Women of Fenn College Oral History Project
Bobbette Schuster Kruter (BBA, 1957)
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Interview conducted through Cleveland State University's Mary Joyce Green Women's Center.
Transcript:
SPEAKER 1: We are talking with Bobbette Schuster Kruter, who graduated from Fenn College in 1957. And Bobbette will tell us some of her memories of Fenn, and Cleveland, and growing up years, and life after Fenn.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, there's-- that's a long time ago, and my memory isn't quite as accurate as it should be. I remember taking the Greyhound my first two years. I took the Greyhound down from Painesville all the way to Cleveland, to Fenn College. And we'd get off there at the corner. Of course, I had to take another bus from Fairport to Painesville. But that was-- and I did that for two years.
Sometimes I'd stay very late at Fenn College and catch the last Greyhound from Cleveland, which was around 11 o'clock at night. But that was because of intramurals and selling tickets for dances, sorority, because I was a charter member of the Iota Tau Lambda chapter for daytime, in fact, the first president for the chapter of the sorority.
Remember the dining room-- and the best part of the dining room was eating mashed potatoes and gravy. That's what we usually ate was the mashed potatoes and gravy. That was the best. Everybody was talking, and it was noisy. But it was very, very nice. I enjoyed it. And study hall was always in the library of the old Fenn Tower.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: That was the-- we just had the Fenn Tower and then the Engineering building next to it. We did have, because we had a few war veterans, we did all of our classes my year in the tower because of the elevator. And we had two students that were in wheelchairs.
So it was kind of hard for them to be able to go from one building to another. Let me see. I think that year that I went into Fenn College, there were only eight girls, if I remember correctly-- daytime.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I should have been able to find a husband in that class, but I didn't.
[LAUGHTER]
But the last three years, I drove. And I drove on either-- one week, on Euclid Avenue from Fairport Harbor, or the next week I'd take Lakeshore Boulevard, which went through Bratenahl and down curves, by Euclid Beach Park, which we used to enjoy.
Then my last year, they finally-- they were working on the new freeway along the lake, which made my trip from one hour and five minutes to 45 minutes every day-- both ways. One week I would take St. Clair, from Willoughby to Paines-- to Fenn College.
I remember getting appendicitis at my age of 20 and having to live with one of my sorority girls for a short time. And then I stayed at the YWCA in Cleveland for one term. We graduated from Severance Center. And then, when Cleveland State took over, we were honored by getting another degree, which had my married name on it. That's about it that I can't think of.
SPEAKER 1: What was your major?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I had-- I started out in business, so business was my major. And of course, I did graduate with a BBA. Then I started teaching, though, in the fall. It was the Baby Boom era. So I went back to school, and I went to Lake Erie College in Painesville-- the summers and the night school, until I got my teaching degree.
SPEAKER 1: And taught business subjects then?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I didn't teach business. No, I taught fourth grade. And then I taught-- I had my children. Of course, in those days, you had to give up your contract-- no maternity leaves. I did come back and taught one year of first grade.
But then Mentor-- the school board talked me into taking special ed classes. So then grad-- when I got two of my special ed courses, I did the special ed teaching and retired from John R. Williams in Painesville Township. Started in Mentor, but retired from Painesville Township.
SPEAKER 1: What made you choose Fenn College.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I think it was-- a lot of it was because of their co-op program. And being that it was a co-op, my folks were in business and they kept insisting that I work for them. And I figured I needed to get out and be, in more ways than one, away from my family. But I did end up doing a lot for my-- yes, I did.
But I did work for Central Greyhound, when it was out on East-- I think around East 45th Street. Someplace around in there was the terminal for the Greyhound. And then I worked at National City Bank in the tower, downtown Cleveland. Then I did some of my co-op too for my dad because he had the Lake County Transportation, the bus company in the county. So that's why I'm saying I needed to be-- work for somebody else and have that experience.
SPEAKER 1: Experience, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But then I ended up teaching. [LAUGHS] So what can you say? What else would you like to know? That's just about my whole life.
