Browse Interviews

Anthony Yen discusses the history of the Chinese Cultural Garden, from its planning to its completion. Mr. Yen describes the trials and tribulations in obtaining the land and the drive to have the gardens become a national landmark designation. Other topics include the fiolage within the Chinese Cultural Garden, future plans of the garden, and vandalism.

Anthony Yen discusses the history of the Chinese Cultural Garden, from its planning to its completion. Mr. Yen describes the trials and tribulations in obtaining the land and the drive to have the gardens become a national landmark designation. Other topics include the foliage within the Chinese Cultural Garden, future plans of the garden, and creating what became known as Teacher Day.

Sadie and Eva discuss their experiences being Japanese Americans in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Taking turns answering the questions posed to them, they discuss their removal from California for life in the internment camps, what childhood was like there, and how they finally were permitted to leave. They later discuss the compensation approved by the government for their wrongdoing. The 442nd Volunteer Combat Unit of mostly Japanese American soldiers is covered near the end.

Involved in historic development in Cleveland, especially the warehouse district and gateway district, Cleveland native Thomas Yablonsky discusses the Ohio and Erie Canal He is on the Ohio and Erie Canal association board as well as the Ohio canal corridor. He also discusses the changes and developments in the Tremont region.

Wilma Witt grew up in the Collinwood neighborhood during the Great Depression and World War II. In this 2005 interview, she describes life during the war and depression. She also discusses the Collinwood neighborhood and the ethnic communities there, and tells stories about her family.

Jene Wilson grew up in a union family, and when she was 16 had her first experience working for a union, the AFLCIO. She describes her experience working for the union as a young girl. Later in life she became part of a teacher's union and became very involved in that. She discusses her involvement in the union, as well as some of the gender issues that she found working for the union.

Lester Williams gives a history of the town of Dover, Ohio. His interest in and appreciation for Dover's history and history in general stems from the work his family has done in this field. The subjects he discusses are vast in scope. Everything from racial discrimination to the Ohio Canal are discussed in detail as they pertain to Dover. Interview was conducted by various members of the Rivers Roads and Rails (TAH Project) Dover team.

This interview was conducted as part of Cleveland State University's 50th Anniversary Commemoration effort. Elizabeth Zavada is currently the Assistant to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees at CSU. Born in Brownsville, PA, Zavada moved with her family to Cleveland's west side in the 1950s. Zavada enrolled at CSU in the fall of 1969 where she majored in education and worked in the alumni development office. After graduation she stayed on at CSU, working in government relations under Dr.…

Megan Wilson-Reitz recollects her early life growing up in a diverse community which steered her towards a life of faith and social justice. Wilson-Reitz shares her involvement with community organizing in the Cleveland Nonviolence Network, the Cleveland Catholic Worker, and then her role as a board member for the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation.

George Welker was born in 1934 in Schajkasch-Sentiwan, Yugoslavia, and died in 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. He lived in Sentiwan until late 1943 when his family fled to Hungary as Russian troops advanced. His family eventually was placed in a working plantation with other refugees in Austria. They eventually settled in Buchenau, Germany. Welker immigrated to Cleveland at age 18 in 1952. He became active with the soccer club in Cleveland that eventually joined the Society of the Donauschwaben. He was…

Anna Welker was born in 1934 in Neu Schowe, Yugoslavia. In December 1944, her family, along with the remaining townspeople of Neu Schowe, were removed from the town and began their harrowing journey as refugees. Anna and her family endured many hardships in their two years at the Jarek internment camp. In 1946, she and her remaining family were moved to Krusevlje. In early 1947, she and her mother, aunt, and cousin escaped Kursevlje. Her family lived in Munich from late 1947 until 1950. In 1950,…

In this 2006 interview, Carmel Whiting talks about growing up in Washington D.C. and segregation of the schools and businesses. She married Cleveland native Elmer Whiting and talks about their Shaker Heights residence, segregation, and racism. There is a great deal of discussion about Carl and Louis Stokes throughout the interview including their personal relationship and the Stoke’s legacy. Whiting talks about the impact of the Hough Riots and other topics such as civic education, local history…

Kristina Walter, an art educator, recollects her early life and how her faith has shaped her experience living in the greater Cleveland area. Walter notes the importance of religion and social justice throughout her education, which led her to join Cleveland's Catholic Worker Movement.

