CGP Community Stories

Items

• Reginald Knight, November 17, 2022 (video)
  Dr. Knight was born in the Bronx in the early 1950s, but his family soon moved out to rural Suffolk County, Long Island. After leaving home to attend college in central New York, he went on to become an orthopedic and spinal surgeon. His career has taken him across much of the country, and he is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Integration Officer at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, New York. Dr. Knight's recollections focus on the intersection between his career in healthcare and the rural setting of central New York. I interviewed Dr. Knight in Cooperstown, New York at the classroom building of the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Dr. Knight speaks with a light New York accent, and it should not pose a problem to viewers of the video recording. For the recording Dr. Knight asked that I address him as Reg for the sake of comfortability.
• Reginald Knight, November 3, 2022 (video)
  Dr. Knight was born in the Bronx in the early 1950s, but his family soon moved out to rural Suffolk County, Long Island. After leaving home to attend college in central New York he went on to become an orthopedic and spinal surgeon. His career has taken him across much of the country, and he is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Integration Officer at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, New York. Dr. Knight grew up and began his education during the height of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war. This fact is part of his recollections on other career paths within healthcare he had considered. I interviewed Dr. Knight in Cooperstown, New York at the classroom building of the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Our first attempt at an audio interview was unsuccessful due to some technical difficulties. This video recording is from that same day. As a result, there is one instance in which he references our previous conversation. However, on no occasion is it necessary to know the content of our first meeting in order to understand this interview. Dr. Knight speaks with a light New York accent, and it should not pose a problem to viewers of the video recording. For the recording Dr. Knight asked that I address him as Reg for the sake of comfortability.
• Bruce McClennan, November 17, 2022
  Bruce L. McClennan, M.D., is Professor Emeritus of Diagnostic Radiology at Yale University, with a specialty in Urologic Radiology. Born in Albany NY, he always had a calling to become a doctor. He attended Union College in Schenectady for his undergraduate degree and Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse for medical school and completed his residency at Columbia Presbyterian in New York City. He is now retired in Redmond, Oregon where he enjoys golfing and skiing with his children and grandchildren. He also serves on the Alumni Board for Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, NY. Dr. McClennan details his life and studies during his one-year internship in 1967 at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, which is now called the Bassett Medical Center, in Cooperstown, NY. Through the interview, he describes the uniqueness of his medical education at Bassett, the characteristics of rural healthcare, and the struggles of raising a young family while training to be a doctor. In the late 1960s, before the invention of scanning technologies like computer tomography and ultrasound revolutionized diagnostic medicine, doctors and radiologists had to rely on X-Rays and analysis of symptoms to treat patients. During the late 1960s this technological revolution started, and doctors had to be adaptable and willing to learn to keep up with rapid changes over the next few decades. I interviewed Dr. Bruce McClennan on November 17th, 2022, virtually through Zoom. Dr. McClennan was in his office in his home in Redmond, Oregon and the interview took place at 11am (Pacific standard time) for him and 2pm (Eastern standard time) for me. A few edits were made to the transcript for clarity. I chose to remove most of the conjunctions at the beginning of sentences and split up phrases in order to reduce repetition and run-on sentences. I also removed any false starts and unmeaningful vocalizations.
• Geraldine Day, November 22, 2022
  Geraldine Day was born on July 7th, 1939, in Garland, North Carolina. Growing up, she lived with her big, close-knit family in the house her grandfather built. Day later moved to New Jersey with her two young children to join other members of her family who migrated North. There, she met and married Leon Day, a bartender who worked near her grandparents' home in the Neck. After two years with him, Leon revealed to her that he had been a professional baseball pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Day accompanied him to many reunions, meeting star players in the Negro Leagues such as Clint Thomas and Cool Papa Bell. Hungry to learn more about the game, Day stuck close to the players during these events. She also got to rejoice with her husband when Leon was chosen to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Sadly, he died a few days later. During our interview, Day's memories range from her childhood in rural North Carolina to keen insight on problems in our society today. Of particular interest is her recounting of stories told to her about her late husband, including a unique story that highlights Leon's signature pitch and a harrowing yet comical incident from his time serving in World War II. However, our discussion never strays far away from Day; her life and experiences are in the forefront as she unveils the past times of her youth and her relationship to baseball today. I interviewed Ms. Geraldine through Zoom. Ms. Geraldine talked to me in her home, near Baltimore, Maryland. Her relationship with Baltimore formed the climax of our interview, where Day speaks directly to new generations and gives her wisdom on how to help children coming up today. Ms. Geraldine often speaks in African American Vernacular English (or AAVE). Out of respect for Day and to preserve the dialect, I reproduced as many of her pronunciations and colloquialisms as much as possible. Grammatical differences have also been maintained. Consultation of the audio recordings may be needed.