SPEAKER 1: You were a member of Iota Tau Lambda sorority, a charter member, the first president. Can you remember some of the activities and-- well of the sorority back then?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I think-- well, I remember the banquet that we had for the first year. And there was-- what was his name, the president of the school? He had to sit next to me at the head table. Scared me to death. [LAUGHS]
SPEAKER 1: Was it G. Brooks Ernest?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. I believe it was Miss-- Dr. Ernest. He was there. But we had a nice time. Let met think. Oh, we did do a service projects for the children on Chester Avenue, down by the developments, those apartments. We took them on picnics and did a few things with those children because they didn't have anything. You know, it was a very poor neighborhood. We did that. I remember doing that.
SPEAKER 1: So you were both a service and a social--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER 1: --organization.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes.
SPEAKER 1: You're a charter member, so it started sometime in the late '50s.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I can't remember.
SPEAKER 1: Or maybe even before-- yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, let's see. '52-- I went there from '53 to '57.
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] for that time, yes, over there.
BOBBETE KRUTER: So it was-- and what's her name? She was the dean of women.
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE]
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. It was a Spanish name. She was very, very nice. And she encouraged us to start the day chapter because we did have a chapter at night. And I can't tell you what the name-- Delta maybe. I don't remember what the evening chapter name was.
SPEAKER 1: It might have been Delta. Yes. Yes. Do you remember who your advisors were at that time? Or they hadn't been named yet? Ms. Beam, or--
BOBBETE KRUTER: I had Miss Bean, yes. She was sweet.
SPEAKER 1: And Dr. Cousins
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. You have a better memory than I have right now.
SPEAKER 1: I'm curious. What did you have to go through to become a national chapter? Was there a process, or--
BOBBETE KRUTER: The dean of women did most of the paperwork and everything. We just organized and would meet in her rooms, in her office there in the building, and discuss. There were six of us.
SPEAKER 1: That were interested in forming the day chapter.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Like I said, there was only eight girls in my class that entered.
SPEAKER 1: That's right.
BOBBETE KRUTER: There was another sorority. And my friend today, she was in the other sorority. I can't even--
SPEAKER 2: Is the Gamma-- Gamma Nu?
SPEAKER 1: The Gamma Nu Sigma?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah, I think it was that one.
SPEAKER 1: And then they made a Sigma Omicron then. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I don't remember.
SPEAKER 1: It was one of those. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was the Gamma. She was a Gamma girl.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. That was on campus for a long time, the Gamma group. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And that-- the one girl that belonged to Gamma was in my class. And she lives here in Mentor also, not too far from me. And she's very up with everything too, much more.
SPEAKER 1: With the-- yeah. Yeah. The Gammas, well, they used to meet down there from what I recall. Over the years, they went into [INAUDIBLE].
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah. They were.
SPEAKER 1: Do you remember any of your professors in business and accounting or just general business?
BOBBETE KRUTER: What was his name, Baker? Was there a Baker? It was in law, and I remember he used to give the test, law test for the state exam that the girl-- the fellas had to take down in Columbus.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Sure. Yeah, for the licensing. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: All I can think of is Baker, but I'm not sure.
SPEAKER 2: That may be him, yeah. Yeah. Was in, over there, in business--
SPEAKER 1: Miss Bloomquist
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes, I remember. You're bringing up names that I've been trying to remember, and I can't remember them. In fact, my mother called-- oh, I don't want to put that on there. [LAUGHS] No. Stop that one.
SPEAKER 1: These other people-- yeah, go. Yeah, talk about the meetings and every-- go ahead.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, we meet in Cleveland most of the time.
SPEAKER 1: This is all the ITL that you were in.
BOBBETE KRUTER: ITL members that are locally still here. They haven't moved away yet. And they come in from Bay Village to-- let's see, here's West Lake, and Parma, down here Parma, and of course myself from Mentor. There's Gates Mills. So we're kind of spread out, but mostly all near Cleveland, that are locally there. And they come out once a year to-- come out to the woods.
SPEAKER 1: There's almost 20 of you that still meet, it looks like, from the list. Oh, that's wonderful.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah, we have a good time.
