ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) Video History Project Interviews
This collection includes interviews of Arizona State University retirees, including administrators, faculty, and staff. The video interviews were conducted by the ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) beginning in 2001. Videos are approximately 1 hour each.
Filtering by
Brent Brown, a faculty member of the School of Public Programs, served for many years as ASU's chief lobbyist. The interview covered a number of topics including: working to get ASU to be viewed as a player at the Legislature and Board of Regents, planning for West Campus, Downtown Campus, and Polytechnic Campus, the arrival of the NFL and becoming a Research 1 University.
Video History interview with Ellamae Branstetter, College of Nursing. Ella discusses helping set up the Nursing program with two others in 1957 and later setting up the Master's Degree Program. Ella grew up in Oklahoma and eventually got her nursing BS degree in 1944. She worked as a nurse in various locations, including stints with Indian Services Hospital and Visiting Nurse Service in Arizona. She earned her Master’s Degree in 1957 and her PHD in 1967. During her tenure at ASU Ella taught classes, founded and was director of a clinic in Scottsdale, and one summer helped train Bolivian Peace Corps Volunteers. Ella felt strongly that nurses needed a broad education and she was a strong advocate of advanced broad learning for nurses
Robert (Coach) Fleming was Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of Marching Band from 1974-2002, Coach Fleming grew up in a music family playing the flute. He briefly taught in high school, before moving to the University of Tennessee at Martin where he was band director for seven years. The interview touches on numerous topics and stories including winning the Sudler Trophy, performing at the 1991 Midwest Band Orchestra Clinic, conducting at Carnegie Hall, both ASU Rose Bowl appearance, etc. The interview ends with various discussions of the importance of the Band as a family
Bette DeGraw came to ASU in 1966 and was involved with creating the Downtown Center and Extended Education.
Charlie Arntzen joined ASU in August 2000 as the Florence Ely Nelson Presidential Endowed Chair and retired in 2016 from the School of Life Sciences and Biodesign Institute. Charlie was the founding Director of the Biodesign Institute.
Important ASU stories include:
1) the creation of the Biodesign Institute,
2) the design and operation of the Biodesign labs,
3) the development of ZMapp to fight Ebola,
4) The New American University - a discussion of the importance of collaboration, and
5) several comments about Presidents Coor and Crow and Provost Glick