MEMORIES OF TECH 1937-1939

by Elsie (Daugherty) Goines

As told to her daughter, Danna (Goines) Shirley

            I am always impressed with the improvements being made at Arkansas Tech. I graduated in 1939 when it was a junior college and known as the "Cow College." We were not proud of that designation at all. These were the days of the depression and FDR's alphabet administration. I was fortunate to be able to take advantage of his N.Y.A. (National Youth Administration) program, which paid most of my room and board; I was responsible for the remainder. I believe the cost was $50 cash per semester for registration.                                  

           In those days there were two dorms: Caraway Hall for women was on one side of the campus and the men's dorm was on the other side. Many students also lived out in town. During my first year at Tech, I took turns with several other students working for Miss Lela Jane Bryan, the Dean of Women at Caraway Hall. Our job consisted of answering the phone and locating the person the caller wanted. There was only one phone for the whole building and as you know, there were three floors in Caraway Hall. Needless to say, we got our exercise for the day. This job paid only $10 of the required $15 for my room and board so my father paid the additional $5, which was a hardship for a farmer in Arkansas. Some of you probably cannot imagine $5 being a hardship but remember these were depression days.         

During my last year at Tech I was able to work as a waitress in the dining hall. This was a six and a half day a week job and paid for all of my room and board. Along with the waitresses there were several fellows who bussed dishes, put them through the dishwasher, and then returned them to the dining hall. The meals were family style and each waitress was responsible for four tables. We learned to carry four bowls of hot food at a time.                      

It was also our responsibility to keep the "zip" pitchers full.  Zip! What's zip? I'm not sure why it was called "zip" but it was probably Karo syrup, which the boys lavishly poured on everything from scrambled eggs to dessert so we were constantly refilling the pitchers.         Another task was to keep the flatware polished; no stainless steel in those days. Everyone was supposed to clean their silverware at the same time but not everyone did so. Occasionally, a tray of unpolished silverware would be returned to you instead. This caused much unhappiness to say the least.                                                                                              

After the meal we stacked the dishes to be taken to the dishwasher. When the dishes were returned, we set the table for the next meal. Sunday morning we made sack lunches for the supper meal so we could have the evening off. Adelaide and Joe Sidney did all the cooking. Looking back I can't believe they did so. They had a young fellow we called Gabby who assisted them. I loved working in the dining hall. It was not an easy job but we had lots of fun along with the hard work.                                                                                                  

There was a juke box in the dining hall and periodically we had dances sponsored by Mr. Satterfield, the steward. He must have made arrangements with the record company for I don't believe we ever put money in the juke box at those dances.                                               

Students today who have spent most of their life in pants will be interested to know we were not allowed to wear pants (called slacks in our day) on campus. We wore dresses at mid-calf and "oxfords" with bobby socks or silk hose; nylons didn't exist until after World War II. Tennis shoes were for gym class only.

            Many of us were anxious to begin our teaching careers and Tech offered some upper division courses so that we could receive our teaching credential at the end of two years. One subject I remember was a ten-unit course called Civilization, five units for each semester. Several of the professors lectured to approximately one hundred students three days each week in the "Little Theater." Tuesdays and Thursdays Mr. Delaney was responsible for discussion of the material. We had several books and other outside reading to do. This was one of the most difficult courses of my entire college experience chiefly because the material was so extensive.

            After finishing my two years at Tech I obtained my teaching credential and taught in Arkansas for four years. My two years at Tech were a great foundation for receiving my B.A. degree from San Francisco State University in California where we had relocated in 1946. Unfortunately San Francisco State did not accept my Civilization units because there was no description available to them several years later.

It took five years of night classes and summer sessions at an off-campus location in Vallejo established by San Francisco State College (University). I received my BA degree with many additional college units to supplement my skills, all while teaching full-time, building a house in Pinole, CA, being a wife, and raising three daughters.

            Thanks to Tech, I began a thirty-year career in teaching. I spent most of those years at Carquinez Elementary School, which was across the way from the C & H (California & Hawaii) Sugar Refinery.