Chase, Hal, 2011-01-20
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Scope and Contents
Dr. Hal Chase’s interview focuses primarily on his memories of the two domestic workers his family employed in their home. The first was a woman named Elsie Jackson, who was born in Oklahoma, and who worked for his family for about six years in the 1950s. After Chase’s parents divorced and his mother remarried, Jackson was let go. Chase attributes this to his stepfather’s opinion, which he characterizes as of his time and place, that Jackson was too independently minded. Chase’s perception is that Elsie Jackson did not enjoy her role and that she had ambitions beyond domestic work. The second woman Chase’s family employed was Leora Mitchell, a Roman Catholic woman from Kentucky. Chase describes learning about racial politics and humanity from her. He also recalls a boyhood friend, John Sykes, who his stepfather did not want him to be close with because he was Black. Chase also remembers a neighbor named Ora Jane Caise, a graduate of Kentucky State University, who worked as a domestic worker and an elementary school teacher at Mayo–Underwood School. He likens her to Malcolm X and describes her as a model teacher who influenced his thinking.
Dates
- Creation: 2011-01-20
Creator
- Chase, Hal Scripps, 1943- (Interviewee, Person)
- Jackson, David W., 1972- (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Audio recordings of three oral history interviews are closed, but the associated transcripts are open.
Biographical / Historical
Dr. Hal S. Chase was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1943 and grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky. He had two older sisters, Linda and Barbara. Chase earned degrees in American History from Washington and Lee (BA) and Stanford (MA) and a PhD in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on African American History. Chase taught college-level history for 43 years, including 20 years at Des Moines Area Community College. Chase coordinated and contributed a chapter to Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000. He and his wife, Avril Elizabeth Laughlin Chase, had four children and seven grandchildren. [Biographical information found in Chase’s biographies as published in Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000 and on the Rotary Club of Des Moines website]
Extent
From the Collection: 5 linear inches
From the Collection: 19 audiocassettes
From the Collection: 31.5 Gigabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)
lib-women@uiowa.edu