• April Brown, November 29, 2022
  April Brown grew up surrounded by baseball. Raised in Queens, Brown shares many memories with her grandfather over baseball, recalling that games were often "on in the background." Brown was raised on the principle of service and helping others. Her mother was a social worker who worked in adoption and foster care for New York City, and she spent much of her childhood in the church community and volunteering. When Ms. Brown went to pursue her bachelor's degree at nearby Binghamton University in psychology, she became a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; the mission and the values of which are: service to all mankind. Ms. Brown now holds the position of Vice President of Social Responsibility and Community Engagement at Major League Baseball, combining her love of service and her memories of her grandfather and baseball. Ms. Brown works with MLB's top philanthropic partners, such as the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes, as well as leading MLB's own campaigns and initiatives, like Play Ball! and the forthcoming youth mental health and wellness campaign. In her interview, Ms. Brown reminisces on family stories of seeing Jackie Robinson play for the Dodgers, discusses the barriers to baseball for children, and explains why diversity and representation are crucial for baseball moving forward. I have made appropriate edits from the original audio dialogue to account for the natural flow of conversation, as well as removed unnecessary vocal additives and repetitive language.
• John Davis, November 16, 2022
  John S. Davis was born in Buffalo, New York, on June 17, 1930. Davis earned his B.A. from Hamilton College and graduated with his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1956. Feeling connected with Bassett Hospital, Davis and his wife, Jean, settled in Cooperstown in 1964. Davis continued his medical career as a gastroenterologist and established Bassett’s first gastroenterology laboratory. He enjoyed providing patient health care and creating meaningful and long-lasting connections with his patients. At Bassett, Davis also spent time as the Director of Medical Education, focusing on teaching students hands-on medicine and patient care. After a long career at Bassett, Davis retired in 1995 and has remained connected with the institution throughout his retirement. Davis is the author of Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York: 200 Years of Health Care in Rural America. He describes how Bassett began as a small rural health care institution and eventually grew into a comprehensive local health care network. Davis explains how using images, quotes, and various other documents to write the book provides a smooth and informative story for any reader. He is proud of his work and the connections it brought him to the Cooperstown community and Bassett Hospital. Davis’ work on Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York: 200 Years of Health Care in Rural America earned him the distinction of Bassett Hospital’s Lifetime Historian, proudly displayed on a plaque hung on his wall at home. His dedication to Bassett is shown through his medical career, participation in the Bassett Medical Alumni Association, and extensive history on Bassett, which has cemented his foundational role in documenting Bassett’s distinction as a medical institution. This interview primarily focuses on Davis’ time as a caregiver and educator at Bassett, along with his experience and discoveries while writing the comprehensive history book on Bassett Hospital. I added punctuation and a few words for clarity while maintaining the narrator's phrasing, speech patterns, and expressions. False starts were omitted to provide a clearer narrative. However, listening to the audio recordings will help the reader fully understand the interview and grammatical choices.
• Janet McGrath, November 16, 2022
  Jan McGrath worked as a benefits specialist at Bassett Healthcare for over 46 years. McGrath was born in Oneonta and grow up in Otsego County. Upon graduating from Otego Central School she went to SUNY Delhi. After obtaining her two-year degree in secretarial science, McGrath was hired by Bassett in the personnel department, where she stayed for her full 46 years with the institution. During those 46 years, Bassett’s human resources department has gone from a team of two to having over fifteen employees. As a whole, Bassett has gone from a single hospital with 575 employees to a network of hospitals employing over three thousand. Cooperstown has also changed in the fifty-plus years McGrath has lived there. The addition of baseball camps and growth of the National Baseball Hall of Fame has commercialized Main Street, leading to an increase in baseball-themed shops. Throughout the interview, McGrath shares her thoughts on these many different changes as well as how her role in how Bassett has changed. She also talks about her home life and how she balanced raising her son and work. McGrath is also a part of multiple organizations, many of which she discusses throughout the interview. I interviewed McGrath at her home in Cooperstown, New York. She has been retired for several years and prior to retirement won the Bassett Lifetime Achievement award for her work in Bassett’s human resources department. McGrath spends her retirement as the president of Oneonta’s City of the Hills Sweet Adeline Chorus and as the Treasurer of Cooperstown’s First Baptist Church. Throughout the interview, McGrath’s sentences flow together. I have inserted periods to improve comprehension. I have also removed any false starts and fixed some minor errors. Overall, I have remained as accurate to the audio recording as possible while maintaining ease of reading.
