Interview with Chloe Gifford, November 15, 1972

Interview Summary

Chloe Gifford was a long time friend of President Frank L. McVey and his wife Frances Jewell McVey. Gifford was a student when Frances Jewell McVey was Dean of Women at the University of Kentucky, and recalls that Jewell was her English instructor during her freshman year at UK, and that she was completely devoted to Jewell because she took an interest in her students. Gifford was able to become better acquainted with the McVeys when she took a position with University Extension.

Gifford describes President Frank McVey as an intellectual, and talks about Jewell's influence on McVey. She mentions McVey's first wife, Mabel, but talks at length about the Wednesday afternoon teas given by Jewell at Maxwell Place. Gifford compares McVey to Adlai Stevenson, and recalls that McVey appeared before the Kentucky legislature to fight the passage of an anti-evolution law. She states that few university presidents are as intellectual as McVey. Gifford worked with President Herman L. Donovan for fifteen years, and considered him an excellent administrator and politician, but not a scholar.

Gifford remembers Eleanor Roosevelt's visit to UK's campus for Farm and Home Week. Gifford recalls that President McVey mistakenly introduced her as the wife of Theodore Roosevelt. She discusses Frances Jewell McVey's battle with lung cancer, and talks about Mrs. McVey's request that Gifford look after President McVey after she died. Gifford continued to visit Dr. McVey once a week after Jewell's death. Gifford also mentions the sometime strained relationship between President McVey and Dr. Thomas D. Clark.

Interview Keyword

College administrators--Rating of College administrators--Selection and appointment. College benefactors College presidents College presidents' spouses College presidents--Dwellings College publicity Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962 Singletary, Otis A. Universities and colleges--Administration. Universities and colleges--Finance

Interview LC Subject

Donovan, Herman Lee, 1887-1964 Gifford, Chloe, 1900-1982 Gifford, Chloe, 1900-1982--Interviews McVey, Frances Jewell, 1889-1945 McVey, Frank LeRond, 1869-1953 Oswald, John W. (John Wieland), 1917-1995 Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962 University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.