Borden, Winston

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:7438#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Winston Borden was born in 1943, growing up in Center Township near Brainerd, Minnesota. Borden graduated from Brainerd High School in 1961, and attended St. Cloud State University on a speech scholarship that fall. Borden was heavily involved in the "Young Democrats" as well as student government. After graduating with degrees in Speech and Political Science in 1965 from St. Cloud State, Borden received a master’s in Government Administration and a doctorate in Law from the University of Minnesota. He later taught at the University of Wisconsin, practiced law in Duluth and Brainerd, and served on the Minnesota State Senate for eight years. In 1979, Borden became President of the Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry (MACI).

Transcript Summary: Borden's grandparents migrated to Center Township, north of Brainerd, Minnesota, in the 1880s. Borden had two brothers and one sister. He discussed his reasons to attend St. Cloud State University, as well as the encouragement from his teachers and family that led him to be the first member of his family to attend college.

Much of the interview focused on Borden's experiences at St. Cloud State. He chronicled in great detail about the effectiveness of some of his professors, like Dr. Jim Davis, who made subjects come alive and opened him up to new experiences. He also talked about the influence of interacting with students from Minneapolis and St. Paul, who possessed a much different worldview. The interview also discussed the changes that not only occurred in St. Cloud, but in the country, from civil rights to the Kennedy assassination, that affected Borden's college career and opinions.

The final piece focused more on Borden's experience in St. Cloud specifically, including how he became involved in politics, and some of the controversies he dealt with, including St. Cloud State president George Budd not allowing students to join the National Student Organization, which may have been considered "too liberal." Borden also explained the ways in which the relationship between the St. Cloud community and the university has changed since his time at St. Cloud State.