Wick, Robert Hobbie

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:6855#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Robert Wick was born on January 23, 1913, in Henry County, Iowa, near Mt. Union. His family, who came from German ancestry, farmed in the area, and his father also worked as a stonecutter. Wick attended country school in Iowa, and graduated from a consolidated high school in Mt. Union, Iowa, in 1930. Wanting to become a school teacher. he decided to attend Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he majored in Speech. After graduation, he taught in Andrew, Iowa, for two years, then in Newton, Iowa, until 1942, when he was drafted into the Army. He married his wife Alice in April of that year, and, in 1943, was sent to Italy. When he returned, he attended graduate school on the GI Bill. Wick saw an opportunity at St. Cloud State to teach while pursuing his doctorate. At St. Cloud State, he taught speech courses. From 1962 to 1965, he served as the Dean of School of Science, Literature, and Arts. In 1965, Wick was appointed as the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Shortly after, St. Cloud State president George Budd resigned and Wick was named acting president, and, in 1966, the permanent president. Wick held the position until 1971.

Transcript Summary: Wick described his family history, as well as his educational background. He said he was the only member of his family to attend college, receiving great encouragement from his grandfather to pursue his education at a time during the Great Depression. Wick described his time teaching after college in Iowa, and then his experiences in the Army. Of the unit of 100 men he was one of six who returned home. He decided to attend graduate school, which he started at the University of Iowa, and through a friend from Iowa, found an opportunity to teach in St. Cloud while pursuing his doctorate.

Wick discussed his time at St. Cloud State. He arrived in 1948 and taught speech courses, while also coaching the Debate team. He described his transition into administration, something he never really considered, but his time as a lieutenant in the Army had given him good experience to do so. Wick talked about being Dean of Science, Literature, and Arts, and some of the changes he took part it. Wick described the road that led him to become St. Cloud State president. He described the goals he had as president, mainly to create more physical space to meet the demands of a campus that was growing rapidly. He also wanted to improve working and learning conditions for faculty and students, as well as refine some of the programs now that the university had gone from a teacher's college to a university with a broad curriculum.

Wick described some of the changes that took place while he was president, such as the growth of the Inter-Faculty Organization, which he thought worked together very well. He said students’ attitudes changed during the Vietnam War, claiming that some students came to the university simply to be involved in protests and demonstrations and did not care about pursuing an academic career. Wick touched upon the relationship between the university and the city of St. Cloud, stating that he did not believe it was very good when he first came in 1948. But that he and other presidents took steps to improve it, such as inviting as many people as possible to campus events.