• Dr. Lawrence Guzy, November 18, 2022
  Dr. Lawrence Guzy is a retired psychology professor from SUNY Oneonta, who taught between 1973 and 2012. Born in 1943, Guzy grew up in the Polish section of Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Catholic schools, including St. Stanislaus High School. He describes his childhood as being an idyllic one of going out to play and "being home before dark." He loves his parents, and thanks them for giving him such a good upbringing, as well as sparking his scientific curiosity early in life. From asking questions to seeking answers, it is not just his parents who supported him, but teachers and professors from every institution he attended. Dr. Guzy loved teaching, being in the classroom, and engaging with students every chance he got. He spent much of his time thinking of new ways to involve students in the lessons, resulting in students leading lectures, research conferences, and independent studies. He also took time out of the classroom to pursue his own academic interests, taking him to various facilities that included Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and even to NASA-Ames Research Center for research with the space program. However, he always came back to the classroom, as that was his true passion in life. It was always about the students, seeing their bright, smiling faces, eager to learn. Dr. Guzy discusses everything from his upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio, shifts in the field of psychology, the changing community culture in Oneonta, New York, and how students do not call his house nearly as much as they used to, looking for Domino's Pizza at 1 am. He talks of the various colleagues and mentors who helped him get to where he is today and recounts trips to conferences [in Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Reno, Orlando, to name a few cities] with undergraduate students who were mistaken for post-graduate doctoral students, with great pride. I interviewed Dr. Guzy at the Alden Room in the Milne Library on the SUNY Oneonta campus. It was just before Thanksgiving, and he exclaims at the end that his grandchildren are all coming home from college to visit, and he is very excited. We also conducted the interview here because it was a familiar place to Dr. Guzy, and he felt comfortable on the campus he taught at for decades. I have edited this transcript to accurately reflect the conversation I had with Dr. Guzy. Certain words are omitted due to repetition, and new sentences are created for grammatical reasons. No information was left out. Edit: After the interview was over and the camera turned off, Larry indicated that he was thoroughly exhausted. That was the most talking at one time that he has done since retiring 10 years ago. Usually, he has an abundance of energy when talking about his grandchildren. He was upset that he failed to mention Heather and Holly. Heather is a graduate from Oneonta-State and Pace University and is now a certified Physician Assistant in the Emergency Department, while Holly is a graduate earning both her BS and MS in Sports Management from SUNY Brockport and is happily employed in her area of expertise.
• Ferdinand DeJoseph, November 15, 2022
  Fred DeJoseph was born in Syracuse, New York on March 13th, 1956. He was raised on the Northside of Syracuse and discusses his Italian upbringing with his extended family. Influence from his grandmother and mother's cooking led him to various cooking positions across Western, Central, and Northern New York. In the Oneonta and Unadilla area, Mr. DeJoseph bought and owned, alongside his two brothers-in-law, Toddies Restaurant for 21 years and the Farmhouse Restaurant for twelve years. Today, he works at Sloane's Bar and Grill in Oneonta. NY. Fred talks a lot about his family and how important Christmas and food traditions are to them. This focus on quality has translated to his professional life as chef and restaurant owner. His experiences in all types of restaurants, ranging from corporate cafeterias to upscale dining establishments, have made him a knowledgeable part of the Oneonta food community. The interview took place at his home in Unadilla on November 15th, 2022. He told me about the various renovations done on the home in the mid-1980s and late 1990s and how close the rest of his family lives to him. Our pre-interview discussions ranged from knowing the Syracuse area (I'm originally from Watertown so Syracuse was only an hour away) to our shared love for running. His passion for food was demonstrated right when I walked in the door, and he asked if I wanted any lunch. I was offered a combination of homemade Italian wedding and chicken noodle soup and a cup of coffee, which was perfect for the snowy cold day. In the transcript, I have tried to maintain the flow of speech while taking out any redundant phrases or false starts within the interview.
