Billie Smith Interview, April 2008

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Billie Smith of Shaker Lakes Nature Center describes her involvement with the Center, providing details on the history of the Center, recreation and public events, staff development, and educational programming. Smith also discusses the "Red Raider" campground (near Chagrin Falls, Ohio), which was started by her husband Ralston Fox Smith in 1933 as part of a teaching program at Shaker Heights' Malvern School. Actor Paul Newman, a Shaker Heights native, is also mentioned for having attended the camp and later becoming a supporter of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.

Participants: Smith, Billie (interviewee) / Smith, Nancy King (interviewer)
Collection: Shaker Lakes Nature Center
Institutional Repository: Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection

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Shaker Lakes Nature Center

17 Interviews

The Shaker Lakes Nature Center Oral History Project was initiated by Nature Center founding member Nancy King Smith, with interviews by researchers, students, and public school teachers in collaboration with the Center. Interviews cover a variety of topics relating to the creation of Shaker Lakes and the Nature Center, as well as to the broader issues in wildlife preservation and environmental education. Although the Shaker Lakes were man-made (serving as a major part of the development of…

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