ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) Video History Project Interviews

Robert (Bob) Oliver was born in the small town of Anaconda, MT., a company town for Anaconda Copper Mines in the early 1900’s. His family later moved to the San Francisco Bay area when in his early teens. Bob received his BA in Architecture from UC Berkley. After spending 3 years in the military, he returned to Berkley and obtained his MA in Architecture.

Bob spent 2 years in Europe working in architecture in both Rome and Holland. Upon his return to the states, he opened up a private practice in northern California which maintained for eight years. He was introduced to academia by chance and fell in love with the idea of teaching. He started at ASU in 1964 in the College of Architecture. While at ASU, Bob pursued watercolor painting teaching himself from books and attending workshops of some noted California architectural watercolor painters.

Bob was married to Joanne Oliver and had 4 children.

Doug Anderson came to ASU in the summer of 1979 and joined the newly formed College of Public Programs. He left ASU as the Director of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Important ASU stories include:
1) the birth of the COLLEGE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS,
2) the Tempe Campus SIZE and working ENVIRONMENT in 1979.
3) the naming of the WALTER CRONKITE School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and
4) the importance of the 1987 accreditation as a turning point for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Quinton Bogart came to ASU in 1970 from Texas Southmost College, a community college in Brownsville, Texas where he had been President. He joined the Center for the Study of Higher Education, now called Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, in the Education College. Quinton’s area of interest was community colleges and the important role they play. Universities and Community Colleges are often in competition and this interview shows how he was able to work for both sides: helping community college districts, developing future community college teachers and administrators, and working to smooth the transfer from community colleges to Arizona’s universities. Quinton discusses working with President Michael Crow to have the Retiree’s Association officially recognized as part of ASU.

Kristin Valentine came to ASU in 1976 and joined the Communication faculty in the Fine Arts College. She retired as professor of Human Communication in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication twenty-eight years later. Kristin describes what oral interpretation of literature is and the interview includes numerous examples of oral interp and how it enhanced the transfer of new ideas to an audience / community. The interview covers the creation of the School of Public Programs and the changing role of women at ASU. The interview ends with a discussion of the importance of community.

Born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in a small town in Indiana (Seymour, IN), Harold Fearon received his BA in Management and his MBA from Indiana University where he became interested in teaching as a career. After his military service, he went to Michigan State University where he received his PhD in Management with a dissertation titled “Purchasing Research in American Business”. His specialty was industrial purchasing.

Harold was invited to come to ASU to be part of the College of Business by a former professor from IU who had moved to ASU. He talks about how he promised to only stay 2 years and has been here close to 30! During his time at ASU he was chair of the Department of Management in the College of Business. He became chair of the Department of Purchasing, Transportation and Operation which he founded to support the increase in interest in the purchasing field. After his retirement, he established a research institute (the first institute located at the ASU Research Park) that was nationally supported called The Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS). He also was the founder and first editor of the “Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management” which is still in publication today. In his spare time, he was co-founder of the Rio Salado Bank, a community bank in Tempe, about which he relates many funny events!

Roy Doyle was born and raised in Arizona, the son of a cotton farmer and a teacher. Roy’s father passed away when he was in the 6th grade leaving his mother to raise 3 boys and a daughter. Roy began his working career as a morning and evening paper boy for the Arizona Republic and the Gazette. After high school, he enrolled in what was then Arizona State Teachers College to pursue a degree in Education. His college career was interrupted by the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war, he returned to ASTC, along with his new bride, to complete his degree.

His first position after graduation was at the Madison School in Phoenix. During the summers, he attended the Teachers College at Columbia University where he earned his masters and PhD in Education and Administration. He returned to now named Arizona State University where he began his career in the College of Education. His first position was as Principal of the Payne Training School, an on-campus K-8 school designed as a training school for future teachers. He served as assistant and associate dean for the College of Education prior to his retirement.

James W. Elmore will always be remembered as the founding dean of the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Jim’s original intent in coming to Phoenix in 1948 was to work as an architect for Guirey & Jones. Jim came to ASU in 1949 to a non-existent department at then Arizona State College. He nurtured the department into a nationally prominent design school in less than 20 years. Jim was also instrumental in the design and development of the Rio Salado Project. After retirement from ASU, he continued to promote his design for aerial (elevated) transit and a city for Phoenix and greater Phoenix area.

Jim is a native of Nebraska receiving his BA degree in architecture in 1938 from the University of Nebraska. After spending six years with the US Army Corp of Engineers, he went back to school on the GI Bill and received his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. This interview has Jim telling us about his road to becoming an architect, to becoming a teacher, developing the College of Architecture and his continued community involvement after retirement.