Coard, Robert

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:7426#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Robert Coard was an English professor at St. Cloud State from 1960 to 1990. After teaching high school in Illinois and at the University of Nebraska from 1946 to 1948, he received his doctorate in English from Illinois in 1952. After earning his doctorate, Coard taught for five years at the Minot State Teacher's College in Minot, North Dakota. After three years at the University of Alabama, he was offered a position at St. Cloud State in 1960. Coard retired in 1990.

Transcript Summary: Coard detailed his college and graduate educational background, describing the positions he held before arriving in St. Cloud, his various teaching experiences, and explanations for why he chose to move on. For example, he taught for three years at the University of Alabama, but grew ever more uncomfortable with the tense racial situation and integration. Needing a more stable work environment, Coard accepted a position at St. Cloud State.

Coard described his time at St. Cloud State and the changes that occurred on campus. He said that there was no English department when he first arrived, and discussed the power George Budd had in expanding the curriculum and faculty. He also described the physical changes undergone by the campus. Coard briefly described what the campus looked like when he arrived and then what changed. He also mentioned Fifth Avenue South, where he lived for thirty years, and how it really went from a peaceful residential area to what he terms an area in "shambles."

Coard explained his ideas about students at St. Cloud State University, and how they have changed. He claimed that the university used to be much stricter with students, taking attendance and sending grades to parents if the student was under the age of 21. Overall, he felt his work with these students was a positive experience.

Interviewed by Jerry Westby