• Michael Coles, November 18, 2022
  Michael (“Mike”) Coles works part-time as a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown. He also works full-time for Otsego County as an analyst in IT. Coles was born in 1958, and he grew up in an African American neighborhood in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He was born during the Civil Rights Era as an African American male, which influenced some of his experiences growing up. Another experience that affected his young life was watching his dad and brother sell drugs and go in and out of jail. While that was going on in his life, he found his faith which he held onto while he was homeless. He was homeless while living in Boston. Generally, African Americans are disproportionately more likely to be homeless in big cities such as Boston. Because of his experience with homelessness, when he was able to get back onto his feet with help from people, he wanted to help others that had experienced similar hardships. He lived in Boston for 10 years before moving back to Pennsylvania when his nephew was born. He worked in IT during the day and then he went to seminary at night starting in 2010. While living in Pennsylvania he worked with churches to help in their outreach programs with hunger and homelessness. He moved to Cooperstown, New York in October 2021. Today, he still continues to reach out in the community to work on many different tasks. His work with homelessness and hunger in poorer communities is a good reason why we should care about his background and history. His personal background led him to the church and his ministry, which in turn has helped so many others.
• Paula DiPerna, November 29, 2022
  Paula DiPerna is a writer and activist. Born in New York City, DiPerna received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University in English and education. Shortly after her education, DiPerna pursued journalism. She then traveled with Jacques Cousteau and assisted writing and producing several environmental documentaries. DiPerna worked with Cousteau for twenty years. During her time with Cousteau, DiPerna spent several summers in Cooperstown beginning in 1982. She then bought a house in Cooperstown in 1989. DiPerna ran for Congress in 1992 in the 23rd Congressional District for the Democratic Party. She later continued her activist work in Cooperstown with Otsego 2000, an environmental organization founded to oppose a powerline around Otsego Lake. In addition to her work as an activist, DiPerna has published seven books and has been part of the production team for eleven films. DiPerna's recollections range from her time with Cousteau to her most recent environmental concerns for Cooperstown. Some of the most interesting parts of the interview include her reflections on politics and its influence on the environmental movement. I interviewed Paula DiPerna in her home in Cooperstown, NY. I have edited some repetitive speech patterns for brevity and clarity. DiPerna often emphasizes key words when speaking, creating meaning impossible to capture in a transcript. Researchers are encouraged to consult the audio recordings to understand the complete meaning of DiPerna's reflections.
• Reginald Knight, November 17, 2022
  Dr. Knight was born in the Bronx in the early 1950s, but his family soon moved out to rural Suffolk County, Long Island. After leaving home to attend college in central New York, he went on to become an orthopedic and spinal surgeon. His career has taken him across much of the country, and he is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Integration Officer at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, New York. Dr. Knight grew up and began his education during the height of the civil rights movement. As a young African American man, he attended a majority white high school on Long Island. He would go on to attend secondary and post-secondary educational institutions in which he was, at times, the only African American person in the room. Dr. Knight's recollections include memories of his time on Long Island and the rural, family setting he remembers. He goes through his education and the type of training he received at multiple institutions. He has wonderful insights into how the healthcare field has changed and how issues around racism and politics have impacted his career. I interviewed Dr. Knight in Cooperstown, New York at the classroom building of the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Our first attempt at an interview was unsuccessful due to technical difficulties. Dr. Knight was gracious enough to return for a second interview. As a result, there are times in which he references our previous conversation. I have edited out most instances when he alludes to the first interview. However, on no occasion is it necessary to know the content of our first meeting in order to understand this interview. Dr. Knight speaks with a light New York accent, and it should not pose a problem to listeners of the audio recording. For the recording Dr. Knight asked that I address him as Reg for the sake of comfortability.
• John Dier, November 18, 2022
  John Gordon Dier practiced internal medicine for many decades in a rural setting. Dr. Dier was born in Glens Falls, New York in 1950. Growing up, Dr. Dier accompanied his grandfather, the town physician, on house calls. Living in a small town and seeking to pursue a career in medicine, Dr. Dier chose Williams College, where he earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry. He completed his medical education at the University of Rochester School of Dental and Medical; where he also met his wife, Mary Jo, and her family at Genesee Hospital. Dr. Dier first came to Bassett as a fourth-year medical student. After his experience he decided to apply for an internship and ranked Bassett Hospital first. Throughout his career he continued to come back to Cooperstown and Basset Hospital. Dr. Dier has practiced in a variety of locations, primarily in rural settings. He has practiced in Glens Falls, New York; Tucson, Arizona, and at Cooperstown's Bassett Hospital. Dr. Dier treated patients and acted as an educator as a mentor and preceptor to fellows(interns and residents) and medical students. Throughout the interview, Dr. Dier elaborates on his life as a physician, where he shows how his upbringing has led him to practice healthcare in rural communities. He discusses his experiences in the hospital and the changes he witnessed in the medical field. He tells the story of his mission trips to Nueva Santa Rosa, Guatemala and Tucson, Arizona. In addition, Dr. Dier provides insight into what made him come back to Cooperstown throughout his life and retire in what he called a “vibrant community.” I interviewed Dr. Dier at his home in Cooperstown, New York. In his words, he is an “almost retired internal medicine physician.” Dr. Dier spoke clearly throughout the interview. I have chosen to edit out some filler words like, “so,” “you know,” and “and.” In addition, I chose to remove false starts of the sentences, where he might have restarted when framing an answer. I have chosen to preserve grammar to the best of my ability; however, researchers are encouraged to listen to the audio recording.
