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Ahlquist, Irving (audio interview #3 of 5)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This third of five interviews conducted in Ahlquist's office in the CSULB History Department. The audio quality of the interview is good. 3/17/1978
- Date
- 2021-08-30
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- Campus
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- Notes
- File: uhiahlquist5.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-3:25)... As the student body expanded, tensions between the faculty and administration continued to grow. The administration didn't hire additional history faculty because Peterson believed that the 4 existing historians were qualified to teach any history course. (3:25-9:01)... Between 1949 and 1952, some faculty committees were formed, but their roles on campus were very limited. P. Victor Peterson viewed faculty committees as a waste of time because he believed all of the decisions should be made by administrators. Peterson also believed that people who engaged in scholarly research neglected their students. Ahlquist was sympathetic to this view because he believed that in many universities where the focus is on research and publishing, students become a second priority. But Peterson's ideas about research led to a constrained intellectual atmosphere among faculty and the campus curriculum was general and geared towards public school teaching. Faculty had no support staff and Ahlquist's wife helped him with the secretarial tasks he had to perform himself. Professors assigned few essays because they did not have time to grade them and there were no funds to hire readers. (9:01-11:46)... Ahlquist had close relationships with his students. The campus was like a community and the feeling of community continued when the classes moved to the permanent campus. There was a pioneering spirit on campus and the lines of distinction between the faculty and students were not always clear. (11:46-17:10)... When the college began, students immediately got involved in organizing clubs and campus activities. Students formed a History Club and faculty and students engaged in activities together. (17:10-22:16)... Peterson developed curriculum based on a model he used when he was president of Los Angeles State College. In the beginning the faculty, for the most part, followed the curriculum. After 1952, however, faculty began planning to organize into departments based on their academic disciplines and to take control of the curriculum. The curriculum Peterson and the other administrators created was broad and focused on teacher training. (22:16-27:40)... At Iowa State Teachers College, Ahlquist had taught many broad courses to prospective teachers, but he tried to make sure the courses also had some depth. But there were specific lines of demarcation between state colleges devoted to teaching and universities dedicated to research. At Long Beach, the administration constantly reminded the faculty that the best teaching was at the state colleges, and the only research in universities. As a result, there was very little communication or coordination between the two kinds of institutions. (27:40-29:57)... Between 1949 and 1952, a large portion of Long Beach's student body were veterans advancing their education using the GI Bill. These students were generally older than the students Ahlquist had met at Iowa State Teachers College. There was also a many women students between 40 and 50 during this period. (29:57-32:57)... When classes were moved to the temporary buildings on the permanent campus, students and faculty did not come in contact as much as they did at the apartment house. There was a dress code for male professors and the only time men appeared ties was during the summer when the weather was hot. There was not a dress code for women, but they usually wore a skirts and blouses. (32:57-39:13)... Administrators at the new college expected professors to participate in the local community. Ahlquist volunteered to speak to various community groups and clubs about the new college. He also tried to organize a United Nations support group in Long Beach. Some time later he learned that the FBI investigated him after he gave a lecture about the United Nations. Peterson said that he believed faculty members who wanted to be retained or promoted to be Involved in community activities. (39:13-40:24)... The college moved from the apartments to the permanent campus between 1949 and 1952. End of tape File: uhiahlquist6.mp3 (0:00-7:40)... The audio quality in this segment is poor. After 1952, the campus divided between those who supported President Peterson and those who opposed him. Many faculty members were determined to get rid of administrators who refused to consult with them on campus governance. Although Ahlquist was not a leader in this movement, he was denied promotion during Peterson's administration. In 1952-53, Peterson was forced to organize an Employee Council but most of the issues it addressed were insignificant and included neither academic nor personnel issues. Ahlquist was disappointed that the administration considered faculty members employees and not professional scholars and teachers. The pattern of mistrust established during those early years continued beyond Peterson's tenure and influenced the relationship between the faculty and future presidents. (7:40-11:04)... Along with the Faculty Council, Long Beach administrators