Interviews with Loy H. Witherspoon

Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 1, 1973 March 26
Loy Witherspoon was a 43-year-old man at the time of interview. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this 1973 interview, student Boone Wayson interviewed Dr. Loy Witherspoon, then chair of Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte, about a decision made by the faculty governing body in 1966 to retract an earlier resolution to bestow an honorary degree upon Governor Dan K. Moore. The decision took place after the university Board of Trustees refused to ratify a faculty resolution to bestow an honorary degree upon a Charlotte citizen (unnamed in the interview) at the same time as honoring Governor Moore, which Dr. Witherspoon speculates may have partially caused the reversal. He also speculates that some of the faculty were critical of Governor Moore and were no longer inclined to grant him the honor because of his handling of the controversial Speaker Ban Law., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 2, 1991
Loy Witherspoon was a 61-year-old man at the time of interview. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this 1991 interview, student Michael Wilson interviewed Dr. Loy Witherspoon about his life experiences in the North Carolina Piedmont. Dr. Witherspoon describes his unusual childhood, the latter part of which was spent at The Children's Home, a Methodist orphanage on the edge of Winston-Salem. He relates in detail the daily activities he engaged in at the home, which included chores on the orphanage farm, food preservation and preparation, and sports and recreation, in addition to attending school at the Children's Home and at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. In particular Dr. Witherspoon stresses the influence of his high school Latin teacher, Margaret McDermott, who continued to be an inspiration for his own teaching in later life. Realizing at an early age that his vocation was to be a Methodist minister and a teacher, Dr. Witherspoon describes his education at Duke University where he earned a BA and a BD, and Boston University where he earned a PhD. In response to questions about civil rights, Dr. Witherspoon recalls student activism on the UNC Charlotte campus, and in particular the activities of student Ben Chavis. Dr. Witherspoon concludes by urging students to interact with the city of Charlotte, to take advantage of the cultural activities offered, and also to give back to the city, recalling the Athenian oath instructing citizens to leave the city more beautiful and enriched than they had found it., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 3, 1993 February 19
Loy Witherspoon was a 63-year-old man at the time of interview. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this 1993 interview, student Mitch Miles interviewed Dr. Loy Witherspoon, founding chair of Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte, who relates his life story and reflects on changes that he witnessed in the American South between the 1930s and the 1990s. Dr. Witherspoon describes his childhood growing up in Catawba, North Carolina, his closely knit family, and his early school and religious experiences. He attributes his interest in the classics to his grade school teachers who read classical literature to the students after recess, and notes that there was little religious diversity in the community beyond the Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran churches. Dr. Witherspoon reflects on the more cosmopolitan atmosphere of wartime Winston-Salem, where he moved to live in The Children's Home, a Methodist orphanage, after the death of both his parents. He describes his high school years at R.J. Reynolds High School and the significant influence of his Latin teacher, who took a keen interest in his education. After a brief description of his education at Duke University, Dr. Witherspoon describes his experiences at Boston University, where he pursued his PhD. He notes the life-changing influence of living in a larger, more diverse, and culturally rich city. In stark contrast to these more cosmopolitan locales, Dr. Witherspoon details his first experience as a professor teaching at Dakota Wesleyan University in South Dakota, noting that social conditions in the surrounding area reminded him of his childhood in rural North Carolina. He also remarks on the paradox of the local concern expressed for Southern blacks in a community where Native Americans were poorly treated. Dr. Witherspoon continues with a description of his move back to North Carolina at the behest of Bonnie Cone, founder and president of Charlotte College. He describes early conditions of the college, his role in establishing an ecumenical ministry to students in addition to his professorial duties teaching philosophy and religious studies, and the changes he saw in Southern culture, which he attributes largely to the influx of people from other parts of the United States and the world., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 4, 2010 May 18
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this first of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon describes his family history, early life, and education. Topics include how he became an orphan and his positive experience living in The Children's Home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; his college and graduate education at Duke University; friends, mentors, and benefactors, in particular, Virginia and Ross Puette of Charlotte, North Carolina; his experiences living in Egypt where he taught at the American University in Cairo; and his training and background as both a Methodist minister and an educator in religious studies and philosophy., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 5, 2010 May 25
