Browse Interviews

Dean Gladden, Managing Director of the Cleveland Playhouse, describes the operations and history of the Cleveland Playhouse, including information about specific performances and collaborations with other theaters.

Shelbey Holmes-Reyes describes her childhood family life, including a period in the foster care system and living with the challenges of poverty and family mental health issues. Holmes-Reyes also relates her experiences as Dike College (Meyers College).

Carol Paulik Schultheis introduces herself and gives her background information. She tells of leaving her home on a farm to come to Cleveland to study at Dyke College to become a secretary. She talks about her experiences at Dyke living in Cogswell Hall with the other out-of-towners. Carol talks about the courses she took and the friends she made. She tells of skipping class to go to the Phil Donahue show, which was broadcast from Cleveland at the time. Carol talks about the departments stores…

In this interview, Celestine Beasley describes her experiences growing up in a sharecropper family in rural Mississippi, migrating to Cleveland's Cedar-Central neighborhood, and her career as a nurse at Mount Sinai. The interview also relates information about race, farming, food culture, and cuisine.

Ralph Beattie [1925-2015], grandson of the founder of H. W. Beattie & Sons Jewelers on Euclid Avenue, discusses the history of the family business, particularly in the time after he joined the business in 1948 following his war service. Beattie also recalls memories of occasional shopping trips downtown as a child living on a farm in the 1930s. He reflects on prominent businesses on Euclid Avenue, including jewelry stores, and the decline of the Playhouse Square area after its theaters closed in…

Interview with Ruth Dancyger, historian of Temple-Tifereth Israel. Computationally-restored audio.

Laura Gooch talks about the Hebrew Cultural Garden at Rockefeller Park. She also talks about Cleveland parks and what can be done to revitalize them, while also discussing how to remediate problems at Doan Brook.
Poor sound quality.
See also Laura Gooch Interview, 11 July 2006 (902010).

Elliot Gordon is interviewed for his thoughts on Cleveland and its development since he moved to the city for school in the 1980s. Poor sound quality.

Thomas Hartshorne, professor emeritus of History at Cleveland State University describes the early years of Cleveland State University's existence and its development over time, as well as reactions to the Kent State shootings on May 4th, 1970. Computationally-restored audio. Interviewer questions are not audible.

Duane Hatton of Hatton's Deli Restaurant describes the history and operations of the family business and changes in the midtown area along Euclid Avenue.

Donald Grogan reflects on his family history with the Hanna Theater and the development of Play House Square, as well as urban development in Cleveland.

This interview with Mary Krohmer, Director of Community Relations at Lake View Cemetery focuses on the history of the cemetery and surrounding area. Computationally-restored audio.

Mary Loud reflects on her time as a docent at the Dunham Tavern and provides a detailed history of the Tavern, how the site has developed over time, and what lies in store for the future of the museum. Poor sound quality.

Ruth Ketteringham describes her personal experiences in Cleveland, focusing on holidays, shopping, and streetcars along Euclid Avenue.

Jeanette Moore discusses her life living in East Cleveland and its development over time. Her work as a local public school teacher reflects a resolve to improve the community through education. Very poor sound quality.

Architect Richard Van Petten reflects on his life on Euclid Avenue and on the Millionares' Row mansions that used to line the street.

This oral history interview documents the life and career of Tom Bush, a Cleveland native, whose work in radio and television provides insight into the city’s media landscape and urban development during the late twentieth century. Bush reflects on his upbringing in Cleveland, his transition from business and finance into broadcasting at WMMS, and his long association with local entertainment, including performing comedy skits with regional television personalities. He also discusses his…

This interview with William Becker of Cleveland State University archives focuses on the history of CSU, as well as its precursor Fenn College. See also William Becker Interview, 2005 (400006) and William Becker Interview, 15 October 2014 (500047). Very poor sound quality.

This oral history interview with Henry Loconti, founder of the Agora Ballroom, explores his early life in Cleveland, his family’s immigrant roots, and his entry into servicing jukeboxes and, in 1966, launching the Agora concert venue that helped define the city’s rock music scene. Loconti reflects on growing up in a close-knit Italian American neighborhood in the 1930s and ‘40s, the entrepreneurial influence of his mother, and his experiences serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He…