Rylander, Michael Kent 2004-03-22
Kent Rylander talks about his experiences as a professor at the biology department at Texas Tech University.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Michael Kent Rylander
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: March 22, 2004
Location: Junction, Texas
Interviewer: David Marshall
Length: 01:37:51
Abstract
Introduction; The Benjamin Lach murder case; Improvements in grades; Instruments found; Dissecting cats; Locking up the exams; Accusations in New England; Incriminating Evidence; Second half of the exam; Police caught him; Lach’s girlfriend; Trial in Fort Worth, Texas; Talking with Lach’s mother; Dispute about the master key in court; Trial; Conviction of Ben Lach; Anxiety; Letters from Lach’s girlfriend; Lach released from prison; Apologetic letter from girlfriend; Moved to the Amazon Basin; Reflecting on the Lach Case; Lach born in concentration camp; Texas Tech Psychology Department; Lubbock Avalanche Journal accounts; Phone call from the dean; Ben Lach staring at his hands; Another murder two years later; Rough first six years of career; Chairman ruled; History and Biology; Tenure; Issues with his Curriculum Vitae; Dean wrote letters to the faculty; Controversy with chairman; Changes in Administration; Chairman addresses faculty; New chairman; Changes at Texas Tech University; Proposal of having summers off; Inspirational mail carrier; Change in the Biology Department; Grover Murray; Teaching quality; Biology Department; Problems with administration; Better faculty with time; Changes in field work; Recruiting naturalists; Comments on the field work at Texas Tech; Declining museums; Field faculty retirements; Keeping it alive at Junction, Texas; Views on field work amongst colleagues; Waning interest; Possible interest from other sources; Experience at Corpus Christi, Texas; Recruiting a new director; Future of biology department; Challenges; Working with nature writers; Original contributions.
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript: No transcript available
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