were forced to form a series of other committees. During this time, Peterson realized that the faculty would not remain passive. Peterson, however, felt his methods were justified because he was protecting the institution and the students. (11:04-15:24)... The faculty formed a Curriculum Committee and it was organized into "areas" since there were no departments. In the Division of Social Sciences, representatives from each area reported to Carl Gregory, the division chair at the time. When Andy Kennelly replaced Gregory, the faculty began to discuss setting up academic departments. (15:24-21:27)... Most faculty members at the new college had been trained in universities with departmental structures. In the divisional structure, disciplines were lumped together and this system discouraged specialization. Faculty members wanted to organize academic departments and organize the curriculum around them. The History faculty moved out of the social sciences building into its own area. Ahlquist enjoyed working in the Social Science Division because he interacted with people in different areas of study and developed an interdisciplinary approach to education. (21:27-28:23)... Between 1952 and 1959, faculty members played a limited role in retention, promotion, and faculty appointments. They asserted more control over curriculum development as new courses were created. As late as 1956 and 1957, Peterson still controlled faculty recruitment and hiring. (28:23-39:03)... The audio quality in this segment is poor. Student discipline and grievances were handled by the Dean who referred the complaint to the faculty member involved. Ahlquist recalls an incident involving a woman who was offended by one of his lectures and complained to the Dean. Professors had to be careful about their lecture materials and making statements that could be subject to different interpretations. The political climate of the 1950s was particularly repressive and students complained about several professors. Most of the complaints came from men and women in their forties and fifties. (39:03-41:21)... When the college moved into buildings on its permanent campus, an area was set aside for use as a canteen. The canteen's location made it particularly useful for scheduling meetings with students. The physical layout of the campus encouraged fraternization between faculty and students. End of tape File: uhiahlquist7.mp3 (0:00-6:28)... Ahlquist was the first faculty member granted a sabbatical leave. During his year off, he researched historical novels and identified several that he used in his classes as a example of interdisciplinary teaching. When he returned from his sabbatical in 1956, the state had begun building on upper campus. The trek between upper and lower campus was known as "cardiac lane." Because of his health problems, Ahlquist was given an office on upper campus while the rest of the history faculty remained on lower campus. The inconvenient location of his office and the difficulty students had getting there made it more difficult for him to have close associations with them. (6:28-11:40)... As time passed, the state continued to develop the campus and construct more buildings on upper campus. As this happened, and enrollments climbed, relations between students and faculty became more formal. Professors with offices were on upper campus were less accessible to their students. (11:40-14:47)... The development of the campus was controlled by the state legislature who enacted college budgets annually. Often buildings were constructed incrementally and faculty were often crowded. (14:47-17:04)... As the student population increased, students and faculty extended their activities outside the campus. The History Students Association became less active as the department moved and expanded. When academic disciplines organized into departments, the campus socialization patterns changed. Under the divisional system, faculty members interacted with others in their division. As the academic departments were organized, most faculty interacted more often with those in their own discipline. End of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Irving Ahlquist was among the first professors at South Los Angeles Orange County State College when it opened in 1949 on its apartment house campus. Even after he retired from teaching, he continued supervising student teachers. In these five interviews, Ahlquist discusses his observations of and participation in struggles to organize the curriculum and faculty on the campus and to include both administrators and faculty in campus governance. He was among those who developed and implemented the history curriculum and the training of secondary school teachers. He also had a reputation for teaching excellent and was in demand as a speaker in the local community. These interviews were conducted as part of a project to document the history of California State University, Long Beach. TOPICS - the apartment house campus; move to the permanent campus; campus buildings; teaching; relationships with students; curriculum development; and P; Victor Peterson;governance politics; P; Victor Peterson; Employee Council; Faculty Council; History Department; Division of School of Social Sciences; curriculum development; relationships with students; and campus buildings;teaching; sabbatical leave; curriculum development; health problems; campus buildings; and governance politics;
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