Interview with Robert M. Ireland, March 13, 1992

Interview Summary

Robert Ireland, Acting Chair and Professor, in the University of Kentucky, Department of History discusses the development of his career. He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1937 and earned his Bachelor's degree in 1959 from the University of Nebraska. He explains that he attended law school at Stanford University and earned his J.D. in 1962. Ireland states that he disliked the law profession, so after a year with a law firm in Oregon, he decided to pursue his PhD in history at the University of Nebraska. He describes awards he received as a student, and mentions honors he has earned as a professor including the Collins Article Awards from the Kentucky Historical Society, the Hallam Article Award and the Hallam Book Award, and teaching awards. Ireland discusses his family's interest in education, and explains that his father was an academic dentist and dean of the College of Dentistry at the University of Nebraska.

Ireland came to UK in the Fall of 1967. He recalls that UK expressed an interest in him immediately and that he liked the university because it was in a good position both academically and geographically. He describes a typical day including his activities as department chairperson, teaching duties, advisory activities, administrative work, and research. Ireland talks about the specific abilities and skills required of a person in his position mentioning the need for good people skills, organizational abilities, and efficiency. He explains that teaching bright, eager students is his favorite part of his job, but states that he dislikes night or weekend meetings. Ireland talks about tenure, and the independent nature of his work. He discusses greatest achievement of UK as a university as its role as the flagship university, and the biggest problem as the political involvement into the university's affairs. He talks about the effect of gender and age upon careers at UK. Ireland also mentions his wife, children, and grandchild.

Interview Keyword

Nature of Academic Work

Interview LC Subject

Ireland, Robert M., 1937- Ireland, Robert M., 1937- --Interviews 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.