Interview with Robert F. Flege, July 13, 1990

Interview Summary

Robert Frederick Flege was born in Grant County, Kentucky in 1898. His father was a teacher and a farmer. He states that he began attending school at age six in the one-room schoolhouse where his father taught. Flege states that he attended high school in Williamstown, Kentucky, and he and his older brother both graduated from high school in 1914. Flege and his brother both enrolled at UK in the fall of 1914 on scholarships. He recalls that they first lived on Upper Street where they rented a room for $12 a month. During their second semester, Flege and his brother were able to move into the dormitory in White Hall. Flege talks about the areas surrounding campus and discusses the social life of students, which he recalls consisted of card games, sports, and parties. He remembers that there were some fraternities on campus, and talks about the freshmen-sophomore tug of war. He remembers that when he was a freshman, the sophomores won. To celebrate, they rallied in downtown Lexington near the streetcar lines. One student was killed when a motorman struck the cable. Flege also mentions freshmen hazing, and remembers a student protest when the university mandated that all students who lived in the dorms had to eat at the on-campus cafeteria. Flege recalls the impact of the First World War on the university. He discusses the role of the university battalion and states that students were required to serve in the university battalion during their first two years. As the war in Europe became more intense, Flege states that certain teachers would turn their classes into discussion groups about the war. When the U.S. declared war in the spring of 1917, the university decided that seniors who wanted to enlist would be able to graduate early. He explains that while his brother and a friend enlisted, he decided to stay on at the university since he was too young to be drafted. In the fall of 1917, he recalls that a French officer came to UK and that there was a War Speaker's Campaign on campus. Flege remembers the first student causality of the war, Stanley Smith, who was washed overboard and another classmate, Harold Kinney of Somerset who was killed shortly after that. Flege mentions training detachments that were on campus in the Spring of 1918 and a fire in the mining building. He graduated in June of 1918, and joined the Student Army Training Corps (SATC) through which he took pre-med classes at the University of Cincinnati. Flege also talks about the flu epidemic of 1918. He recalls that of thirteen draftees from Grant County, seven came back home in coffins due to the epidemic. Flege remembers that the signing of the armistice came at the end of the flu epidemic.

Interview Keyword

Kentucky--Politics and government Childhood Education--Kentucky Families. World War I Military education.

Interview LC Subject

Flege, Robert F. (Robert Frederick), 1898-1995 Flege, Robert F. (Robert Frederick), 1898-1995--Interviews Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919 University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History World War, 1914-1918 College campuses. College environment College students--Attitudes. College students--Conduct of life. College students--Social conditions Education, Higher--Kentucky Universities and colleges. University towns Lexington (Ky.)

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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.