Collections : [Oral History Archives at Columbia]

Interview is part of the Naval history project

Interview is part of the Individual interviews oral history collection

Interview is part of the Occupation of Japan project

In this interview, Abu-Lughod describes her time at Williams College, the Institute for Advanced Study, and New York University. Abu-Lughod cites her appointment at Williams—where she attended a reading group with Catharine A. MacKinnon, Adrienne Rich, and Wendy Brown—as her first engagement with women's studies. Abu-Lughod describes the impact this had on her early work,Writing Women's Worlds. Abu-Lughod then discusses her time at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she worked alongside scholars such as Judith Butler, Evelyn Fox Keller, and Donna Haraway. She goes on to summarize her time at New York University, during which she participated in a Ford Foundation Grant effort to internationalize women's studies.

Adams begins this interview with a recollection of her arrival at Columbia in 1997. She describes the interviewing and vetting process, the completion of her dissertation, and her experience settling into New York City. Adams characterizes IRWGS at that time as a center of leaders. She discusses the feminist pedagogy course she co-taught with Julie Crawford. Adams reflects on the students of IRWGS, the institute's hierarchy, and Columbia's institutional environment. She gives examples of academic support within IRWGS, including her first presentation in the Feminist Interventions Series and the formation of a faculty writing group which included Kristina Milnor, Sandhya Shukla, and Julie Crawford. Adams chronicles her interest in Masculinity Studies, her co-authorship of theMasculine Studies Readerwith David Safran, and the limitations of the field.

In this interview, Barry reflects on her arrival at Columbia University in 1985. She begins by describing her upbringing in Butler, New Jersey, citing the challenges of being one of nine children and a student in an overcrowded small town high school. Barry goes on to describe her time at Gettysburg College and her pursuit of a Master's degree in history at Columbia. Barry reflects on her decision to move to New York. She shares her experience of coming out and her subsequent encounters with homophobia. Barry characterizes her participation in IRWGS and recalls her efforts in GABLES, the Gay, Bisexual, and Lesbian Employees and Supporters group, which existed from 1993-1997 and arose to combat the inaccessibility to married housing, health benefits, and life insurance for queer couples at the University. Barry describes the limitations of GABLES in a larger discussion of the long and difficult process by which queer women, transgender, and LGBTQ people of color struggled at the University.

Barron discusses the origins of Cravath, Swaine and Moore, LLP's relationship with Phoenix House. He explains his own exposure to the therapeutic community model. He elucidates Phoenix House's relationship to the justice system, which was its largest client, and his legal battles that allowed Phoenix to retain its treatment structure. Finally, he talks about more recent efforts to improve Phoenix's data management structure.

Bell begins with a discussion of his initial turn to drug use as a coping mechanism for dealing with academic stresses. After multiple arrests and stints in jail, Bell eventually winds up at Phoenix House, having resolved himself to getting and staying clean. Bell takes great comfort in the therapeutic community, likening it to the community he grew up in. He discusses his growing attachment to Phoenix House and to the people there during his time in-program. Eventually, Bell narrates how he got a job at the payroll department in Phoenix House and the insights he has gained during his time in the organization.

Bennetts chronicles her experience profiling Mitchell Rosenthal for Vanity Fair. She also discusses Nancy Reagan's reneging on the Lake View facility, and her involvement with "the drug issue" more generally. The interview is peppered with details about being a female journalist during the 1970s-1980s.

In this two session interview, Will Anderson reflects on his development as an activist for the environment and animals. Among issues examined are his decision to become a vegetarian and the impact of personal diet choices on the environment. Anderson talks about his education, decisions about college, his work with the Peace Corps, service in the United states Armed Forces (USAF), and his honorable discharge after becoming a conscientious objector. Additionally, he explains the connection between the yearlong travel to Europe and India and his worldview, the development of his sensitivity to animals, and his activist spirit. Anderson discusses his work with Greenpeace, Native American communities, involvement in protest activity and subsequent arrests, and founding of Ecology House and the Marine Animal Coalition (MAC). He also discusses his battle with cancer and experiences as a gay man.

In this two-session interview, Theadora Capaldo discusses the range of her activities in animal advocacy. She begins by describing her youth in North Shore, Massachusetts and the attitudes towards animals that she encountered. Capaldo describes becoming an anti-vivisectionist in 6th grade after reading a teacher's material from the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) and experiences rescuing stray dogs as a youth. She discusses her education in the mental health fields and the connections between human abuse and animal abuse, and the influence of feminism and environmentalism on her outlook.

Over four sessions, Ann Cotrell Free describes her life, advocacy for animals, and the philosophical underpinning for her activism. She begins by discussing the growth of her consciousness about treatment of animals during her childhood, including incidents with domestic animals, agricultural animals, transport animals, and fox hunts. She describes activism while attending Barnard College, and analyzes how inconsistent attitudes cause injustice. She discusses her entry into journalism and coverage of World War II, working for the United Nations Relief in China, and working for the Marshall Plan in Europe.

Eric Adams provided two sessions of oral history interviews addressing the same subjects: his career in the New York police Department, the history of the Guardians Association, and the founding of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care. He also goes into some detail about his personal background, including memories about police community relationships in Queens, where he grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, and his efforts to speak out against racism in the police department.

Reuben Bankhead speaks primarily of the NYPD Guardians Association, and its importance to aiding the careers of black police officers during his time with the New York City Police Department. He shares how influential the advice of more experienced police was when he was starting out, as well their advocacy and support for black officers to take promotion exams. He comments on the affect of the lawsuits brought by the Guardians Association, aiding later generations of police officers. He also touches on how policing has changed from the 1960s and 1970s into the 2000s, and the importance of residency requirements to community policing.

This is a group oral history interview with Reuben C. Bankhead, Charles C. Coleman, Lester H. Grissom, Leroy Hendricks, and Robert Nero. They share stories from their time in the New York City Police Department (NYPD) during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. They were all members of the NYPD Guardians Association, and speak about how the organization influenced their careers. The conversation spans racial equality issues in NYPD, including promotion exams, and instances of retaliation for speaking out against prejudice. They describe the conflict between the NYPD Guardians Association and the NYPD Patrolmen's Benevolent Association over the attempted establishment of a Civilian Complaint Review Board in 1966. They also remember several lawsuits reversing discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.

Iorio shoots footage of Thanksgiving gathering including Gretchen and family, featuring dinner preparation and card-playing

Iorio films the Stonewall Rebellion Veterans Association at the 1995 New York City Pride parade.

Randy Wicker films the 1995 Pride Parade in New York City. Later in the video, Wicker films a birthday party after the parade ends.

Gail Mary Killian discusses favorite television shows, her dog Rusty, and her favorite books. She also discusses the Beatles at length with a friend.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's birthday celebration. Discussions include Killian receiving a Beatles album as a gift, and Killian teaching older guests the slang term "bread" meaning money.

Recording of teaching the baby to talk and a conversation about employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Taunton and Fall River, Massachusetts.