• Dr. James Dalton, November 7, 2022
  Dr. James Dalton was born in Seattle, Washington on September 28th, 1953. He grew up in Washington, and attended Princeton University for his bachelor's degree. He then went to medical school at the University of Washington. Dr. Dalton first arrived in Cooperstown in 1979 to do his internal medicine residency. In 1983, he returned to Washington State, and practiced medicine in Seattle for five years, returning to Cooperstown in 1988. He and his wife, Deborah knew each other in college but began dating when they were both in Seattle after college. They were married in 1978. Their son, Tucker, was born in 1981, and their daughter Caitlin, was born in 1984. Dr. Dalton has worked for Bassett Medical Center for over thirty six years, and served as the director of Medical Education for nineteen of those years. He continues to teach the internal medicine residents, and is a member of the Bassett Healthcare Network Disparities committee. Healthcare and the world of medical care have changed enormously since Dr. Dalton began his career, something that he discusses in his interview. Some of those changes include the shift towards transactional healthcare, the increase in sub specialization, and changing demographics of physicians. Dr. Dalton's narration moves from a discussion of his career in healthcare towards his involvement in the Cooperstown community. His recollections of Otsego 2000's involvement in environmental issues in Cooperstown reflect the arc of environmental concerns in the nation at large in many ways. I interviewed Dr. Dalton at his home in Cooperstown, New York. Healthcare and the medical profession are at the forefront of many people's minds since our nation is still in the midst of a pandemic. However, the pandemic is not discussed in our conversation, as Dr. Dalton chooses to focus on larger, systemic issues in healthcare. Editorially, I tried to reproduce a faithful transcription of our conversation. Both myself and Dr. Dalton take our time to think and tend to have false starts to our sentences, so I've removed these false starts and minor repetitions to create a clearer record. I've also split some long, run-on sentences into individual sentences, also for ease of reading. Additionally, after my pre-interview with Dr. Dalton, I decided to focus on his experience overall in healthcare and the Cooperstown area, and not specifically on Bassett hospital. This was purposeful.
• Tony Reagins, November 21, 2022
  Tony Reagins is the Chief Baseball Development Officer for Major League Baseball. He was born in Indio, California in 1967. Along with his career, he is a devoted father and mentor. As a leader in the industry, Reagins has had a significant impact on individuals who are navigating careers in baseball. In the interview, he reflects on where he came from and discusses how his background shaped where he is now. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, African Americans began playing the game of baseball in various settings, including with the military, as students, and as professionals. Although baseball earned the moniker “America’s Pastime,” many African Americans experienced racism and exclusion from the sport. The Negro Leagues provided opportunities for African Americans to play the game professionally and to serve in managerial and other roles. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American player on a modern Major League roster and this historic event led to more Black players being signed to National and American League teams. Throughout the interview, Reagins discusses the many ways that Black culture has influenced baseball and vice versa. The legacy of the Negro Leagues lives on through the remembrances of players and the development of museum archives and collections. Reagins recalls Black players' impact on the game as well as broader American culture. He delves into the work that is needed to foster a new generation of Black players, coaches, and executives. Some of the most significant themes in the interview are: the drive to pursue an education, the value of community, and the need to make a better future for generations to come. Throughout the interview, Reagins shares insights into the history of the Negro Leagues and the way they have influenced baseball and how baseball has also affected the Black community. While focusing on executive level initiatives, Reagins also discusses the importance of baseball to communities. I interviewed Mr. Reagins via Zoom as he was in his office in New York. The week prior, he had been traveling for the World Series. Mr. Reagins started as an intern and eventually became a general manager and an executive. He uses these experiences throughout the interview to give more perspective on his hardships and hard work in the field. In the transcript, I have tried to reproduce the cadence and passion of Mr. Reagins's speech. It is impossible, however, to accurately reproduce all of the details of Mr. Reagins's speech and therefore researchers are encouraged to consult the audio recordings.
