Women of Fenn College Oral History Project
Patricia Gobel Kilbane (BS, 1964)
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Interview conducted through Cleveland State University's Mary Joyce Green Women's Center.
Transcript:
SPEAKER 1: This afternoon, we're interviewing Patricia Goebels Kilbane class of 1964. I'm thankful that you were willing to come down and be interviewed. What was it that made you choose Fenn College?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, I don't know necessarily that I chose Fenn College. However, my mother was looking around at colleges. And that was the one they could afford. And so I came.
SPEAKER 1: How did you hear about Fenn? Did you research it or just know from family?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I mean, I knew it existed, I'm sure. I don't know that we received any information on it. I mean, maybe we did. I don't know.
I know that the decision to come here was not made though until after I graduated from high school. So it was-- we talked about it during the summer. And then I came down and I was accepted. And so it was done very quickly when I came.
SPEAKER 1: Were you surprised by anything or in the first year or in the college life in an urban school?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, the one thing that I guess you could say it surprised me is that they had freshman camp. And I always remember freshmen camp. And I always thought that was neat.
You went out for the weekend. And I guess that was one thing. Otherwise, I was getting on the bus, getting-- coming down here and going back home all the time. It wasn't-- I don't recall that anything really surprised me. That's just the one thing I know that did stand out.
SPEAKER 1: And you majored in?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Elementary education.
SPEAKER 1: Do you remember how many girls and people were in that program at the time?
PATRICIA KILBANE: No. I don't. Not really. I know that most of us-- most of us were the girls. And I always remember Dr. Samson, Ms. Ringle.
SPEAKER 1: Yes.
PATRICIA KILBANE: I guess, I never really thought how many were in that particular department.
SPEAKER 1: So there was no anti-female bias in there?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I didn't-- I didn't think so. No.
SPEAKER 1: Did you talk to anybody from other disciplines that we're having any?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Not that I can-- not that I can recall at all.
SPEAKER 1: You mentioned Dr. Samson. Do you remember anything in particular about his classes?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Not particularly the classes. I just remember that his office, you had to go down the hallway and round in the back to get to his office. And it was mostly Ms. Ringle, though, that-- as far as student teaching and those assignments that I worked with, as compared with Dr. Samson. But--
SPEAKER 1: What schools did you co-op at?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I did that-- I did the co-op at what's-- Longmead Elementary School. And that was over off of West 130th in Cleveland. But I only had the one co-op there and that was in the spring, and then the only other time I was out was doing student teaching. Most of the other times when I had co-op, it was in an office somewhere. That was the only time I was out in the schools.
SPEAKER 1: And you did your student teaching where?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I did that at Benjamin Franklin in the first grade.
SPEAKER 1: With which teacher?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I would think it had to have been Ms. Ringle.
SPEAKER 1: But the classroom teacher?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, I don't remember her name at all.
SPEAKER 1: Wasn't Ms. Hinkley, was it? No?
PATRICIA KILBANE: It doesn't sound familiar, but I don't remember who the teacher was.
SPEAKER 1: Because that's where I did mine.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh.
SPEAKER 1: But I did mine in fifth grade with Mrs. Richardson.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh. The other things I remember about the education classes is we had the five week ones during the summer. And those were fun, especially because we had the art classes during the summer, and we had to make our nice little portfolio of all the different things. Yeah. And I still have that book, too.
SPEAKER 1: Do you?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes, I do. Yeah. Well, at least I think I do because I know that my parents where all the stuff was kept, the roof leaked, and so they moved stuff out. So I think it's still around, but I'm not sure. When I get started really cleaning out the house, then I'll find out because if I don't see it, then it must have had to got tossed out.
SPEAKER 1: I found those five week courses rather intensive, didn't you?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, the only ones I really remember are the art courses, so I don't know if I would have taken others or not. But those I do remember. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: And you taught after--
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes.
SPEAKER 1: In Cleveland?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes, I taught at-- oh, it's right across from-- at Willard Elementary Schools. It's right across from what used to be West Tech. And Willard is not in use anymore either. Part of the building is for a Head Start program, but the older part of the building, as far as I know, is not being used. But the principal that was at Longmead then was the principal over at Willard, so I kind of knew the principal when I started there, and so I always had the first grade.
Well, the last year, though, that I taught with the Cleveland system, I had kindergarten. And at that time, you could not be expecting and still teach. So I could only teach for part of the year, and then I didn't go back as a full time teacher anymore.
SPEAKER 1: Did you substitute there?
PATRICIA KILBANE: No, I didn't substitute then. What I did is when my children were in school, then I started all the volunteer work.
SPEAKER 1: So what did you volunteer-- what other-- in the schools, you mean?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, yes. In the schools my children were in, I volunteered.
SPEAKER 1: That's an important--
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 1: --thing to do.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, yes. That's true.
SPEAKER 1: You were active in some groups and activities at Fenn, I'm sure. You want to tell us about some of those?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, I was in the student council, and I was secretary for the student council. And I know that we also would discuss bringing various speakers in to talk to the students, and so then it was also part of the-- my job as student council is to put up all the signs. And so the one that I distinctly remember was I was putting up the sign for I don't know who it that was coming, but that was the day that Kennedy was shot. And so that was quite a stir in the college at that time, but so-- I know I was putting up signs for whoever was coming.
