Ed Perzel WSOC Project on Twentieth Century Charlotte
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- Brenda Beam oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Brenda Beam recounts her father-in-law's ice delivery business in the 1920s and her life in the Charlotte area. Topics discussed include the transition from ice delivery by horse-drawn wagon to electric refrigerators and her recollection of considering herself a "modern girl" who left home to attend college.
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- Beverly Bergeson oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Beverly Bergeson discusses growing up in Jamestown, New York during the Great Depression and how the decades prior to World War II impacted her life. Topics discussed include her work with the elderly and the overall changing dynamic of families, her collegiate education in Albany, New York, and her memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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- Marion W. Boyd oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Marion W. Boyd discusses her experiences teaching throughout North Carolina and the challenges she faced as a result of graduating college during the Great Depression. Other topics discussed include family relations, her Quaker education, regional differences concerning the economic activities of African Americans living near the Virginia border prior to the end of slavery, and geographic characteristics of Tyrrell County, North Carolina.
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- Joseph Camp oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Joseph Camp discusses his education in America and the twenty-five years he spent working in Europe and Africa after World War II. Topics examined include his brief time in the Army, teaching in segregated Alabama, the perception of America abroad, and his desire to create a travel service for American and international students based in Wilson County, North Carolina.
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- Jessie Cherry oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Jessie Cherry shares details of her family life living and working on a farm before moving to Charlotte in the late 1930s. She discusses her first time trying to slaughter a chicken, her mother's garden, and variety stores in downtown Charlotte during the 1930s and 1940s, prior to sales tax.
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- Rosa Lee Coleman oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Rosa Lee Coleman recounts her early life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as well as her employment as a domestic service worker. As an African American, Mrs. Coleman discusses the complicated dynamics of her relationship with her white female employer, with whom she moved from Fayetteville to Charlotte in 1933. She explains that her employer treated her in a contradictory way. Mrs. Coleman specifically recalls how her employer once cared for her during an illness and yet refused to offer her sufficient wages and food during her work hours. The inadequate compensation and the lack of empathy from her employer ultimately forced Mrs. Coleman to pursue employment in another household. She also recalls racial discrimination that she encountered from a Charlotte bus driver who adamantly enforced the segregated bus seating policies. Although Mrs. Coleman laments the difficult hardships her grandparents endured during slavery, she explains that she is grateful for the racial progress made since that time.
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- Allen Ledyard DeCamp oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Dr. Allen Ledyard Decamp discusses his career as an obstetrician in post-World War II Charlotte, North Carolina. Topics discussed include technological advancements in medicine and changes to Charlotte's hospitals. He also shares a humorous story about how his children's teachers misunderstood what he did for a living.
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- Kate DeCamp oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Kate DeCamp briefly discusses her thirty-four years of living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and describes Charlotte as a very lively community and a nice place to live. She characterizes Charlotte as a progressive community and discusses leisure activities including reading and participating in an organization called the Senior Citizens with her husband.
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- Mary Farr oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Mary Farr discusses her Christian faith and her memories of life during World War II. Other topics include her first history course and her belief that Americans were turning away from religion at the time of interview.
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- Marta Garelik oral history interview, 1979 May 23
- Marta Garelik describes her experiences as a young Jewish attorney in Vienna, Austria after the close of the First World War, her immigration to Belfast, Ireland just prior to the takeover of Austria by the Nazi Party, and her struggle to move family members to safety. Other topics include her decision to go into law, an unusual career choice for a woman at the time, discovering that her mentor in Austria was a Nazi supporter, and her immigration to New York City in 1940.
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- Blanche Leak Gluyas oral history interview 1, 1979 May 23
- Blanche Leak Gluyas describes her work as a stenographer for Southern Bell in Charlotte, North Carolina during the 1900s and 1910s and as a secretary with the State Department during World War II. Other topics discussed include prominent families in Charlotte, the development and expansion of the city, working women during the early and mid-twentieth century, and churches in Charlotte.
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- Blanche Leak Gluyas oral history interview 2, 1979 May 25
- In this second interview for the WSOC project, Blanche Leak Gluyas shares her extensive knowledge about the development of Charlotte since the late 1800s, this time focusing on the city's entertainment and recreation. Other topics include the neighborhood of Belmont Springs (now known as Belmont), Charlotte's industrial growth, and notable individuals and families in Charlotte.