Doris Walter grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where she lived there up until her second marriage. Walter was given the opportunity to move to Cleveland, where she maintained her career as a secretary at Antioch for 32 years. Some of her activities at Antioch include the Ruth B. McKinney mission circle, the Carl Stokes campaign, AGAPE, and the search committee for pastors.

Sister Catherine Walsh of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine recollects her early childhood growing up on a farm in County Mayo, Ireland. Before she made her religious vows, Sister Catherine immigrated to Ohio in order to work. After she made her vows, she taught special education at Parmadale and worked in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland. Sister Catherine then spent six years in El Salvador with the Cleveland Mission Team. After she returned to Ohio she helped establish the Akron…

Norbert Wallington, a resident of Tremont since 1946, recounts his family's relocation from Pennsylvania and his diverse work history, which includes positions at Railway Express, the Federal Reserve Bank, and Ford Motor Company, as well as his volunteer efforts at St. Michael's Church. He discusses significant changes in the Tremont neighborhood over the years, particularly the effects of highway construction (I-71 and I-90) on the community, including population decline, loss of tax base, and…

Jearl Walker is a professor in the physics department at Cleveland State University, joining the faculty in 1973. Walker is originally from Fort Worth, Texas and attended MIT in Boston for his undergraduate studies. After graduation he enrolled at the University of Maryland where he earned his PhD and landed a book deal for his technical report titled, The Flying Circus of Physics. Walker became well known for his unorthodox teaching techniques that have involved walking on hot coals, dipping…

Kathleen Varga and her husband John fought through many different obsticles on their farm. With John having a stroke, they had to adapt to different living conditions and struggle to keep the farm going. The September 11th attacks also proved to be difficult to go through and a move was necessary in order to keep their dream alive. Kathleen was able to think outside of the box and develope a farm that alomst became completly self sufficient through study of what animals she con have in her farm…

Jim Van Arsdale comes from a long line of greenhouse farmers. Due to this early experience in the business, he chose to study horticulture at Ohio State. He comments on the development of the greenhouse business, specifically crop growing. He discusses how national trends and movements in environmentalism, consumerism, and agriculture have affected the greenhouse business. Van Arsdale describes the incorporation of new technologies into food production and notes how those technologies affected…

In this very brief interview, longtime Cleveland Hiking Club member Gayle Zipay recounts what led her to join the hiking club in 1983. Her interview includes reminiscences about a couple of notable club members, a youth hostel that once operated in the Cuyahoga Valley, and some of the chores associated with maintaining the club's camp.

Irene Toth, a member of the board of trusttees of WCPC and an amatuer historian discusses both the history of the West Creek area and her life in Cleveland since 1928. Also discussed are the positive environmental effects of the project and the social identification of the "naturalist group" she is a part of. Toth also examines the group's future and transition from a single-issue committee to a conservancy advocate.

Dave and Denise Tobiasz joined the Cleveland Hiking Club in 1994. They discuss a number of trips that they led, some of the funny things that happened on those trips, and some of the special people they met in the club including Emily Gregor and Jim Sprague. They talk about changes over the years, weekend getaways, and how much behind-the-scenes work it takes to make the club work.

Paul Volpe served as Commissioner of Architecture in Cleveland from 1983-1989, leaving that position to found City Architecture Inc., an urban design firm located in Cleveland. In this 2006 interview, Volpe talks about the various projects he led while working for Mayor George Voinovich's administration. He also discusses his more recent work with City Architecture Inc. and the philosophy of urban design and city planning that lies behind it. Throughout the interview, Volpe praises Cleveland's…

Tommy Thompson, who lived in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, from August 1994 to August 1995, discusses his motivations for choosing Tremont, seeking an urban lifestyle close to downtown amid limited residential options at the time. He describes the neighborhood as being in the early stages of gentrification, characterized by a mix of newly renovated apartments and older, dilapidated housing. Thompson shares his experiences with crime and safety concerns, highlighting a divide…

