University Circle

University Circle Inc.

University Circle is home to many of the city’s oldest and most respected institutions: Severance Hall, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Case Western Reserve University to name just a few. Since 1970, University Circle Inc. (UCI) has coordinated development in the area. These interviews with UCI staff, community activists, and local residents and workers in the University Circle area, conducted by students as part of a CSU Provost-funded Undergraduate Summer Research Award project led by Drs. Mark Souther and Mark Tebeau in 2008, offer insights into neighborhood and institutional history, and characterize UCI’s changing mission and development strategies over the course of time.

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University Circle

Stan Jaffe, a native of Queens New York, and former CFO at Judson Manor, recounts the history of Judson and the unique concentration of cultural institutions within University Circle. He briefly discusses some of the negative perceptions of University Circle that may affect patronage of the area. He describes some of the direct effects that the loss of manufacturing has had on the Cleveland area, such as the deterioration of commercial districts including; downtown, Shaker Square and East 105th…

Ted Sande, former Exectutive Director of Western Reserve Historical Society (1981-1993) and Board Member at University Circle Incorporated, discusses his experiences with Cleveland's east side cultural district. Sande describes his work at the Western Reserve Historical Society, including institutional history, various projects and artifacts, details on strategic and financial planning initiatives, and infrastructure improvement. He describes changes in grant distribution and fund raising in the…

Andrew Gilham, lifelong Cleveland resident, talks about growing up in the Cedar/Central and Glenville neighborhoods. Topics include the vibrant communities of the 1930's and 40's, changes in racial makeup of population, and the presence of Jewish and African-American owned businesses. Gilham also relates the importance of public transportation, and the shift to automobile use. He talks briefly about the destruction of property during the Hough and Glenville riots, and the reasons for the riots,…

Allen Ford, current resident of Judson Manor, relates his experiences growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, during the 1930's and 40's. Topics covered include the effects of World War II on daily life, the importance of the Rapid Transit system, and downtown shopping. Ford recalls the opening of the Colony Movie Theater at Shaker Square and describes its Art Deco interior. He describes the operations and function of Pickands Mather Company, and the decline of the steel industry in the United…

Larry Rivers, lifelong resident of Glenville, discusses growing up in Glenville during the 1950's and 1960's. He describes the self-contained nature of Glenville and the importance of churches to the community. Rivers relates the change in racial make-up of the neighborhood, the gradual shift towards an all African-American population and the decline of neighborhood businesses. He notes the change in African-American attitudes following the Hough and Glenville riots. This change contributed…
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