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- Martin Grossman oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Martin Grossman recounts his long career as an engineer beginning in the early twentieth century and his experiences in Charlotte, North Carolina, after moving there in 1954. He describes his work in the energy sector with Celanese Corporation and other companies, and shares his opinions on the importance of proper employee training. Mr. Grossman also discusses his experiences during World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, and offers his thoughts on technological changes over time and the finite nature of fossil fuels.
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- Pearl E. Grossman oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Pearl E. Grossman recounts her move to Charlotte, North Carolina around the mid-1950s and the changes she witnessed in Charlotte during her time of residence. Topics discussed include her career working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and volunteering as a nurse with Memorial Hospital and the Red Cross Blood Center in Charlotte, building and maintaining her home, and family life.
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- Elizabeth R. Herbert oral history interview, 1979 May 23
- Elizabeth R. Herbert recounts her childhood in Sumter, South Carolina during the early twentieth century and her memories of married life in Charlotte, North Carolina as the wife of a Methodist minister. She describes delivering water to soldiers practicing drills as a child during World War I and taking soup to sick soldiers during the 1918 flu pandemic. She also shares details about her Methodist faith, her husband's career, and the history of Methodism and Methodist churches in the region.
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- Marie V. Hicks oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Marie V. Hicks shares tales from her life growing up on her family's farm in Kansas near Hutchinson and the various locations she lived in as an adult. Topics discussed include self-taught craft skills, activities of the community church, and the personal reason she decided to work for the United States Rubber Company, known locally as the "Shell Plant," which manufactured ammunition in Charlotte, North Carolina during World War II.
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- Susan Hicks oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Susan Hicks gives a brief history of the American Red Cross, particularly how it was organized and functioned in Charlotte, North Carolina during and after World War I. Topics discussed include types of social services provided by the Red Cross, organizational development of the Red Cross, and other social service organizations in the United States and in Charlotte.
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- Roland R. Hinrichs oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Roland R. Hinrichs recounts his childhood in West Virginia during the early twentieth century and societal changes that took place throughout his adult life. Topics include his difficulty in finding employment during the Great Depression, his later work as an engineer, and memories of World War I and World War II.
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- Will Hollisby oral history interview, 1979 May 22
- Will Hollisby recounts his fifty-seven years living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Topics include working as a landscaper for Charlotte Pipe and Foundry and for private homeowners in Myers Park; using trains, trolleys, and buses within Charlotte and to visit Gastonia and Mount Holly; and his family.
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- Ted C. Irwin oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Ted C. Irwin walks listeners through the historical streets of Charlotte, North Carolina as he experienced them during the 1890s and 1900s by providing an account of Charlotte's urban development. Mr. Irwin discusses family and home life, working in Charlotte for Southern Railway, and his participation in the Charlotte Drum and Bugle Corps. He also describes moving from Charlotte to Richmond, Virginia in 1906 to work for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company.
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- Harvie C. Jordan oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Harvie C. Jordan recalls co-founding his paper company, the Dixie Tag and Envelope Manufacturing Company, describes contract work that it undertook for the U.S. government during World War II, and discusses its significance in Charlotte, North Carolina. Other topics discussed include Mr. Jordan's work as a traveling salesman during the Great Depression; his father, Arthur Buist Jordan's prominence as a businessman and politician in Dillon, South Carolina; and how they both prospered after the 1929 stock market crash.
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- Ella F. Kelly oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- Ella F. Kelly recounts her experience growing up on her father's farm in rural Georgia. Topics discussed include her daily chores and the overall value of farm life, dating and social engagements within the community, and the sustainability of the farm throughout the Great Depression and during World War I rationing.
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- R. Powell Majors oral history interview 1, 1979 May 23
- Former Charlotte Rotary Club president R. Powell Majors recounts his experience as one of the founding patrons for the Rotary-sponsored Charlotte Boys Choir. He discusses the history of the choir, as well as the administrative, support, and operational aspects of the organization. Mr. Majors devotes much of the interview to describing the choir's 1948 Christmas trip to New York City, where they performed on NBC Radio. He discusses the choir's many performances around the Carolinas including their weekly live performance on WBTV, as well as their appearance on the nationally broadcasted Ripley's Believe It or Not television program. Mr. Majors also reflects on the central role James McMillan's management played in the choir's success during its seventeen-year history.
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- Alice M. McCall oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Alice M. McCall recounts growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina during the 1910s to the 1930s. Topics discussed include her father's tailoring business, playing pranks on streetcar drivers as a child, memories of the end of World War I, changes in uptown Charlotte, and her displeasure at having to transfer to Queens College because it was a women's college.