SPEAKER 1: Everybody remembers where they were that day.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes.
SPEAKER 1: They had some interesting programs.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right. Some of them were-- a lot of them were in Panel Hall, but then they also expanded to the church across the street, so we had some of them over there as well.
SPEAKER 1: Were you in Future Teachers? Or--
PATRICIA KILBANE: No.
SPEAKER 1: --would it be Education Association is what they, I guess, they--
PATRICIA KILBANE: I don't remember if I was or not. I know that I had started to get interested in the Gamma sorority, but that was only in the senior year, and so I never stayed with it after that. But I don't know, was there an Education?
SPEAKER 1: I think it was an OEA, Ohio Education Association group? I remember being in it.
PATRICIA KILBANE: I don't if I was or not. I could have been, I just don't--
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, I don't think it was a real time consuming group.
PATRICIA KILBANE: No because I know with student council, we were always down here for-- or at least, I was always coming down for meetings or doing something, so I was here a lot. But I don't remember that. Not that I wasn't there, but it didn't make an impression. Well--
SPEAKER 1: Oh, gosh. Anything that seemed funny, or anything that happened in class, outside of class that you remember with horror or happiness?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, I do remember the dances that we had. They always had a homecoming dance, or something like that. I remember those. I remember some of the-- maybe I don't remember what the speaker said, but I know that we went to hear the speakers, and sometimes we would talk about what they said afterward. Otherwise, I don't--
SPEAKER 1: Were you ever involved with homecoming besides the dance--
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, I think student council had something to do with it. And so in that respect, yes. But otherwise, no.
SPEAKER 1: What did student council do with--
PATRICIA KILBANE: I'm not sure if they did or did anything with it or not, except maybe they would have sponsored it, or something. Or made sure that all the other organizations had everything ready for homecoming.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
PATRICIA KILBANE: I don't-- no, I don't know if we, really-- or if I did. Not that some other department or section of the council might have done something. That I don't know.
SPEAKER 1: Who was president of council? Do you remember?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Ronald Minicky.
SPEAKER 1: Ronald Minicky?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes, right. And then he went into study to be a priest in the Franciscan order, and then went out to when he said his first mass at Saint Raphael. Then he was down at University of Steubenville. So I've kind of kept track a little bit, but I don't know where he's at now. But--
SPEAKER 1: I think he's in Austria. Yeah, Rita keeps in touch with him. And there's a school there-- a college. But yeah, a lot of people went far afield.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, right. Yeah. Well, I know Frank Younger was in our class. I think he's out in California.
SPEAKER 1: Right.
PATRICIA KILBANE: But one thing about Ronald Minicky, he did have, if I'm not mistaken, he had a convertible. And one time he was driving around with the convertible top-- that's the only time I was ever in a convertible. Yeah, I remember that one.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, man. Did you go to any of the places around here where kids congregated in those days? Do you remember?
PATRICIA KILBANE: I don't think so. I mean, I knew that they were there, but I was more one that would come down, go to classes, and then-- if I was here for a meeting, or for student council-- and then I would go home. It's not that-- I got really involved in a lot of stuff.
SPEAKER 1: I think a lot of that was true for most.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: A goodly number because it was-- you were kind of businesslike about getting an education when you came to Finn.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right. Yeah, I know that one time, we all-- since the night school was very active, and the night school also had their student council. They did try to work together on certain things. But other than that, most of-- probably if our meeting was in the evening, I would have just stayed down, and then I would have gone home at that time.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. On a bus, right?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, yes. Right down Euclid. Yeah, hop off. But sometimes, though, my father would drive. He would drive me down. He got to know some of the people here too, and he would talk with the elevator operators, and he would talk with Sam over in the finance office, right? And he got to know all these people, and so that was fine for him. And every once in a while, he'll still ask if I ever see them, or down here--
And the big thing for him was that used to be they had the pendulum right next to the elevators. Yeah, and they don't have that now with Cleveland State. The pendulum is here somewhere. I think it's in archives. But that's--
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, it's too bad.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: That was a neat-- the engineering department ought to put that up, if they could, in there.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. It was a different time, wasn't it? I mean, you get on the bus and that was the mode of transportation.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right. You take the rapid down, and you'd read on the way down, or you read on the way back. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: And so you-- how long did you teach?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Let's see, graduated in '64, and then I was married in-- about four-- three to four years. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: How many children did you--
PATRICIA KILBANE: We have three.
SPEAKER 1: That's nice. Did they-- did any of them go to Finn?
PATRICIA KILBANE: No. Our one daughter started the community college, and then she started working. And she had her own children. Now she's going back to BW because they would accept the credits. Our son went to John Carroll, and so he's in Florida. He is an English teacher down there. But--
SPEAKER 1: High school or college?
PATRICIA KILBANE: No, he's high school.
SPEAKER 1: Oh.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, so.