SPEAKER 1: That's so nice. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And they always pick out a restaurant, a different restaurant. Now they're-- the one they have, Martha, she called me this morning. And she-- well, they met last week, and I couldn't do it because I had my [INAUDIBLE]. The old Juniper Grill, I guess it's Verve?
SPEAKER 2: On Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland?
SPEAKER 1: It must be new?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well it used to be Juniper.
SPEAKER 1: That's by the-- by the hospital?
BOBBETE KRUTER: It used to be Juniper's Grill. And I think it's down by Jacobs Field, down in--
SPEAKER 1: Oh, OK.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And it used to be busier then heck, but they said-- oh, Summer's Diner. It's on Prospect Street. We're going to meet there in January because of the snow and everything. They really don't want to drive in snow anymore.
SPEAKER 1: No. Yes. No, none of us do.
BOBBETE KRUTER: She called and said, it's around 40th and Prospect.
SPEAKER 1: Well, it's where the old diner used to be. What was that old diner over there that our students would go to? I wish I could remember that. But someone must have opened the diner there again. There was one at 40th and Prospect.
SPEAKER 2: It was very well known, and it was closed. The people stopped, I think.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, next-- next to Fenn, we used to go next door to-- oh, I can't remember. Sad's
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Sad's Restaurant-- and have spaghetti dinners over there. And maybe have-- the men would have-- I'll call them men. We'd have a glass of beer or whatever. And it was great. [LAUGHS]
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, old Sad's, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But like I said, that we would meet once a month at a different-- they would pick out a different restaurant.
SPEAKER 1: That is so nice to hear about.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But Cleveland has changed. I get lost going down there because I'm looking for the old landmarks. And you can't turn that way. You know, no left turn. And then it's one way. It's very confusing for me now.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yeah, it would be. yeah
BOBBETE KRUTER: It is. But it's still nice to see, where we all seem to be able to function between our ears yet. So it makes it nice.
SPEAKER 1: That's important.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, absolutely. Fact, you probably know Joanne Celebrezze. She-- I think she was doing some teaching someplace yet. And her-- let me think. Maybe it was an uncle that was mayor of Cleveland at one time?
SPEAKER 1: Anthony Celebrezze?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. I think it was a--
SPEAKER 1: It was her uncle. Could very well have been. Yeah. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But she's a real nice lady too, and very active. Although, right now she's having some physical problems, as we all get older.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yes. Yes. Well then, after you left Fenn, and you got your teaching degree, and then you married, was your husband a Fenn graduate?
BOBBETE KRUTER: No. No, he wasn't. He didn't go to college. But I met him through some friends. And we were married 40 years when he passed away, in '97.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But I'm short, and he was tall, so it was like Mutt and Jeff. I have three children. My oldest daughter is living in Broadview Heights, and she works in Cleveland. She has twin boys and a girl that's second year at Ohio State.
SPEAKER 1: Ah, nice.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And then my son live next door. He built a house next door.
SPEAKER 1: That's nice.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And then my youngest daughter bought the little house on the other side of him and remodeled that. So I have my children to look after me.
SPEAKER 1: Nice. That's nice.
SPEAKER 2: That's good.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Except when they put me in a nursing home, they'll throw away the key and say, I'll see you at Christmas.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Probably not.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, I don't know about that.
SPEAKER 1: Plus extended family-- yes, that's nice to have. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I have six grandchildren, three girls and three boys.
SPEAKER 1: Nice. Yeah. Oh, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And the two boys are playing football on North Royalton football team right now. OK, what else? I took education, like I said, and I taught school for 28? Yeah, 28 years approximately.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. OK. Yes. Yes. A lot of memories of the children that you helped with the teaching. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Do you have any other questions?
SPEAKER 1: I'm trying to think of what--
BOBBETE KRUTER: [INAUDIBLE] and she would-- we--
SPEAKER 2: All right, think.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, this is a Ms. Beam, who was the advisor to the Tau Lambdas, along with Dr. Norbert Cousins.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And she had us to her house a couple of times while I was active. She also had what we called a business woman's tea that we attended. It was always in the spring, and it was always at someone's home. And I think it was-- I think the one that we had that I recall was-- I don't think it was Shaker Heights.
