Derus, John

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:7566#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: John Derus was born in 1940 in northeast Minneapolis. His family lived in the area for five generations, though they were originally of Irish, German, and French ancestry. Derus attended DaLaSalle High School, then the University of Minnesota on a football scholarship for a year before quitting in order to work to make money for his family. His father, along with one of his sisters, died in a plane crash, leaving the family financially strained. He decided that he wanted to work with children, and found a job as a counselor at the St. Cloud Children's Home, where he worked while fitting in classes where he could at St. Cloud State. He graduated from St. Cloud State in 1967 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. He traveled to northern India with the Peace Corps where he taught English for two years. Upon his return he decided to get involved in politics, landing a position with Hubert Humphrey. He was elected as alderman of the 4th Ward in Minneapolis and later as Hennepin County Commissioner in 1974, a position he still held at the time of this interview.

Transcript Summary: Derus explained his educational background as well as his reasons for choosing to attend St. Cloud State University. Derus discussed his high school education and his excitement at receiving a football scholarship for the University of Minnesota. However, his father's death and his family's financial troubles forced him to abandon that scholarship to focus on earning money for his family. He explained the good things he heard about St. Cloud, as well as his desire to work with children and help those who were in trouble.

Derus chronicled his time in St. Cloud. He spent about 9 years here, attending classes when he could, but also working more than full-time, both at the Children's home and as a bartender. He discussed his favorite teachers, such as Herb Goodrich and Henry Goehring. In addition, Derus mentioned that he enjoyed the smaller class sizes, as compared with those at the University of Minnesota. A interesting aspect of the interview focused on Derus's description of the culture for young people in St. Cloud at the time, including living arrangements, and what he called a subculture of "workies," college students who were forced to work in order to put themselves through college.

Derus described his involvement in extracurricular activities at St. Cloud State, including one play and intramural sports. He also addressed his post-graduate experiences, including his work with the Peace Corps. Derus also described his relationship with Hubert Humphrey, who gave him his start in politics, and was inspired by President John Kennedy to try. In addition, he addressed the way in which students and faculty reacted to the Vietnam War. In particular, he recalled one small demonstration that led to the firing of one professor, which he felt was poorly handled. Finally, Deris detailed the way that the community of St. Cloud and the University helped him get his life on track at a time when it was not going well at all.