John C. Weldin and Donald B. Webster Oral Histories of Rhode Island State College (Mss. Gr. 202)

Among the interviewees John Weldin spoke with was Dean Emeritus George E. Adams, who has the unique distinction of being in the first graduating class of Rhode Island State College in June of 1894. Other faculty members Weldin interviewed included Paul S. Burgess, the Dean of Agriculture and Home Economics; Frank Keaney, the Director of Athletics from 1920 to 1948, and Royal Wales of the Mechanical Engineering College. Former students include Henry Congdon and William Clarke, both members of the Class of 1898.

The transcript of Jack Stanton is noted as being incomplete and files of Henry Congdon and Herbert Rawdon contain transcripts only. The information contained in the transcript of the interview of Mrs. Marshall Taylor, whose husband was appointed as a faculty advisor in 1905, is noted that it should be used with caution, preferably for anecdotes only.

The file of William Clarke lacks the tape recording; however the file does contain a separate transcript of an “Off Record” conversation with Mr. Clarke. The file of Joseph Ince contains a Providence Sunday Journal article from 1950 reporting on Professor Ince’s testimonial dinner held in Kingston in which he was granted the title of Professor Emeritus.