It might have been down in that Gate's Mills. But it was-- we went, all of us went down there and had tea and socialized for a couple of hours. That was nice. And that was arranged by Ms. Beam. And I don't know if Dr. Cousins was involved with it at that time.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But the-- Mrs. Montessori, Dean Montessori.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. She was involved with that.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Mostly during my time-- she was-- her and Ms. Beam
SPEAKER 1: I do wonder whether she really wanted another sorority because there were so few women on campus when you were there.
BOBBETE KRUTER: We started out with six girls that first year.
SPEAKER 2: Yeah, right. Yeah, only.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And then we-- we had the-- what would they call it now? Rushing?
SPEAKER 1: Rush, yes. Pledging and rushing.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, yes. And we-- I think we initiated probably close to 13 or 14 girls that first year. We had quite a-- that came in, and some of them were nurses. Remember, the nurses?
SPEAKER 1: Oh, sure. We were in the-- the nurses--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Huron Road Hospital, was it?
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yes. Yes. School of nursing there, yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And so they took their education courses or some of their science courses at Fenn. And then they took their nursing someplace else, I guess. I just don't remember exactly what.
SPEAKER 1: So that gave a larger group.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Right.
SPEAKER 1: And you were in business subjects. How many women were in your business classes?
BOBBETE KRUTER: All I can remember was three-- Beverly Stasko, which was in the Gammas, and one or two-- one or two others. And they were not young girls. I mean they were-- I mean, they weren't the 18, 19-year-old girls. I believe the one was-- she must have been around 22, 23, which was, to us, it was a little bit older.
SPEAKER 1: Right. Yes, at that time. Did your day chapter of Iota Tau Lambda to have much to do with the evening chapter members?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Not too much, no.
SPEAKER 1: No, not that much interaction with the evening chapter then?
BOBBETE KRUTER: No. No. I think we would-- we socialized together maybe one or two meetings, and that was about it. We were just completely separate from the nighttime chapter.
SPEAKER 1: From the nighttime group.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yes.
SPEAKER 1: Do you remember any of your profs, outstanding, or anything that happened you know that either makes you laugh or cry?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, was it Kriter Dr. Kriter.
SPEAKER 2: [INAUDIBLE]
SPEAKER 1: Wasn't it Blake Kriter?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. I had the hardest time trying to understand him. I believe he had an accent. Didn't he have an accent, sort of? Who was it? There was one. But he was funny, Dr. Kriter.
SPEAKER 1: He was psychology.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah. But he also taught, I thought, some classes over at Western Reserve. He might have.
SPEAKER 1: He may have.
SPEAKER 2: He might have. He was a practicing psychologist. Yes, as I recall. All I remember is we had a huge, like 100 kids in that freshman class for general psychology.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, my.
SPEAKER 2: And he graded on the curve, and 2/3 of them failed. I mean, he--
[LAUGHTER]
And that just-- I don't know if it was 2/3, but a huge number.
SPEAKER 1: And this would have only been 1959, yeah.
SPEAKER 2: '59, yeah because they started at '59, '60. Yeah. And I just thought, oh.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, you know, they expanded so. Fenn College was not that big when I started. It was very small. And I don't remember any class. I think my accounting class, my second year of accounting, was the biggest class that I was in.
And we had tables. So I really don't know if it was the tables that made us feel like we had bigger classes. I don't know. But really and truthfully, our classes were maybe 15 to 25 at the most.
SPEAKER 2: They were all small at that time.
BOBBETE KRUTER: They were very, very--
SPEAKER 1: That was really nice, yes.
SPEAKER 2: Well, this was unusual, to have-- I never had a big class like that after. They just must have thrown a whole bunch of them in that class. And then I got to feeling they were trying to get rid of a whole bunch. Because that first year was so hard.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
SPEAKER 2: It was like they were trying to weed out.
SPEAKER 1: That's funny. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, there was this one teacher, and I think he taught-- not marketing-- corporate business-- corporate business or something of that sort. But he had a very strong accent. And I, even though I grew up in a small town where there were many Finnish and Hungarian people that could talk, talk, talk in their native language, I still could understand what they were talking. But he-- he had a very strong accent. And I don't remember-- I think he was in finance something.
