Tacoma Community College 50th anniversary interviews

Items

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  Interview with James Walton

  In this interview with Jim Walton, he describes his upbringing in Texas and education, his military service and original career plans prior to coming to Tacoma. The bulk of the interview discusses his long history in Tacoma, beginning with his first job in the city and playing football, to his role as an adult student at TCC forming the Black student group the Obi Society. Walton discusses Obi’s fight for greater representation of Black culture in the curriculum, support for Black students, and more Black students and employees on campus; bringing Muhammad Ali to speak in Tacoma; violence on campus and off, including his involvement in calming the Hilltop incident. He also discusses the new community group the Black Collective and changes in the city that came out of that experience, and his decision to work for the city. He reflects on his achievements and the ways that TCC and students have changed over the years.
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  Interview with Richard Perkins

  In this interview with original biology faculty member Richard Perkins, he discusses his work with various students throughout his career at Mount Tahoma High School, TCC, McNeil Island Federal Penitentiary, the Puyallup reservation college, and teaching on a Fulbright Exchange in England. He describes the development of his teaching philosophy, including his move away from midterms and final exams, the importance of biology education as a way of understanding life and all forms of life. In particular, he describes the various projects students voted on and designed throughout the years in his class for non-majors, "Contemporary Biological Problems," including ecological preservation of China Lake and Snake Lake, the creation of a campus recycling program, working with developmentally disabled students at the Rainier School in Buckley (WA), and building the campus nature trail. He briefly touches on other pieces of TCC history including the early days, Black student activism in the sixties, and the 1973 faculty strike. Content Note: This interview contains use of an outdated and now considered offensive word for developmental disabilities on pages 19 and 22 of the transcript and around the 44 and 52 minute marks of the video, describes abuse and neglect in a care facility with a mention of sexual assault on page 22 of the transcript and around the 52 minute mark of the video.
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  Interview with Ron Magden

  In this interview with original faculty member Ronald Magden, he describes the early days of the college, its impact on the community, significant people in the college’s history, and the ways that it changed over the years. Notable moments in TCC history include the creation of the college and first day of classes, the move from the school district to the community college district, Black student organizing, the faculty strike, the TCC program at McNeil Island Penitentiary. Magden also discusses his work as a historian with labor unions and business leaders, including writing books on the longshoremen and Selden Furniture, and helping the University of Washington start the Endowed Chair for Labor Studies. Content note: This interview includes use of the N word on page 18 of the transcript and around the 43 minute mark of the video, and uses some outdated language for disabilities throughout.
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  Interview with Patricia Loth

  In this interview with Patricia Loth she discusses topics covering a large range of subject matter from the early years of the student paper The Challenge and TCC’s first computer, to the controversy surrounding TCC becoming a state-run college and what some of the past Deans and Vice Presidents were like. Other areas of discussion include the climate of the school in 1965 and 1966, work and vocational programs, landscaping, the 20th anniversary cookbook, and Work Study.
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  Interview with Lita Kuaea

  In this interview Lita Kuaea speaks about her knowledge of the school from her different secretarial positions over the years from 1974 through today in 2014. Mrs. Kuaea discusses the similarities and differences between the college in the 1970s and 1980s and today, as well as issues such as the continuity of TCC’s mission, TCC in the aftermath of the 1960s civil rights movement, and the cost and importance of education.
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  Interview with Paul Jacobson

  In this interview with former instructor and administrator Paul Jacobson discusses his long history at TCC. He discusses the climate of TCC during the 1960s and 1970s, the faculty strike, how TCC has changed since 1967, and also gives us some personal history. Other topics covered by Jacobson include class size, rising cost of tuition, the increase in the need for childcare, why he was drawn to teaching and family life.
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  Interview with Frank Garratt

  In this interview Frank Garratt describes his time working on the faculty and as an administrator at TCC. He talks about teaching English when the school first opened, the progression of the college from being run by the Tacoma Public School District to run by the state, and his time as an administrator. Other subjects included in his interview are the race debates of the 1960s and the integration of Black students into the student population, students avoiding the draft, budget cuts in the 1980s, and the changes in the student body and social life on campus. At the end of the interview, he briefly speaks about the importance of community college, and what it is like for people with disabilities in the academic world.
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  Interview with Sarah Bills

  In this interview Sarah Bills speaks about her years here at Tacoma Community College as a basketball player, Student Senator, and Student Body President. She also covers topics such as what the college was like during her time here, using her degree, identifying as a community college graduate, and possible stigmas associated with TCC. MP4 format of interview video (29:08 runtime) and PDF document of interview transcript.
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  Interview with Ivonna Anderson

  In this interview, Ivonna Anderson speaks about a variety of topics such as the evolution of the Science and Math programs at TCC, the direction this evolution took, the differences between being an instructor and being a chair, and the 1973 faculty strike. Other topics discussed include the expectations for your students, working with the TCC Foundation, Advisory Boards, and the importance and changes in Math and Science.