Mathew Betz joined ASU in 1961 as a member of the Civil Engineering Department but he spent much of his career in the Provost's Office. Matt was instrumental in the acquiring and early planning of ASU Polytechnic campus. The interview covers Betz's early life in Chicago area, college at Cal Tech and Northwestern majoring in the new field of Transportation Engineering. Early travels to Africa and the Sudan. Teaching career starts at ASU in 1961. Description of ASU Engineering in early days. Project work in Sudan. Assistant Dean in the Graduate College. Teaching/living in Kenya. Evaluating Graduate Programs. Working in Academic V.P.s office to evaluate (Regents directive) all programs. Computerizing the Registrar's Office. Developing the ADOT Transportation Research Center. Creating the Office of Strategic Planning. Vice President of Planning and Budgeting. Offers insight into the past and future of education in Arizona. He served many years on the ASU Retirees Board including President. He suggested and implemented the ASURA Video History Project.

Dr. J. Russell Nelson came to ASU in 1981 to be University President and he retired in 1989. He was born in Oregon but grew up in California and Utah. He received his PhD from UCLA and proceeded to teach at the University of Minnesota. He honed his administrative skills at the University of Colorado. When he arrived at ASU he was given the task of moving the university to a research university. In the interview he talks about the lack of teaching space and the effort required to reorient the faculties’ focus. Nelson spoke at length about several buildings, Hayden Library and the Nelson Fine Arts Center. There is discussion about getting around the Regents to get funding for the West Campus and the effort required to clean up the athletic department.

Born in Muncie, Indiana as 1 of 9 children, John Edwards spent over 30 years at ASU, in various roles, working his way up to Associate Dean in Extended Education. In this interview, John recalls his experience growing up during the depression and right after school desegregation. As a young boy he had two goals – to go to college and to become a college professor, both of which he was successful in completing. He also discusses his involvement dealing with segregation/desegregation, discrimination and the Civil Rights movement.

John received his undergraduate education from Ball State University. At the time he went to college, all students held jobs on campus, and he describes many of those jobs. John spent time in the military after which he moved to Arizona and became a teacher in the Roosevelt School District. He then came to ASU as a Faculty Associate in the College of Education. While at ASU, he went back to school to get his PhD in Education.

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.

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.