SPEAKER 1: Somewhere in finance.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes.
SPEAKER 1: Was Mr. Frobie ever your accounting instructor, for anything in Business
BOBBETE KRUTER: I don't remember.
SPEAKER 1: OK. All right. Just wondered. He was there, you know, the long line in the '50. Yes. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But that's about it. I can't think of too many more things, unless you can bring up a question for me.
SPEAKER 2: I can't think of anything else.
SPEAKER 1: Well what did you think of the quality of the education of Fenn?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I thought it was very good. And another reason I liked it is because of the experience that the professors had. I mean, they were out in the business. They were out with the neighbor-- well, not the neighborhood, but the business world. And I just appreciated that because I was in business at that time. And I wanted, because I came from a small town, I wanted to be a little bit more worldly, you might say.
SPEAKER 1: Well, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And understand more things. Oh, I know what they started. In my statistics class-- I don't know if I'm even pronouncing it right anymore. But we had a project for the port, to bring in businesses in the port, like the port authority for the-- to bring in boats and improve the trade of Cleveland.
And we had to go down to the different businesses and question the people and go down to the port and find out all about the-- how many boats were coming in and where their destinations were, or the origin of their produce and the products that they were bringing in. The St. Lawrence Seaway-- that was the-- I couldn't of if. All at once it dawned on me-- to improve the St. Lawrence Seaway at the time, how would it affect Cleveland.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, interesting. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: We did that. And I was trying to think of who the professor. But we spent a lot of time going out into the field to find out what the businesses would be involved and how it would affect Cleveland.
SPEAKER 2: Oh, fascinating project.
SPEAKER 1: Your co-op experiences, where did you work? And, you know--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, I think I said, I worked for the accounting department at Central Greyhound, it was called.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, yes. Oh, that was co-op? OK.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah. And the other co-op was the-- working couple of times at National City Bank, the Terminal Tower and remembering to take parking, and the parking lot across from Fenn College and picking up the loop bus that went down Euclid Avenue. And it would drop me off down in front of the Terminal Tower.
SPEAKER 1: Did you get good experience in those [INAUDIBLE]?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. Yes. But it also taught me not to work with a lot of women.
[LAUGHTER]
And to work in--
SPEAKER 1: So you ended up in teaching.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And work in an atmosphere where I could be boss, that I didn't have to have someone standing over me telling me what to do. I could-- even though teaching, you are responsible not only to the kids but to the principal and the board, parents, but you still had your choice of your personal goals with the kids.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yeah. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I didn't have to listen to somebody say it was my turn to open the door. [LAUGHS] Oh, I used to dislike that.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, my goodness.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Working at National City Bank, you know, if you're familiar with the Terminal Tower, when you went in, do you remember? You went in the main door. And then the ramp would-- slanted going down to the basement. And the National City Bank was over here on the right.
But there was a door on the side from that ramp. And it was always locked. And you had to knock on that door to get in. And along the entrance way, or inside, were these women that would work on the typing machines for accounts. And it was-- when the door rang, or buzzer-- I think it was a buzzer-- each of those women women had to take a turn to open that door.
[LAUGHTER]
And the one that was supposed to open it would say, I already did my turn. It's your turn. And it would go down the whole line. Oh, it was so-- it was-- I thought, oh, my God. And then we'd go down and have coffee in the basement at the-- what was it, like a Howard Johnson's or something?
SPEAKER 1: It was a Harvey's.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Harvey's.
SPEAKER 1: It was a Harvey's down there.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Had coffee, and they would all talk about somebody that I didn't know anything about. And I thought, oh, jeez.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] over all of that.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I did that. And here I am talking about people.
SPEAKER 1: Well, these are memories that probably made you decide where you wanted to go or not go with your work career. Yes. Most experiences do, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, absolutely. But it was kind of funny. Of course, sometimes we'd go across to-- I don't know if you remember The Mill.
SPEAKER 2: Oh, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: That cafeteria.
SPEAKER 2: I loved that cafeteria.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, yes. And then just down the street was Sherwood Inn, which was a little bit more of a nightclub atmosphere. And so after graduating and I got married, my husband and I decided to go downtown Cleveland. And we parked at the parking lot that I was familiar with and picked up the loop bus. And we're going down towards the circle.
