. Memories of campus boundaries, popular forms of entertainment like movies and dances, and the strict regulations regarding tobacco and alcohol use provide insights into the cultural norms of the era.
Hamilton and Paton reminisce about student hang-out spots of the post-war years, including the Poplar Lounge, The Pilgrim, and Lucca’s. Both remember having to sleep in double beds with their roommates due to crowded conditions. They also mention significant local events, such as the 1950 Coal Strike, which disrupted their education temporarily. The interview concludes with reflections on Homecoming traditions, including the Homecoming Court, alumni gatherings, and the elaborate decorations that characterized the event.
Interview Date
10-1982
Index
- Introduction: 00:00-01:39
- President Raymond Fairchild: 01:39-02:21
- Extracurricular activities: 02:21-04:13
- Prices for common goods: 04:13-06:02
- Typical mode of dress: 06:02-07:21
- Entertainment and socializing: 07:21-08:24
- Alcohol and tobacco: 08:24-10:43
- Campus boundaries and buildings: 10:43-12:52
- Paton’s experience on Homecoming Court: 12:52-13:34
- College experiences: 13:34-16:46
- Favorite things about ISNU; housing conditions: 16:46-19:11
- Coal Strike of 1950: 19:11-20:17
- Homecoming memories: 20:17-24:23
Biographical Statement
JoAnne Marie Stoltz (1930-2013) was born to Herman A. and Dorothy (Faber) Stoltz in Kankakee, Illinois. She graduated from Illinois State Normal University in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics education. While at ISNU she was active in Kappa Delta Epsilon, Business Education Club, Home Economics Club, and Newman Club. She would later go on to earn a master’s degree from the National College of Education. Three months after graduation, JoAnne married Robert A. Paton, a fellow ISNU graduate, in Kankakee, Illinois; together they would have four sons. That fall she also assumed a position as home economics teacher at Freeport Senior High School in Freeport, Illinois but soon transferred to teaching kindergarten in Pekin, Illinois. JoAnne tried her hand at operating a private kindergarten in Peoria for at time, then moved with her family to Bloomington, Indiana, where she served as a district manager for World Book Encyclopedia. From 1967 to 1972 she was back to teaching kindergarten in Naperville, Illinois. The family then moved to Bettendorf, Iowa for three years, followed by a return to Naperville, where JoAnne continued teaching kindergarten and second grade until her retirement in 1992.
Donald Louis Hamilton (1927-2014) was born to Louis and Ella (Bronson) Hamilton in Effingham County, Illinois. Donald served in the U.S. Navy as a Seaman 2nd Class after graduating high school, then went to college on the GI Bill. In 1950 he transferred to Illinois State Normal University as a sophomore. The following year, while a junior at ISNU, he married classmate Ettabelle Alexander; together they would go on to have three children. Donald and Ettabelle both graduated from ISNU in 1952, he with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and she with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. Donald would later go on to earn his master’s degree in educational administration. Following graduation he worked as a physical education and social studies teacher at Newark Grade School (Newark, Illinois) and Serena High School (Serena, Illinois). The last 30 years of his career were spent at Northlawn Junior High School in Streator, Illinois, where he served as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. Donald retired in 1986.
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Donald Louis and Paton, JoAnne Marie, "Interview with Donald Hamilton and JoAnne Paton, Class of 1952" (1952). Alumni Oral Histories. 8.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/8