• Dr. James Murray, November 23, 2022
  Dr. James Murray is the current president of the Bassett Medical Alumni Association. Murray was born in New York, New York on September 26, 1971. He attended Cooperstown High School in 1989 and got his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1993, completed medical school at Midwestern University in 2000, and worked at Bassett Medical Center as a pulmonologist from 2000 to 2004. Dr. Murray now holds the title of President of the Bassett Medical Alumni Association but is still a practicing pulmonologist in Rochester, New York. As a medical professional, Dr. Murray experienced the COVID-19 pandemic from the start to the modern day and shared his experiences firsthand in this interview. In March 2020, SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19 hit the United States of America. The medical field was unprepared for the pandemic and front-line workers, like medical professionals, were hit with a wave of stress, fear, and overall anxiety for the world's future. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread like wildfire, it was up to doctors and nurses of all fields to attempt to care for an influx of patients with minimal supplies. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, while lessened in 2022, changed how medical professionals view their positions and the importance of dedication to their work. Dr. Murray’s anecdotes include his time in medical school, his journey as a professional, and his firsthand experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlights of his interview include his connections with other medical professionals that span over decades and his insight on the public reaction to COVID-19 in the Spring of 2020. I interviewed Dr. Murray via Zoom in Cooperstown, New York, while he resided in his home in Rochester, New York. This interview was completed over a Zoom video chat. While the audio from Dr. Murray was clear and easy to hear, there are instances when Dr. Murray’s words may be unclear due to the format of the interview. I have attempted to clarify his language, but there may be missing details, and researchers are encouraged to consult the audio recordings.
• James Greenberg, November 8, 2022
  James Greenberg (Jim) was the former Director of the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC) at SUNY Oneonta. Jim was born in Suffern, New York on June 19th, 1957, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from SUNY Oneonta. First hired at the university in 1980 before the widespread adoption of digital technology, Jim was at the forefront of bringing technology into the educational realm. Throughout the digital revolution and into the modern era, Jim learned about, and helped implement, every wave of new technology onto SUNY Oneonta’s campus. The digital revolution was the shift from mechanical or analog technology to digital. This shift primarily occurred towards the end of the twentieth century with the creation and widespread dissemination of personal computers. The digital revolution accelerated the “Information Age,” so called because of the easy access to information new technology has enabled. The main parts of this revolution were the invention of computers, microprocessors, cellphones, and the Internet. Jim’s ample storytelling throughout the interview showcases his fascination with technology and passion when it comes to making education accessible to everyone. Jim’s memories of the events during his time at SUNY Oneonta range from specific stories regarding particular moments, like when he got his first microcomputer in his office, to broader moments regarding the development of the Internet and how that changed life on campus and around the world. I interviewed Jim in the Milne Library on SUNY Oneonta’s campus. Throughout the interview, Jim would gesture to his iPhone, which sat on the table between us, as an example. He would also refer to the campus frequently with the term “here.” This interview took place on November 8th, or Election Day in the United States, which Jim references a few times towards the end of the interview. Jim speaks quickly and frequently goes into the third person to refer to what people were thinking at certain moments in his stories. I have tried to reproduce these storytelling features within the transcript. I have also chosen to preserve some grammatical particularities. It is impossible, however, to accurately reproduce all of the details of Jim’s turns of phrase and therefore researchers are encouraged to consult the audio recordings.
• Patti Ashley, November 23, 2021
  Patricia Bensen-Ashley was born in Cooperstown, NY in the 1940s. She grew up in the village of Cooperstown, moving around from house to house for a time before her family relocated to Nevada for a short period. Her parents moved back, and she continued to live in Cooperstown until moving out to California with her oldest son, then age five. After living there for five years, she moved back to Cooperstown once more where she has remained ever since. Patti worked a couple of different jobs, from a secretary at Bassett Hospital to doing office work at the UCSF Medical Center. However, she has spent most of her time working real estate, opening her own business in 1989, Ashley-Connor Realty. The office is located right on Pioneer St. in the town of Cooperstown, and is where this oral history was conducted. Patti has also had a good level of community involvement, formerly serving in the Cooperstown Cemetery Association and on the board of her son's school while in San Francisco. Although she is too busy to attend meetings and does not currently serve on any boards, she still donates her money to good causes around town and supports them as best she can. Patti is a fourth-generation Cooperstown citizen, with her great grandfather working as the town blacksmith in the late 1800s and living to the age of 98. He was still alive for most of her childhood, and gave his blacksmithing tools to The Farmers' Museum in its early years. Patti has a great appreciation for her family's history, their stories, and the history of Cooperstown.