I said, well, at noon, at 12 o'clock, I'll meet you in front of Sherwood Inn. So he got off at some music place. I went on down to Halle's. And I was shopping at Halle's. And of course, there was Halle's and Higbee's, and May Company, and--
SPEAKER 1: Taylor's.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Taylor's, and the one that had always had the big tree. Sterling-Lindner and Davis. Yes. And I said we'll meet at 12:00 in front of Sherwood Inn. Well, I look out the window for Sherwood Inn. I couldn't find Sherwood Inn. And it was snowing.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, dear.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Nasty and cold. And I thought, oh, what am I going to do? What is he going-- where is he going to find me? Well, finally I asked a woman in Higbee's. I said, where's Sherwood Inn? I don't know anything about it. I had to find a woman that was my age that could tell me that Sherwood Inn had become a bank.
SPEAKER 1: Oh. Oh, my goodness.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Within three years, Sherwood Inn went out of business, and a bank or something took over the business. So I stood in the snow and freezing at 12 o'clock in front of this bank, hoping and praying that my husband would have sense enough to ask questions. We made it.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: OK. Good.
BOBBETE KRUTER: We made it. Long story short, we made it.
SPEAKER 1: But the Sherwood Inn was like a night--
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was like a nightclub mostly.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But they did have dinners there. And I thought-- but even if we didn't go there, it was a place right towards the center of town and where I was shopping that we could meet.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Even whether it was open or closed, we could meet there. But it wasn't there anymore.
SPEAKER 1: Oh.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Do you remember orsolino's It was--
SPEAKER 1: Beacares?
BOBBETE KRUTER: No, it was on-- the burlesque street, what was the name of that street?
SPEAKER 1: Oh, [INAUDIBLE], by the Roxy?
BOBBETE KRUTER: No. I can't remember that street.
SPEAKER 1: All I can think of-- oh Short Vincent?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Short Vincent had--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Borsolino's, I think that's what it was called. It was a nightclub in the evening.
SPEAKER 1: I don't remember that.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well.
SPEAKER 1: You know, but, yeah. That was another-- yeah, another downtown one.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I mean, so many of-- have gone, just gone.
SPEAKER 2: Yeah, all the nice dining that we had.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Like Alpine Village, do you remember that on Euclid Avenue?
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And I remembered, from Fenn College, it was New Year's Eve. And of course, I had gotten sick, and I was living at the YW. And I stayed in Cleveland New Year's Eve. And we walked over to The Palace. And that singer that he couldn't hear.
SPEAKER 1: Johnny Ray?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Johnny Ray was there. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you. We went over to The Palace to see Johnny Ray. And then we went across the street to the Alpine and had cocktails or drinks or whatever. Maybe we ate. I just don't remember exactly.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, nice. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But we all did that.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Because that was such a nice place then. And then it went downhill. But it's nice now. I've been there-- everything's--
SPEAKER 1: They revitalized the old Palace. And it- oh, yes, so many things from downtown. Yes. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Of course, nobody-- well, you people remember the Alpine, but that's not that there.
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] that much after that. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. It's gone. Yeah we had a-- it was a wonderful downtown area at one time.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was. And I never worried about walking. There was a-- on Prospect, where the Y was, I could walk through that car agency parking lot. I don't know who it was. But I could walk there at, say, 10 o'clock at night.
SPEAKER 1: Well, you'd be--
BOBBETE KRUTER: And never-- and Fenn College, I walked all the way down from Fenn College, Euclid Avenue, and cross over to the Y, never think anything about it.
SPEAKER 1: And you used to take the Greyhound bus home at 11 o'clock at night from--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, yeah. We stand out there in front of the corner, you know.
SPEAKER 1: And wait. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER 2: Did it come right by the college?
BOBBETE KRUTER: It stopped right there.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, that's wonderful, yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: No, of course. Picked me up and dropped me off right there on the corner.
SPEAKER 1: Good. Good. Oh, that is nice.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah, it was fun.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: At least I used to think it was fun. Maybe not always.