Janet Thomas was born to Italian immigrant parents and lived in the Gordon Square neighborhood. She describes the neighborhood's bakeries, theatres, drug stores, and ethnic shops. Thomas mentions how the Depression impoverished her family, but notes that the Depression brought the different ethnicities of the community together. Her family never fully recovered financially from the Depression, therefore the family's leisure activities included going to church and visiting nearby parks like…

This interview was conducted as part of the CSU 50th Anniversary Commemmoration. Dr. Cathy Thomas has been associated with CSU in a number of capacities for over 40 years. Originally hailing from Parma, Thomas commuted to campus via bus beginging in the fall of 1968. She following graduation she worked for a number of years in various departments at the university before deciding to pursue her M.A in art history at CSU and later her PhD in the same subject from CWRU. From the time she was…

Thomas Flewellyn recounts growing up in the Central and Glenville neighborhoods, the jobs he has held over the years, and his work with Calvary Presbyterian Church.

Elizabeth Thalman discusses her life living on farms in Randall, Ohio. She describes her family farm and her current work farming. She also discusses her children and family.

An employee of the Ohio EPA, Steve Tuckerman discusses his work in managing water quality in Ohio and his current work in improving the Cuyahoga River watershed. As an employee of the EPA, Tuckerman outlines the goals of the EPA in maintaining dams and other watersheds in the area, including the protection of habitats for wildlife and ensuring environmental safety for citizens. Tuckerman also outlines the improvements that his organization has made in Northeast Ohio as well as some of the…

Terrence Spivy is the Artistic Director of Karamu House. Spivy recounts his working with Ruby Dee over the years, the centennial celebration of Karamu House, and plans for the future.

Bud Wiedenthal discusses his family and their role in Cleveland and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. His Great Uncle, Leo Wiedenthal, was influential in the creation of both the Hebrew Cultural Garden and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens as a whole. He discusses his family history, memories of Leo, and Leo's connection to Zionism.

Dave Vasarhelyi discusses his work for the National Park Service. Mr. Vasahelyi worked for various parks across the county including Cuyahoga National Park. He also worked to help save West Creek from becoming a golf course. This fight is detailed in this 2008 interview.

Donna McIntyre Whyte, a Shaker Heights resident, has led a colorful life. She describes the life of her parents. Her mother was a pilot in the 1940s – a unique job for an African American woman at the time – and her uncle was a Tuskegee Airman. Whyte's parents passed a strong work ethic and a belief in the value of education on to her. Whyte describes growing up in the Mount Pleasant area and the fun she had with friends. She tells a great story about how kids would hide in the trunk of the car…

James Williams is a local Clevelander and Historic Preservationist by trade. After the Cleveland Hough Riots in 1966, he was a project manager for the Famicos Foundation, a local Community Development organization that restored buildings left in disrepair. In this oral history, Williams discusses his passion for preservation, projects and experiences working for the Famicos Foundation. Williams served in the U.S. Army and also worked as a maintenance worker at James A Garfield National Historic…

This interview was conducted during the Homecoming event at Cleveland State University. Anthony Szpak attended Fenn College from 1959-1964. In the interview he describes Fenn's campus, his experiences during his co-op and some of his accomplishments since his graduation.

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

Nina Swerdlow reflects on her life as a resident of the Tremont neighborhood. Swerdlow discusses her family's Jewish heritage and their immigration from Poland, detailing the cultural and social dynamics of the community during her upbringing. She shares memories of local businesses, community events, and the strong sense of neighborhood identity that characterized Tremont in the mid-20th century. Swerdlow also addresses the challenges faced by the community over the years, including economic…

This interview was conducted as part of the CSU 50th Anniversary Commemoration. Patrick Sweeney is the Chief Senior Advisor in the Office of Government Relations. A member of the state legislature beginning in 1967 representing Cleveland, Sweeney was a staunch supporter of CSU during its early development and continues to contribute to the university in his current role at present. Along with the role that he has played in CSU, Sweeney has been a long time advocate of the arts, supporting both…

