Interview with A. D. Albright, September 13, 1988

Interview Summary

A.D. Albright discusses his early career at UK. He describes some influential members of the administration with whom he had contact. He mentions Herman Lee Donovan who was president of the University of Kentucky when Albright arrived on campus. Albright recalls meeting Martin M. White, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and states that he had a great affection for him. Albright states that he quickly became acquainted with people in different disciplines because of his position as director of the Bureau of School Services and because of the efforts to infuse professional education into different disciplines.

Albright describes how President Donovan held the line against political involvement in the university, and states that he was not a great academic leader but more of an administrator. Albright remembers Ezra Gillis and recounts a story that involved Gillis seeing students stealing band instruments without realizing what was happening at the time. Albright also describes Leo Chamberlain, vice president of the University, Frank Peterson from the College of Business, and Frank Dickey, the dean of the College of Education.

Albright discusses his contact with the University School which was operated by the College of Education. He recalls that there was never an African American child in the university school, and even though it was supposed to be a lab for progressive technique, it had become simply a school for children of the faculty. Albright talks about the closing of this school.

Albright describes the search for a new university president after the retirement of Donovan and the selection of Frank Dickey, former dean of the College of Education. He mentions Lyman Ginger, who replaced Dickey as dean of the College of Education, and his own appointment to the position of dean of the College of Adult and Extension Education in 1957. In this position he would have some control over the development of the state community colleges.

Interview LC Subject

Albright, A. D. (Arnold De Wald) Albright, A. D. (Arnold De Wald)--Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History

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