• Karen Streck, November 26, 2021 (video)
  Karen Toft Streck is a long-time Cooperstown resident. Born Karen Toft in St. Louis, Missouri in 1947, Karen received a Bachelor's Degree in Education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. While at the university, Karen met her future husband, William Streck and married him shortly after college. Karen moved to New York State following her husband’s job appointments: first Rochester, then Cooperstown. Karen was introduced to Cooperstown during a friend’s wedding, and fell in love with the small-town feel and sense of community she felt in Cooperstown. She raised four children in Cooperstown, and has been an active participant in a wide range of community activities, including the League of Women Voters, local elections, and Saint Mary’s Catholic education program. Karen’s account includes a variety of reminiscences from her early life, as well as the move from her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri to Central New York. She discusses ways in which Cooperstown has changed and stayed the same since her arrival in 1978, and her thoughts on why that is. She discusses her work in local organizations and the school system, and her involvement with local arts and crafts. Karen also talks about her family life, and the traditions her family developed while living in Cooperstown. I interviewed Karen on November 26th, 2021, the day after Thanksgiving. Karen’s recollections of family Thanksgiving celebrations were fresh in her mind, as were a number of other memories of her children and grandchildren, whom she hadn’t seen for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The holiday also necessitated the interview being moved to the CGP Media Lab, as family made a quiet, private interview difficult to manage at home.
• Peter A. Deysenroth, November 13, 2021
  Peter A. Deysenroth was born in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 28th, 1966. He was raised in Weston, Connecticut and showed an early interest in mortuary science. Today, he is the funeral director for Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Inc., a funeral home located on 82 Chestnut St. in Cooperstown, NY. After working for a funeral home in Norwalk, Connecticut for many years he moved to Cooperstown in October 1994 and began working at the then Ingalls, Connell, & Dow, Inc. funeral home and became the sole owner in 2005. Deysenroth is involved with a variety of different groups around Cooperstown including the Masonic Fraternity, the Lion’s Club, the Mohican Club and First Presbyterian Church. He has been the organist for First Presbyterian for about 25 years. Mr. Deysenroth spoke about the many differing facets of his community engagement around Cooperstown as well as his experience raising a family. He was interviewed at his funeral home parlor on November 13th, 2021.
• Catherine Raddatz, December 10, 2021 (video)
  Catherine Raddatz has been an important part of the Cooperstown community and a beloved staff member at GGP for several decades. Catherine Raddatz, called Cathy by many, was born Catherine Morell on March 2, 1950 in New Rochelle, NY. Cathy moved to Cooperstown with her husband and children in 1981. She worked several jobs in town before beginning to work at CGP in 1995, where she has been ever since. Cathy has lived and worked in Cooperstown over a time of great change. She has seen both Cooperstown and the Cooperstown Graduate Program grow larger and transform. The village of Cooperstown has expanded in size, but it has also seen many businesses leave. During her tenure, the Cooperstown Graduate Program renovated its facility and added a Science Track option. In her interview, Cathy talks about family, education, and jobs, as well as her experiences living in Cooperstown. It is most interesting to hear Cathy talk about the various students and alumni that she has worked with over the years. I interviewed Cathy at her home in Cooperstown, NY, on the eve of her retirement from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. I enjoy a relaxed familiarity with Cathy as I have been working for her under a Cooperstown Graduate Association Alumni Office Support assistantship. Cathy often takes time to gather her thoughts. I have eliminated any false starts for clarity and flow. Cathy also uses fillers I have eliminated many filler phrases, such as "you know," only keeping those that were necessary to convey the meaning of the sentence.