SPEAKER 1: It was. Yeah, we remember. Yes. Anything-- any other questions from [INAUDIBLE] timeless, wonderful memories of Cleveland.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well there used to be a China Lane. Do you remember that?
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I had-- I used to have my Sunday morning breakfast over at China Lane.
SPEAKER 1: Really? Oh.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And then I would have dinner over there. And they made the best Salisbury steak. [LAUGHS] I can remember the Salisbury steak every Sunday for lunch.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Both Chinese and American foods.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah. That's absolutely right.
SPEAKER 1: Wasn't that by the old Hippodrome downstairs? Was it China Lane, or was it--
SPEAKER 2: I don't know There was a Chinese restaurant under the Hippodrome, but then there was one up towards the theaters, up there.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah, on the-- let me see, not the north side, the south Side of the street. It had a lot of blue. I remember there was a lot of blue in it, that building-- a lot of glass in the front and blue walls.
SPEAKER 1: Then that's not the--
BOBBETE KRUTER: I can't remember. But China Lane, you had to walk through the bar area to get to the restaurant in the back.
SPEAKER 1: The restaurant-- and that's where you ate. Aw, good memories yes.
SPEAKER 2: Did-- there was no cafeteria facilities on the weekends then at all at Fenn.
BOBBETE KRUTER: No. No. It was, actually the-- the college was closed except for those that lived in the dorm on those floors.
SPEAKER 1: Could you go to the library on the weekend at the Tower and studied there?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I might have. I just don't remember.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Yeah. Just [INAUDIBLE].
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah. I don't remember going into the building on Sundays. I stayed a lot at the Y. When I was at the Y, I stayed there.
SPEAKER 1: Right. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And I had a room by myself, so it was nice.
SPEAKER 1: That was nice. Then it was nice. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And then they had a cafeteria or a place in the first floor. But I got tired of their food. That's why I went over to China Lane.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Actually, downtown was your campus then. Wasn't it?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, yes. There was a-- well, I remember going to-- there was a lady that moved in at the Y. And she asked me a couple of times to go with her down to-- was it the Loop Lounge? It was on Prospect. But they had Dizzy Gillespie and some of the-- let's see-- Louis Armstrong was there. And Ella Fitzgerald came, sang there.
It was a very transitional restaurant. But it was comfortable.
SPEAKER 1: Wonderful.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was very comfortable.
SPEAKER 1: Really the greats of the jazz world.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And my husband was into jazz, so even after graduating we'd go into Cleveland. And we saw, like I said, Louis Armstrong played there. And then there was the Cotton Club downtown Cleveland too. And I think it was Dizzy Gillespie, because he had that horn-- cornet or trumpet with the bell sticking straight up. I don't know if you ever saw him. But it was-- Cleveland had a lot of nightclub--
SPEAKER 1: Really good entertainers coming in in the '50s.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh, you did.
SPEAKER 1: --and probably early '60s too. But the '50 and early '60--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, and down on Euclid Avenue was your-- oh, give me a break-- the guy that did the background music for Peter Gunn on TV.
SPEAKER 1: Martin-- no, not Marvin Hamlisch.
BOBBETE KRUTER: No.
SPEAKER 1: Henry Mancini?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Henry Mancini. Oh.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And he got his start down there at the-- what was it? It was on Euclid Avenue. It was a little dive, I should call it, because it was. It wasn't very big. And it-- oh, it was a singer. What was his name too? He did Come Along, and he did that Mule Train.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, Frankie Laine.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yes. He had his start there.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, that was in downtown then?
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was around East-- I would say probably East 40th, 30th? Was not a very big bar. It was on the-- well, going down Euclid Avenue, it would have been going towards town. It would have been on the right-hand side. Oh, good gracious sakes.
SPEAKER 1: All I can think of is that Sahara Motel. That might have--
BOBBETE KRUTER: No.
SPEAKER 1: Wasn't? OK. It wouldn't have been the Sahara then.