Sally Tatnall (b.1937), a radical feminist and community activist, speaks about her childhood in Buffalo, New York, and what it was like coming of age in the 1940s and 1950s. She describes her marriage to her husband, her civil rights activism and feminist activism with him, and her eventual divorce and introduction to lesbianism. Sally describes life in the lesbian-feminist collective in her Cleveland Heights home, Hag House or Berkshire House, and describes the work of radical feminist…

Zeta Swaggard was born in 1914 and migrated to Cleveland from southern Ohio during World War II. She quickly found work in a factory and found a place to live in a rooming house. Swaggard vividly describes riding the streetcars and notes their importance. She describes the atmosphere and the culture of Downtown Cleveland, including the shops, department stores, restaurants, and theatres. Swaggard notes the change in downtown as the department stores moved to the suburbs and they started to…

Florence Sutowski was born in 1927 and has spent her entire life in the Tremont neighborhood. Sutowski describes Tremont as a safe and ethnically diverse community, primarily inhabited by Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak, and Russian immigrants who worked in local steel mills. She reflects on the strong sense of community, where residents often left their doors unlocked and intermarriage among ethnic groups was common, despite some preference for marrying within one's own ethnicity. Sutowski shares her…

This interview was conducted as part of Cleveland State University's 50th Anniversary Commemoration effort. Born and raised in Cleveland, Louis Stokes is most widely recognized as being the first African-American to be elected to Congress from Ohio. Stokes graduated from Central High School and was drafted into the army during WW2. Following his service in the military he attended Western Reserve University on his GI Bill and continued on to earn his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall Law…

Roberta Steinbacher is a long-time faculty member in the Urban College at Cleveland State University and was actually instrumental in establishing the college in the mid-1970s. Originally from eastern Kansas, Steinbacher attended Creighton University where she received her bachelor's degree and later earned her master's and PhD from St. Louis University. When Steinbacher first started at Cleveland State Urban Studies was an institute and in the interview she describes the process that took place…

Ben S. Stefanski II, of the Polish Cultural Garden, recollects on his involvement in Cleveland's Cultural Garden. He discusses his earliest memories of the Cultural Gardens, the importance of the Polish Cultural Garden in particular, flowers and layout of the Cultural Gardens, and the creation of busts within the Polish Cultural Garden. Other topics include his family history, vandalism and theft in the gardens, and the uniqueness of the Cultural Gardens.
Poor sound quality.

Tom Stebel talks about his experience growing up as a gay man in the Cleveland area. He talks about his move to the West Coast as well as his return to Cleveland in the early 1990s. He also discusses his volunteer work in the LGBTQ community, particularly his experience with the AIDS epidemic. In addition, he speaks about various community groups and some specific locations in the Cleveland area.

Jim Sprague joined the Cleveland Hiking Club in 1979 and was an active member through the 1980s. In this short interview, Sprague recalls memorable hikes and illustrious club members he encountered.

Joan Southgate is best known for engaging in a walk from the southern United States to Canada to reenact the journey of the freedom seekers on the underground railroad. Southgate relates her inspiration for committing to the walk and what the walk symbolizes personally and broadly. She also emphasizes what resulted from her ambitious and meaningful walk. Her work precipitated a revived interest in Cleveland's involvement in the underground railroad.

Charles V. Williams is a longtime advocate for the Black Deaf community at both the local, state, and national levels. In this second of two interviews, he discusses his advocacy in the Black Deaf community from the 1970s to the present, including volunteering at the Cleveland Society for the Blind, his efforts for greater inclusivity in the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, getting closed captioning added for the 1980 Democratic National Convention, creating an interpreter training…

Charles V. Williams is a longtime advocate for the Black Deaf community at both the local, state, and national levels. In this first of two interviews, he discusses losing his hearing as a child, growing up on Cleveland's East Side, early efforts to help Black Deaf newcomers to the city, working at Thompson Products and in the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office, and campaigning for Carl Stokes for mayor.