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- Johnston V. McCall oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Johnston V. McCall describes growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina during the early twentieth century as the son of former Charlotte mayor (1899-1901) Johnson D. McCall. Topics discussed include stories about notable Charlotte residents, including mayor Thomas Leroy Kirkpatrick; time spent at Camp Greene during World War I; and working after retirement as a teacher of languages at Queens College. Mr. McCall also recounts several visits to Charlotte by President Woodrow Wilson.
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- Faith McConnell oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Faith McConnell shares her memories of growing up on a farm in York County, South Carolina during the early twentieth century. She describes details of her home life, including her family's use of an ironing pot and an ash hopper to make lye soap at home, and her experiences attending a two-room school. She also discusses working as a teacher at Wesley Heights Graded School in Charlotte, North Carolina and explains that she moved to part-time substitute teaching after she married because women in her community typically quit full-time work after marriage.
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- John C. McFarland oral history interview, 1979 October 23
- John C. McFarland provides his personal account of growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina during the Great Depression. Topics discussed include his family's limited income during the 1930s, his Army service during World War II, and returning to civilian life after the war.
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- Margaret Boone McKenzie oral history interview, 1979 May 23
- Margaret Boone McKenzie recounts her and her family's experiences living in Charlotte and Lumberton, North Carolina. Topics discussed include moving to Charlotte in the 1920s, the city's growth, and her father's farm in Lumberton.
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- Victoria K. Moore oral history interview, 1979 May 25
- Victoria K. Moore shares her memories of growing up in the South during the early 1900s and gives account of her varied experiences as a domestic worker in New York, Charlotte, North Carolina, and parts of South Carolina. Other topics discussed include living during the Great Depression, segregation, family relations and her thoughts on gender equality.
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- Mary Kate B. Newell oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Mary Kate Newell recounts moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1914 from Atlanta, Georgia to attend nurse training school at Presbyterian Hospital, where she was later employed. Topics discussed include the doctors she worked with, advancement of medical practices during the twentieth century, inclement weather events and Charlotte's growth.
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- Maggie Lamb Nicholson oral history interview, 1979 May 24
- Rev. Dr. Maggie Lamb Nicholson recounts her childhood days in Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the 1900s as well as her experiences as a pastor in the Charlotte, North Carolina region beginning after her move to Charlotte in 1968. She also discusses her impressions of the integration of Charlotte's schools and opinions on busing, running unsuccessfully for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board, the AME Zion Church, and race relations in Elizabeth City and Charlotte.
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- J. Norman Pease oral history interview, 1979 May 22
- Architect J. Norman Pease shares his memories of Charlotte, North Carolina in the early twentieth century. He talks in detail about Charlotte in the 1920s, including the city's growth in population; the city's hotels, businesses, and churches; and locales including Lakewood Park and the original wood plank Charlotte Speedway near Pineville, North Carolina. He describes his experiences in the Army with the Construction Division of the Quartermaster Corps and working at Camp Greene and other locations outside of Charlotte. Mr. Pease also discusses his term as president of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, his involvement in philanthropic organizations including the Good Fellows Club, prominent citizens in Charlotte, and the integration of Charlotte's segregated restaurants and schools during the 1960s.
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- Marshall I. Pickens oral history interview 2, 1979 March 23
- Marshall I. Pickens recounts his fifty-year tenure working for the Duke Endowment fund in Charlotte, North Carolina. He explains the endowment’s purpose and lists some of the local institutions it has supported over the years, including local colleges and universities, nonprofit hospitals, child caring institutes, and rural Methodist churches. Mr. Pickens also talks briefly about people and organizations that were significant in serving the Charlotte community. In particular, he discusses the Methodist Home, United Community Services, and the Greater Charlotte Foundation; and the role of the Belk family, Mayor Stan Brookshire, and UNC Charlotte founder Bonnie Cone., Marshall I. Pickens was a 75-year-old man at the time of interview. He was born in 1904, in Pineville, North Carolina. He graduated from Duke University and was employed with the Duke Endowment as a trustee and in other capacities., Digitization made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources., Marshall I. Pickens oral history interview 1, July 16, 1969. J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections. University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
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- Samuel C. Poteat oral history interview, 1979 May 22
- Samuel Poteat describes his experiences overseas serving in the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion while plagued with the flu and measles during World War I. Other topics discussed include cotton farming in Huntersville, North Carolina; businesses and entertainment in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina during the first half of the twentieth century; and working as a truck driver for the Charlotte Observer.