BOBBETE KRUTER: No. I want to say--
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] corner, and that wasn't a dive.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I Can remember Frankie Laine singing Mule Train and Spinning Wheel and-- yeah, he was really good. I liked him.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, yes. Yes. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: In fact, I have a whole album, yet. I saved it-- Frankie Laine. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I could reminisce a lot about Cleveland, but even though I didn't live in Cleveland. But going to Fenn college, my friends all lived up there. And dances were in Cleveland, if I wanted. And I dated a few of the boys there.
SPEAKER 1: Your whole Social life was there.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And they had the pool. Remember the pool upstairs?
SPEAKER 1: Oh yes, yes. Sixth floor-- fifth, fifth floor, sixth floor?
BOBBETE KRUTER: I don't remember. I was-- and of course, I learned very shortly that there wasn't a 13th floor.
[LAUGHTER]
And the reason why no one had 13 floors. But I remember going all-- coming home after school, driving home, and picking up a couple of my girlfriends and driving all the way back to Cleveland, to Fenn College, just to go swimming in that pool.
SPEAKER 1: Beautiful pool, yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was a nice pool. Well, at that building was a-- what was it, businessman's club at one time. So we did hear the history of that club. And so-- but I didn't do that too many times. That was too far.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, that's a distance, huge distance.
SPEAKER 2: To go swimming.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah, just to go swimming and to show off the building.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Because it had a nice study hall, and it was just a nice building.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, beautiful old building. Yeah. Any other memories you'd care to share?
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, I hope it helps a little bit. You know? But I do think that the co-op system is a very good system. And it gave me money to go to school. I didn't have to ask my parents for a lot of money.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: They supplied the car and the transportation. But everything else, I took care of. And it gave me that independent feeling.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. And it was affordable.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Oh. Yes, it was.
SPEAKER 1: College was affordable through Fenn.
SPEAKER 2: [INAUDIBLE]
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was. I think-- what was it, $11 a credit hour?
SPEAKER 1: It might have been [INAUDIBLE].
BOBBETE KRUTER: When I started-- and it might have ended up being anywhere from maybe $14 to $16 at the end.
SPEAKER 2: Then it was, yeah.
SPEAKER 1: And it was like $85 for a quarter when I started, I think.
SPEAKER 2: It was really reasonable.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It was.
SPEAKER 2: Really reasonable.
BOBBETE KRUTER: And you couldn't beat it. And you had the best teachers.
SPEAKER 1: Yes, you did.
BOBBETE KRUTER: As as I was concerned.
SPEAKER 1: As you said, through their experience in the working world, they all brought that to the classroom. Yes.
BOBBETE KRUTER: It gave you that feeling of confidence when you went out to get a job. And you'd have to sit there and all these-- some of these people would be looking at you and asking questions.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. But you had-- you had all been out in the field already.
BOBBETE KRUTER: I don't know if I could go out there and apply today.
SPEAKER 1: We had all been out in the field, so we had that experience in the work world.
BOBBETE KRUTER: But it's different today. These young people have a hard job.
SPEAKER 2: And everything's online, including your-- you do your resumes online. You send them--
BOBBETE KRUTER: They don't want you to come?
SPEAKER 2: --by internet. No.
SPEAKER 1: And there aren't jobs available for the young people coming out now. But, yeah. It's a different time and place.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, I would say, if you're going to want anyone else from my class, this young-- this young lady-- this lady here would be a very good-- Dolly, Dolores Butteroff. She would be excellent too.
SPEAKER 1: OK. [INAUDIBLE], if she's interested, yeah.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Right now, I think she's working, trying to get her husband passing away so soon. She's busy trying to get her house up for sale.
SPEAKER 2: She's going through--
SPEAKER 1: That's hard.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Yeah
SPEAKER 1: Well I-- we aren't going to do too many more. Once the weather starts--
BOBBETE KRUTER: Getting better.
SPEAKER 1: Well, if you talk with Dolores along the way, mention. OK. Well, Bobbette Schuster Kruter, thank you so much for sharing your memories of Fenn College and Cleveland and your life and just how it's all interwoven with your years of study and Cleveland.
BOBBETE KRUTER: Well, thank you.
SPEAKER 1: Yes. Thank you so much.
BOBBETE KRUTER: You're quite welcome.
