ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) Video History Project Interviews

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

Destined to be the third generation working at the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., the Cleveland born and raised boy who got kicked out of High School 5 times before graduating, became a key founder of not only Channel 8 but also the ASU Retirees Association! Bob Ellis speaks very candidly about his life growing up in Cleveland, military service and then student at Arizona State College as a secondary education major with an emphasis in speech and drama; his first job at KOY and how he married his boss, his biggest influence in his career. Bob was an on-air personality at KOY. He was lured to come to ASU to help start a new television station that would become Channel 8 (KAET). In his interview, he tells stories of the beginnings of Channel and how it grew from being a place for “tele-courses” to a member of the PBS family. He also tells of another contribution he made to ASU – one of the founders of the ASU Retirees Association!

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

Conrad Storad came to ASU in 1986 where he split his time between the ASU News Bureau and Vice President for Research where he was tasked to create a research newsletter. Conrad talks about working in a small-town newspaper, going to graduate school at ASU, working at the National Cancer Institute and returning to ASU. He tells how ASU Research magazine grew to include social science and humanities articles and how he came to publish a research magazine for children, Chain Reaction. The interview ends with how he came to write Don’t Call Me Pig, a children’s picture book.

Robert (Bob) Barnhill came to ASU in 1986 as Chair of the Computer Science Department and left in 1997 as the Vice President for Research. The interview addresses a number of topics including the beginnings of Computer Graphics, moving the Computer Science Department to a more research-oriented effort, achieving Research 1 status, working with the University of Arizona to develop a new statewide Intellectual Property template, dodging the Unabomber and playing soccer. Common themes throughout the interview include Bob’s success at getting groups of people to actually do something other than just meet and the importance of a strategic plan.