Robin Yates, owner of Brownstone Inn, describes his interest in architecture and the decision to purchase property on Cleveland's east side. Yates colorfully describes Prospect Avenue in the 1970s, then known as a red light district. He describes the relationship between local law enforcement and the residents and property owners in the area. Specifically, Yates notes the importance of citizen advocacy groups and other improvement entities that worked to transform the district. In addition, he…

Leonard M. Trawick, a transplant from Alabama, describes living in Cleveland for over forty years. Trained to be an English professor, Trawick held positions at Columbia University before he came to Cleveland. He describes working at Columbia during the student unrest of the 1960s. In 1969, Trawick took a position at the newly created Cleveland State University. He relates the conditions of the school during those early years. He also has fond memories of the poetry programming that Cleveland…

Donna McIntyre Whyte is a Cleveland native, born in 1948, and grew up in the Glenville neighborhood, and then later on to the Mt. Pleasant area. Her father taught her and her sister many domestic and handy skills such as how to work on cars. She lived close to her grandparents, close enough to walk their alone as a child. Her grandparents have interesting stories, and she appreciated them and spent a lot of time with them. She does not recall any distinct instances of segregation, but does…

Born and raised in the Bronx, Judith VanKleef attended college at the University of Wisconsin. She moved to Cleveland's West Side in 1950 and then to Cleveland Heights in 1964. She discusses the shifting color line on Cleveland's East Side in the 1950s-60s and the impact of blockbusting on neighborhoods including her own. She details a blockbusting campaign in the Grant Deming's Forest Hill neighborhood in about 1967 or 1968 that catalyzed the reconstitution of a long defunct block club to try…

Toppin was born in 1940 and grew up in the Cedar-Central and Glenville neighborhoods. His grandparents came to Cleveland from Georgia during the Great Migration, and his paternal grandfather started Majestic Cab Co. His father worked at the TRW plant in Euclid. He recalls the "Gold Coast" entertainment venues along East 105th Street, including in the Euclid-East 105 area, in the 1950s-70s and Motown artists who played the clubs. He describes the racial transition in the area as one from…

Derwood Tatum grew up in Hazard, Kentucky, and moved to Cleveland due to his father's newest ownership of a grocery store on East 65th and Woodland, called Tatum's Grocery Store. Tatum paints a picture of the Cleveland music scene during the late 1950s and early 1960s, an era which he owned Tate's Place, a record store (which later turned into a record store/ice cream shop/deli) selling mulitple artists' 45s like Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday, to name a few. The record/deli/ice cream store…

Richard Turbow, resident of Coventry for 40 years, discusses the many changes that the area has gone through. Turbow paints a picture that chronicles Coventry's shift from Hippies to Punks to College Students. He mentions many restaurants, shops, and hangout places including Irv's, Tommy's, and Seesaw. He also makes mention of the Coventry Street fair. He points out that the changes in housing in University Circle caused more and more students to move to Coventry, which accounts for the…

Dan Sussen discusses his father's entry into the auto parts industry and his role creating Midtown Cleveland Inc. He discusses how the company survived the Great Depression, its growth and expansion, and his role as the company's salesman. Sussen describes the reasons for creating Midtown Cleveland Inc., its early years, and the growth of Midtown since the organization's founding. He also touches on the relationship between Midtown Cleveland Inc. and political leaders in Cleveland.

Paul Volpe, President of City Architecture Inc., discusses the company's role in redeveloping Cleveland's Midtown Corridor. Established in 1989, City Architecture's main focus is urban redevelopment in the Northeast Ohio region. Volpe served as the urban architect for the mayoral administrations of George Voinovich and Michael White throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He discusses the ideas within city hall regarding redevelopment during his years working for the government. Volpe also explains how…

In this short interview, Nancy Somnitz recalls going to Fenn College (later Cleveland State University). She went in with desires to be a chemistry educator, but ended up teaching a wide array of subjects to elementary schoolchildren through to high school students. She talks about her co-op experiences and concludes by talking about what she did after school.

In this 2005 interview, Matt Zone, Councilman for Ward 17 of the City of Cleveland, discusses his family's history on the west side of Cleveland and his political career. Zone is a third generation Italian-American. His grandparents came to the Detroit-Shoreway area of Cleveland shortly after WWI ended. His father and mother grew up on West 65th Street and were both Councilpersons for the Ward--from 1960-1982. Matt has been Councilperson for the Ward since 2001. Zone talks about neighborhood…