Oral History

His experiences as a nurse in Vietnam, 1969-70. Nursing school at Lubbock Methodist Hospital, 1955; enlistment in Army, 1969, and anesthesia training at Fitzsimons general Hospital, Denver, Colorado; assignment to Vietnam, 1969; 95th Evacuation Hospital, Da Nang; medical cases and responsibilities; functions as special services officer; treating North Vietnamese wounded; after-effects of Vietnam. Filed Under: Military Service.

For the Denton County Historical Commission. Longtime Denton residents. Frank’s childhood in Jasper County, Tex., and family’s move to Denton; career; education at North Texas State College and Louisiana State University; career as radio announcer, including at Denton’s KDNT radio station and the Atlantic Radio Network; wartime service in the Special Services division of the Army Air Forces, including relationships with various celebrities; career as a Chevrolet automobile dealer, insurance agent, and haberdasher in Denton; work with Methodist church; involvement in Denton Community Theatre; political career, including service on Denton City Council and as mayor of Denton; Denton’s transition to city manager form of government; Betty Ann’s memories of how her family coped with the Great Depression; family history; education at North Texas State College; marriage to Welby “Whip” Williams; Williams’ death in a flying accident during Korean conflict; experience of widowhood; marriage to Frank Barrow; clothing business; work to liberalize Denton race relations Filed Under: City of Denton (TX) History.

Accountant. His experiences in the European Theater during World War II. His youth in an Italian immigrant family in Tonopah, Nevada; his early job selling newspapers while in school; graduation from high school and enrollment at Woodbury College, Los Angeles, California, 1941; his transfer to the University of Southern California and enrollment in the Enlisted Reserve Corps, September, 1942; induction into the U.S. Army, March, 1943; basic training Fort Robinson, Arkansas, March-August, 1943; selection for the Army Specialized Training Program, 1943; engineering courses at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; closure of the ASTP and his transfer to the 106th Infantry Division, Camp Atterbury, Indiana, 1944; assignment to Cannon Company as supply sergeant; shipment to England and transformation of Cannon Company into a rifle company in the 423rd Regiment, October, 1944; replacing the 2nd Infantry Division in the Ardennes Forest, December 11, 1944; a brief visit with his brother Olinto on the Siegfried Line; the Ardennes Offensive and the capitulation of the 423rd Regiment, December 16, 1944; Stalag XII-A, Limburg, Germany, December 17-23, 1944; living conditions at Stalag XII-A; Stalag II-D, Stargard, Germany, January-April, 1945; living conditions at Stalag II-D; evacuation to Bremervorde, Germany, April, 1945; liberation, May, 1945; his postwar business career in Europe. Filed Under: Military Service.

Emeritus professor of economics, University of North Texas. Family background; educational experiences at the University of Texas, Austin; membership in League for Industrial Democracy; winter lambing in West Texas; experiences during the Great Depression; view of economics and sociology department at North Texas, 1939; experiences in U.S. Army training camps and Pacific Theater during World War II; organization of AAUP, CCTA, and TACT on North Texas campus; activities in field of workmen’s compensation; work of Fred Schmidt in CIO and AFL-CIO; activities in redrafting of Texas Workmen’s Compensation Law, 1957; work of Jerry Holloman in AFL-CIO; research, consultant, and organizational activities; comments about labor arbitrator Byron Abernethy; highlights of career at University of North Texas. Filed Under: History of University of North Texas.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, Zaida Basora was surrounded by Spanish colonial architecture and a culture that celebrated design for people and nature. She came to Dallas in the mid 1980’s to study and practice architecture. In the mid 1990’s she accepted a position with the City of Dallas in the Public Works department. Nationwide, concerns were being raised about clean waterways and lowering energy consumption, but in Dallas, conversations about conservation were difficult to have. However, by the early 2000’s there was interest in energy efficiency and cost savings. For Zaida, attending the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) National Conference in Austin in 2002 was a milestone experience. She was at the strategic center of city concerns for resource efficiencies, state budget mandates and the rise of the USGBC. She was adept at leading task forces and building consensus between the community, the building industry, the city staff and the city council. Working with her supervisors in the Assistant City Manager’s office, in 2003 she implemented the Dallas Green Building program for city facilities which was the first in the nation. Also in 2003, she was elected to the USGBC National Board of Directors, and played a key role in the formation of the USGBC North Texas Chapter. She continued to push for change, and in 2008, the Dallas Green Building code was adopted. Filed Under: Sustainability.

His recollections concerning the Crater of Diamonds and diamond mining near Murfreesboro, Arkansas, 1930-50. Filed Under: diamond mining.

As an Environmental Design student at Texas A&M, Denise Bates made a conscious decision to focus on interior design and architecture. She saw an opportunity for a sustainable approach that could both reuse existing structures and better integrate interior functions with building design. Denise has remained an advocate for the building occupant throughout her career. Her experience began with an office furniture manufacturer specializing in workplace processes. Working in architectural practice, she gained expertise in multidisciplinary project types including restaurants, retail, multi-family, government agencies and global corporate accounts. Her participation in the Dallas AIA Committee on the Environment and a series of grassroots efforts in the early 2000’s resulted in the formation of the USGBC North Texas Chapter. She has seen the evolution of green building programs from LEED to WELL and Living Building Challenge. As building and energy efficiency standards become more codified, the emphasis is shifting to occupant health and well-being. In her current position at Gensler as Resilient Design Leader, her conversations with clients now include long term strategies addressing climate change and man-made threats. Throughout her career, Denise has maintained a hand’s-on responsibility for project documentation and implementation of the most advanced technical tools for drawings and project management. Her efforts in interior design education include mentoring students and collaborating with colleagues and industry partners on transparency in material and furnishings health. Filed Under: Sustainability.

His experiences while employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Childhood in Oklahoma; joining the CCC; assignment to a camp in Carlsbad, New Mexico; description of camp; life in camp. Filed Under: The New Deal.

Businessman, maintenance man. His experiences while employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Childhood near Aubrey, Texas; joining the CCC; assignment to a camp at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas; description of camp; life in camp; experiences as camp cook; WWII Naval service in Pacific Theater. Filed Under: The New Deal.

His experiences at Schofield Barracks with the 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry, during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Filed Under: Military Service.

His experiences while aboard the battleship USS Tennessee during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 Filed Under: Military Service.