SPEAKER 1: That's very good. You remember or keep in touch with any of the people that you went to school with?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Not really. Not unless you know I see you like this, or if there's a reunion or something, then I do. But otherwise, not really. There is-- I lived on West 239th when we were growing up, and there was another girl that was down the street. Well she also went to Fenn College, and she's working here now. She's in the College of Urban Affairs. And so her and I keep-- we're friends. However, it's not necessarily because we went to school together, it's because we were neighbors and-- you know. So yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, that's nice. Some of the people that I've been talking to are getting back together with people they haven't seen for years and getting reacquainted.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right.
SPEAKER 1: It seems nice.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So do you remember anything that stands out in your mind about those days that when you think about-- then you kind of think, oh, I remember this, or I remember that?
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, I do remember Dr. McKee. She taught German, and then she was the Dean of Women for a while. And of course, at that time, we had to take a language. And I did not have a language in high school, so I figured out, well, better to take German. Well, I had a very hard time with it. But she understood that, and she said, well, you'll just take what you need to take. And she says, and you won't worry about any more because, she said, you-- you're just not getting it.
But it was OK. She said she would pass me, she'd understood that I was really working at it, but I really wouldn't need it. But it was a requirement. And so I remember that. And then in the English department, for the life of me, I cannot remember his name. But I had one teacher-- a professor. We don't call them teachers for college. But anyhow, I had one professor in the English department, and we of course, we had to write papers in that. And the one thing he would put on the one paper, he says, write what you believe. And so I always remember that, but for the life of me, I cannot think of his name.
SPEAKER 1: That was one of the bigger departments in arts.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes. Right, yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
PATRICIA KILBANE: I know he was-- he had a bald head, and he was a very good dresser. And I always remember that. That stuck with me. If you believe something, then you write that. You don't just write any old thing just to--
SPEAKER 1: Make it sound good.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Good advice, I guess.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Any other-- I think we've covered your family and most everything that I would usually ask, so I guess I'll just say thank you. We sure do.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Well, one thing I will say is that since I was at Fenn college and then I knew Cleveland State became-- after Fenn college, our middle child had a learning disability. And at the time, we didn't know if it was-- the hearing loss was worse, or if the learning disability. And so after she had gone through all the testing and everything, they said that she had both and that she would need the special training along the way.
Well, Cleveland State, at that time, had all of these facilities. And so we came down here, and she went through the testing, and they had the extra help with the reading, and the math, so all of those things were available with Cleveland State. Now, whether they would have been available with Fenn at the time, I don't know. But then I'm aware of all the things that are out here that can possibly be used, or you can tap into. So I think that is very important for the community to know that Cleveland State has all these things.
SPEAKER 1: The resources--
PATRICIA KILBANE: The resources.
SPEAKER 1: --that are available.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Well, that's a nice kudo for Cleveland State.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, and especially-- I have cousins who have gone through the physical therapy department and have their degree out of there, and that's a very good department as well. And you don't know too much about that in general conversation. But then when you're looking into graduate school and credentials, then Cleveland State, you know, that department really pops up.
SPEAKER 1: OK, thanks.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: That's good to know. Yeah. That's a great school.
PATRICIA KILBANE: So I try to keep up with that type of thing, and what's going on.
SPEAKER 1: I know you've been very supportive. You come to the reunions and--
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: --which is nice, yeah. Well, Thank you, Patricia.
PATRICIA KILBANE: You're most welcome.
SPEAKER 1: I really appreciate your time and your contribution. We-- let me-- I don't know what that's going to do. Well, OK, we have a little postscript to add here.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, one of the other departments that I distinctly remember is the speech department with Dr. Shreyl and Professor Bielski. And one of the co-op things that I had to do, I worked in the speech department, and I had to transcribe all of the speeches that were made in probably both of the speech classes, and listen to every single word. And then we kept a list of what the most used words were in speeches. Now, I can't-- I don't remember what the words were. But then we went back and compared when the children would learn these words, and a lot of them are just-- are words that have been learned in the first and second or third grades. And as you go up, even though you have more words, you still go back to the simple little words that you always used when you first learned all of--
SPEAKER 1: Interesting.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, I remember that distinctly, yeah, because that was one of the co-op things. Had to listen to every one of those speeches, and then you write down all the-- we had all of these lists of words, and you write the little marks by them.
SPEAKER 1: That took patience.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah, well that was a fun thing to do, though. And that was-- I don't know, maybe Dr. Shreyl was doing a paper on it or something like that, on what words people use in their speeches, and where they would have learned them, if it's grade school or high school. And we found out the grade school words are the ones that are most frequently used in speeches.
SPEAKER 1: You've have some interesting co-ops.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yes, right. Right, yeah. Oh, then the other-- one or the other co-ops I worked on at Saunders manufacturing, and that's a place that provides balloons, and toys, and all sorts of things. Again, that was a more secretarial thing. They're not down on Frankford anymore, but I believe they're still here. Maybe it's under a different name. But that was fun because you got to see all these new things that would be coming through as promotions that people would-- different companies would come in and get.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
PATRICIA KILBANE: So--
SPEAKER 1: They kept us busy.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Oh, yes.
SPEAKER 1: OK.
PATRICIA KILBANE: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Thanks, Pat.