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this second of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon describes his time attending Boston University for his PhD in the New Testament, his first academic job at Dakota Wesleyan University, and his early years at UNC Charlotte. Mr. Witherspoon describes how Bonnie Cone was enthusiastic about his hiring as head of Philosophy and Religious Studies in 1964, but that many faculty members opposed his ideas in meetings and resisted the strengthening of the philosophy and religious studies program on campus. Dr. Witherspoon also discusses his role on campus as both educator and spiritual coordinator, the university administration during the 1960s and 1970s, and faculty members who Mr. Witherspoon hired during that period in order to build a well-rounded department., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 6, 2010 June 1
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this third of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon discusses his various roles at UNC Charlotte, his personal involvement with service and cultural institutions in the Charlotte community, and his role as an ambassador in reaching out to the community to support the university. Topics include the dividing of Philosophy and Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte and key faculty appointments within these departments, how he helped secure rare books and manuscript collections for J. Murrey Atkins Library, his friendships with Bonnie Cone and Alice Tate, his association with Myers Park churches and with various leading citizens of Charlotte who supported the university, and his support for the Red Cross, the Charlotte Symphony and the Opera Association., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 7, 2010 June 3
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this fourth of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon focuses the conversation on Bonnie Cone, the founder of UNC Charlotte. He discusses Ms. Cone's long relationship with UNC Charlotte, including her efforts to make Charlotte College a four-year institution and part of the University of North Carolina system during the 1940s-1960s, her vision for Dr. Witherspoon to serve a ministerial role on campus, and her being passed over as Chancellor of the university in the 1960s, which he speculates may have been because of her gender. Dr. Witherspoon also describes his concern for an ecumenical approach to ministry on campus, and how he, Ms. Cone, and other faculty members settled in the College Downs neighborhood, adjacent to the university., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 8, 2010 June 8
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this fifth of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon describes how Bonnie Cone fought to make Charlotte College (later, UNC Charlotte) a part of the University of North Carolina system, and how the university grew once she achieved her goal. Topics include campus administration; Ms. Cone's role as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs once Dean Colvard became Chancellor in 1966; the civil rights movement and activism of African American students on campus; the history behind various buildings on campus, including the first two dormitories that were built at UNC Charlotte; and his own role in facilitating communication between Chancellor Colvard and the faculty., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 9, 2010 June 29
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this sixth of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon discusses faculty governance at UNC Charlotte and how it changed from when he began employment with the university in 1964 through the early 1990s. He describes the contentious nature of Faculty Council discussions, his experiences serving twice as president of the Council, the attendance of politically active students at Council meetings, his role on the search committee for the third chancellor of the university, and the debate among faculty about the ROTC on campus following national discussions of discrimination against gay students in the ROTC program. Dr. Witherspoon also highlights his belief that other faculty members and departments didn't believe there should be a Religious Studies department., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)
Loy H. Witherspoon oral history interview 10, 2010 July 6
Loy Witherspoon was a 80-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place on the campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Catawba, North Carolina in 1930. He graduated from Duke University with a BA and a BD degree, and from Boston University with a PhD in the New Testament. He was employed with UNC Charlotte from 1964 to 1994, where he led the Department of Philosophy and Religion, then established and chaired the Department of Religious Studies when it split off from philosophy beginning in 1972., In this final of seven interviews given by Loy Witherspoon and conducted by Christina Wright, Dr. Witherspoon discusses his involvement with student organizations and fraternities at UNC Charlotte. In particular, Dr. Witherspoon focuses on the Christian fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha and his belief in their positive influence on campus life. He describes how fraternities and sororities were first established on campus through the support of Bonnie Cone, despite opposition from some faculty members. Dr. Witherspoon discusses his role as faculty advisor to Lambda Chi Alpha and describes the organization at UNC Charlotte in detail, including their organizational structure, community service activities, and initiation practices. He also recounts stories of particular student members of Lambda Chi Alpha and other fraternities whom he mentored. Dr. Witherspoon ends his interview with a description of plans for Bonnie Cone's burial on the UNC Charlotte campus., Loy H. Witherspoon papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/233)