Goodrich, Herbert

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:7453#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Herbert Goodrich was born in Manhattan, and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father emigrated from Russia, while his mother came to America from Poland. Goodrich graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, and attended the City College of New York, where he received his bachelor's degree in Education in English with a minor in speech. From New York, he went to Penn State, where he received his master's degree and then earning his doctorate in Mass Communications from the University of Illinois. He arrived at St. Cloud State in 1964, teaching in the Sociology and Anthropology department until 1990.

Transcript Summary: Goodrich explained his family and educational history, with attention paid to his upbringing in the very urban Brooklyn, New York, and the vast differences between that world and St. Cloud, Minnesota. He also discussed his first years at St. Cloud State, comparing them with the university in 1990, at the time interview was conducted. For instance, he talked about how the huge growth in student population was accompanied by a failure of the state of Minnesota to provide sufficient funds and resources to deal with that growth. He claimed that the growth contributed to a decline in familiarity and personal connections among staff, as well as a greater focus on publishing rather than the classroom.

Goodrich described how the students themselves changed during his time at St. Cloud State. He claimed that when he arrived in the 1960s, students were very demanding and not afraid to question what was being taught. In 1990, he felt that students were much quieter, and that there had been somewhat of a withdrawal from active learning.

Goodrich discussed the St. Cloud State’s perception as a "party" school, and how that has affected both students and faculty. Goodrich discussed the relationship between the university and the community of St. Cloud. Here he felt his ideas about universities was often seen as a threat to a conservative community, and how St. Cloud State fit into that idea. Goodrich discussed the highs and lows he experienced as a teacher, and how both relate to his impact, or lack thereof, on his students. Overall, he gave an insightful analysis of how the school changed, both on a large scale, and on a smaller scale by discussing changes within his own department, and credited the university for 26 years of wonderful academic and teaching experience.

Interview by Jerry Westby