ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) Video History Project Interviews

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

David Schwalm came to ASU in 1986 as Director of Composition and retired in 2009 as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the Polytechnic Campus. The interview has five main sections:
1, Pre-ASU Years where Dave discusses growing up in Fort Wayne, his education, and professional jobs.
2. Director of Composition addresses Dave’s increasing understanding of the university through his work on general studies and English articulation agreements.
3. ASU West covers Dave’s efforts to grow the student population and with Cathy Church to untangle the West and Tempe campus programs
4. ASU East has extensive coverage of how the campus was started and populated using an alliance with Chandler Gilbert Community College. Doing all this on a shoestring of a budget. Dave discusses why various faculty and programs were moved to the Polytechnic Campus.
5. Reflections allows Dave to reminisce about the “good old days” as well as the good new days.

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