• Carolyn Wolf-Gould, October 30, 2021
  Dr. Carolyn Wolf-Gould is a physician in Oneonta and the director of the Gender Wellness Center, a transgender healthcare practice that began working with transgender patients in 2007. She was born and raised in New York, attending Hamilton College and Yale Medical School for her education. After her residency in Rochester, Dr. Wolf-Gould settled in Oneonta and began a primary care practice with her husband, which evolved to include the Gender Wellness Center. At the time Dr. Wolf-Gould began treating transgender patients, transgender individuals faced significant disparities in both the availability and quality of healthcare. The Gender Wellness Center was one of only a few healthcare locations in New York State that could, or would, treat transgender people. For this reason, many transgender people were forced to travel out of state every time they needed to see a doctor, accept subpar medical care because it was the only option, or forgo medical care altogether. Particularly for working-class transgender people and transgender people of color, barriers to travelling for medical care were prohibitive. At the time of this interview, these disparities were beginning to be addressed, but were still a significant issue in transgender peoples' lives. In 2019, only approximately 50 multidisciplinary gender clinics/healthcare facilities were registered in the United States. In this interview, Carolyn discusses the evolution of her practice to include transgender healthcare, her personal history, her experiences in Oneonta, and the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. I interviewed Dr. Wolf-Gould at her home in Oneonta, New York. She was taking her first day off from work in many months, keeping very busy with the clinic amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, while also contributing to a book on the history of transgender healthcare in the territory now known as the United States. Dr. Wolf-Gould rarely meandered in conversation, so the majority of my edits have simply been removing repetition and false starts from the transcript. For syntactical clarity, I have broken some long sentences up into separate sentences. This is for the ease of clarity when reading the transcript—when listening to the audio recordings, these long sentences are meaningful and easy to follow.
• Catherine Raddatz, November 12, 2021
  Catherine Raddatz has been an important part of the Cooperstown community and a beloved staff member at GGP for several decades. Catherine Raddatz, called Cathy by many, was born Catherine Morell on March 2, 1950 in New Rochelle, NY. Cathy moved to Cooperstown with her husband and children in 1981. She worked several jobs in town before beginning to work at CGP in 1995, where she has been ever since. Cathy has lived and worked in Cooperstown over a time of great change. She has seen both Cooperstown and the Cooperstown Graduate Program grow larger and transform. The village of Cooperstown has expanded in size, but it has also seen many businesses leave. During her tenure, the Cooperstown Graduate Program renovated its facility and added a Science Track option. In her interview, Cathy talks about family, education, and jobs, as well as her experiences living in Cooperstown. It is most interesting to hear Cathy talk about the various students and alumni that she has worked with over the years. I interviewed Cathy at her home in Cooperstown, NY, on the eve of her retirement from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. I enjoy a relaxed familiarity with Cathy as I have been working for her under a Cooperstown Graduate Association Alumni Office Support assistantship. Cathy often takes time to gather her thoughts. I have eliminated any false starts for clarity and flow. Cathy also uses fillers I have eliminated many filler phrases, such as "you know," only keeping those that were necessary to convey the meaning of the sentence.
• Sharon Oberriter, November 10, 2021
  Sharon Oberriter was born Sharon Murphy in Utica, New York on October 13, 1942. After spending the beginning of her life moving around central and western New York, Sharon settled in Cooperstown, New York with her husband Don. The couple opened and eventually sold two successful and iconic local companies and Sharon continues to be an active member of the community through her church and the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Cooperstown is a small town that is constantly striving to find the balance between tourism and community, modernity and tradition. Blessed by its geography and unique in its history, the village has undergone many changes since its founding in 1786, but continues to maintain its status as a vacation destination and the holy grail for baseball lovers. Sharon is very in tune to the many facets of Cooperstown and has shaped the community just as much as the town has shaped her. Her love for the village is visible in her words, using anecdotes about Main Street’s numerous changes to illustrate a much larger point about the area as a whole. She emphasizes the importance of remembering the past while also embracing the future. I interviewed Sharon at her home just outside of Cooperstown. We talked about her experience moving around upstate New York, as well as attending college and settling in Cooperstown. In addition to her insights on a changing environment, Sharon included entertaining stories about running her businesses, specifically the Cooperstown Bat Company. My personal favorite is the story about Ted Williams. Some edits were made to the script for the sake of clarity. False starts were omitted and punctuation was added to create a clearer narrative. Additionally, Sharon’s words contain more passion and emotion than can be reproduced in words. To fully grasp the meaning of her story, it is encouraged to listen to the audio recordings
• Kathy Chase, December 13, 2021
  Kathy Chase was born on July 20, 1953 in New York, New York. Growing up Kathy was surrounded by a family that valued having an active role in their community. After moving her family to Cooperstown, New York, Kathy became involved in Meal on Wheels. This volunteer work ultimately led Kathy to pick up shifts at the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Kathy now runs the food pantry's Backpack Program, along with other programs relating to food insecurity, including Empty Bowls.