Greer, W A 1998-04-13

W.A. Greer, a resident of Bowie, Texas, discusses his experiences at Texas Tech and the social and financial issues during the 1920’s. He also talks about his accomplishments and his career.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: W. A. Greer

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: April 13, 1998

Location: Bowie, Texas

Interviewer: David Marshall

Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1: Greer, W.A. b. March 21 1906, Parents: Went west to seek fortune, Father: Livestock and farming, Childhood, Memories, Tornado – April 26 1906, Being injured by the tornado at 6 months old, Wore a silver neck brace for 11 months, Eight brothers and sisters, Education, Graduated from Bellevue High School, Parents could not afford to send children to college, Worked for a construction company to earn money to go to school, $0.30/ hour, Texas Tech University, $27 per year to attend Texas Tech, Housing, Garage Apartment, $5 per month, Close to campus, Work, Bakery, Rolling bread, 4 hours each day, North Side Grocery, Hired as a Spanish/English translator, Helped Mexicans order groceries, Began failing due to working all day, Failing Spanish and English, Talked to Dean Gordon and passed the classes, Memories, Delivered groceries, Stories, Worked until second year at Texas Tech, Career, A.E. Boyd, Job opportunity at Bellevue High School - 1927, Teaching History and Math, Temporary Teaching Certificate, Attended Texas Tech during the summer, Promotion to be a principal at Bellevue High School - 1928, High School Certificate by Texas Tech University, $85 per month, August 1934 – High School Administrative Certificate, Bellevue Superintendent, Marriage, Bobby Inez Faulkner, Attended Texas Tech, Home Economics, Typing, She never wanted a degree, How they met, Stayed at Dean Gordon’s Garage Apartment, Career (again), Superintendent – 1928 – 1938, New regulation required Superintendents to have a Master’s Degree, Attended Denton during the nights and summer, Career (cont.), His wife helped him with his thesis, She enrolled with him taking French, Master’s Degree required an oral or written test, Story, Memories, Superintendent, $2000 salary per year, Job opportunity – near Ft. Worth Texas, $2400 salary increase, Moved to new school, Began April 1 1939, Stopped students from skipping school, Strict policies, World War II, January 1940, Registration for the draft, Class 1-A, He did not want to be enrolled in the Army, Took a physical to be accepted into the Navy, Report to Shreveport New Orleans on July 17 1940, In charge of 50 men , Boot Camp, Rough, Naval District – New Orleans Recruiting Office, Later requested to be transferred to Corpus Christi to be with his wife, His grant was approved, Intelligence Office, Sent back to New Orleans and was sent to the Panama Canal, Supply ship, Hurt in Okinawa, Navy offered him a deal to stay in the service but he refused, Fort Worth Texas , Went home to his wife, Unemployed, Career, Civil Service, Passed the test, Tyler, Texas – Counseling Veterans, Arkansas – Counseling Veterans, Opportunity to become a Lobbyist for Congress but he refused, Waco – Veteran Administration, Waco – CAF 7 (ranking) – Registration Officer, GI Bill, Training Officer – checked Veterans, CAF 9 – Senior Training Officer, CAF 11, Superintendent, Austin Texas, Opening in Bowie Texas, Offer from Bellevue Texas to become Superintendent, Made a deal with Bellevue I.S.D. in regard to his contract, Lived in the same house that he lived in 30 years before.

Tape 2: Career (cont.), Superintendent, Father, Farmer, Rancher, Moved to Bellevue in 1887, One year after the tornado in 1906 he died, Mr. Webb, Owner of the ranch, Offered a house to his wife, Four cows and two horses, Children (W.A. Greer’s siblings) had to drop out of school, Dust Storms, Texas Tech University (again), 1925 – 1934, How he heard about Texas Tech, Newspaper columns, Location of Texas Tech was decided in 1921, Traveled by train from Bellevue to Lubbock Texas, Dust Storms, Administration Building, Agriculture Building, Appearance of University when it was first built Classes, Chemistry – most students were Pre-Med majors, W.A. Greer, Negative attitude towards smoking and drinking, Policies enforced as principal against smoking, Punishment, Pine carved paddle, 1935 – youngest Superintendent in Texas, Education, Went back to school to receive his Ph.D., Baylor University, University of Texas, After 30 hours he dropped out, Did not want to write a dissertation, Ex-Students and their appreciation, Students thank him for his sternness as a principal and superintendent, Stories, Memories, Texas Tech University (again), Classes, Size of classes, Typically 40 students per class, Chemistry, Snow Storms, Ice skating in small lakes, W.A. Greer, Hiring graduate students to teach, Contacting Texas Tech for recommendations, Lubbock Texas, Mexican-Americans, Large population of Mexicans, What area they lived in, Cotton Seed and Oil.

Range Dates: 1906-1998

Bulk Dates: 1921-1998

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