Oral History Interview with Horace & Maribeth Hambrick

Glen Taul

This is an unrehearsed interview with Horace T. and Maribeth Porter Hambrick by Glenn Taul. The interview took place in the Special Collections and Archives room of the Ensor Learning Resource Center of Georgetown College on October 28th, 2001. It is funded in part by a grant from the Kentucky Oral History Commission. This is the first of two tapes.

Maribeth Hambrick

Porter Hambrick

Glen Taul

Okay, and yours?

Horace Hambrick

Horace Thomas Hambrick.

William Marshall

Okay. That'll allow everybody here who listens to this later, they'll know what the voice sounds like.

Horace Hambrick

Right.

Maribeth Hambrick

Know what it is.

Glen Taul

Yeah. I thought we'd start off by each of you telling your historical connection with Georgetown and, and then we'll go from there. Why don't we start with you?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well--in my own family, my grandfather was here, in the 1880s.

Glen Taul

My goodness

Maribeth Hambrick

He did not graduate from Georgetown College, but he came--came here as a student, and then after him, all eight of his children came to Georgetown College. Four of them, five of them graduating here. My mother included, she was the last one to graduate here and she graduated in 1919. And her oldest brother had graduated, I believe in 1905, he was Lester Thompson. And then the others in between there. And the ones that didn't graduate here went on to school somewhere else, but they all came here at some time or other. And then, my father, the same way there was--he was one of six children. From Caneyville, Kentucky, mother was from Baghdad, Kentucky.

Glen Taul

Oh!

Maribeth Hambrick

Daddy was from Caneyville, and he was one of six children. And five of those six, came to Georgetown College and graduated here.

Glen Taul

My goodness.

Maribeth Hambrick

So--then he graduated in 1920. So I had that--that heritage

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Back there and then pretty soon after dad graduated, in fact, in 1924, he became a trustee of Georgetown College. I think he was what they called an alumni trustee, at that time.

Glen Taul

Oh, yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

And then he stayed on--often on the board until 1982?

Horace Hambrick

Something, I'm not sure.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, anyway, they tell me he was the longest tenure of a trustee at the college. And my brother also was a graduate he graduated in 1952. and I graduated in '49.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

From the college.

Glen Taul

Well you do have--

Maribeth Hambrick

So--

Glen Taul

--A deep connection. Very deep connection. Dr. Hambrick, I'm a little bit familiar with yours, but go ahead and tell us anyway.

Horace Hambrick

Well, my connection goes back fairly far. I think the first connection that I know of with Georgetown College, was a great-great-great uncle of mine, Milton Burch, who I believe was on the Board of Trustees, starting in 1837, I think he died about 1846. And also a cousin of mine is the first in the family that I know that graduated here and I think the first graduating class, his name was Burch (??) in 1843. And then, in 1839, my great-grandfather came here from Maine to teach at Georgetown College. Latin and Greek and, and German and was here until his death [clears throat] in 1880--82. And then, my great-grandmother was not ever a graduate of Georgetown, but she was the wife of my great- grandfather Daniel (??) Thomas, who also was the first librarian of the college. And she played a very significant role in the college history because she was particularly good in fundraising. Not only for the Georgetown Baptist Church here, but for a number of colleges--with a college and raising money for the college itself, and also some construction on Pauling Hall. And then my, their son, Rhodes Thomas, graduated in the same year that his father died, in 1882. He was the valedictorian of a class of two. [laughter] --And the singular thing about his graduation was that when he was giving the oration or the valedictory address, his father's chair, um, on the stage was draped in black and the fact that he had died, I think, probably just about a couple of weeks before--

Glen Taul

Oh!

Horace Hambrick

--my grandfather graduated. And I think that is in some of the history. And my grandfather was supposedly training to be a professor like his father, but after his father's death, he had to devote his time to farming of my great-grandfather's farm. But he was always interested in the academic role and had a big impression on me, because the fact he had a very large library at his home, and as a grandson, I often rummaged through that library--

Glen Taul

Wow.

Horace Hambrick

And read a lot of books and interest in history, [clears throat] that applies to me today. And he was a good friend of a number of the faculty and trustees and presidents of--of this period. He himself was a trustee from 1895 to 1913. Very good friend of Arthur Yager, and was chairman of the trustees in the years that Arthur Yeager was president, I think, from 1908 to 1913, and we have a very interesting letter from him. Written in 1914, when he visited Puerto Rico for the celebration of President Yager as Governor--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

--Of Puerto Rico, detailing what that was like.

Glen Taul

Wow.

Horace Hambrick

And my--

Glen Taul

That's nice.

Horace Hambrick

Grandfather was interested in a number of community affairs and he died in--in 1933. He married a Georgetown graduate of 1884, who came from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and a number of her family, she was Alice Amanda Witherspoon and a lot of her family Wetherspoons, had come to Georgetown before and after she came. And she was quite active in a number of things associated with the college. And my mother, Sarah Thomas Hambrick, was a graduate of 1914 and was also quite interested in--in Georgetown. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, all live into their 90s, 91, 94, and 96.

Glen Taul

Goodness.

Horace Hambrick

And from those three, I've gotten a lot of knowledge about the history of college, in this period from, since they were here at the very beginning of college.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

And then I graduated from Georgetown in 1949 and taught history starting briefly in 1949, and continued teaching regularly from 1951 until 1991, and taught one class for five years, from '91 to 1996, which completed 47 years of--of teaching at Georgetown. And we are very happy that our granddaughter, Amanda Hambrick, our son's daughter is now at Georgetown.

Glen Taul

Oh, I didn't realize that.

Horace Hambrick

She is a sophomore. She went to Samford last year and then transferred to Georgetown.

Glen Taul

Oh, okay.

Horace Hambrick

So, this is the first of our children or grandchildren to be at Georgetown.

Glen Taul

Now, I've run across other Hambricks back before you. Are--were they related in some way?

Horace Hambrick

I don't know, but one Hambrick, I think he was a Jessie Hambrick, around the turn of the century, graduated early in the 20th century that I can think of. Now you may have more information than I have.

Glen Taul

--Just this is just a general impression of as I've gone back through the early 1900s, and so forth, I know--

Horace Hambrick

There is one in the early 1900s.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

He's a cousin.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

A cousin of mine.

Maribeth Hambrick

That person who left a will or something, some of the money went to the Georgetown Baptist Church and some to the college, wasn't that a--.

Horace Hambrick

Yeah. I know who you think, but I can't think of his name right now. But, I mean, he was, I think, a cousin or something.

Maribeth Hambrick

Okay.

Glen Taul

Yeah. How did you make your decision about coming here?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, actually, in high school, people would come to the school, you know, and tell about different colleges. And I had all these stacks of yearbooks and things that I was thinking about, and, it just one night, it just occurred to me that Georgetown was the place for me to be. I had heard about it my entire life, because was Daddy being a trustee up her, we grew up on the Sherwood affair (??). And we grew up knowing what was going on at the college.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

And we'd been on campus for football games and things like that. And I had--besides these that I named, I had an aunt who was a May Queen over here, and I had been in her maid court when I was three years old.

Glen Taul

Wow.

Maribeth Hambrick

So--we--I knew about the college and I just had a feeling this was the place for me to be. So, I think--

Glen Taul

Did your dad influence you at all?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, indirectly. They told me afterwards that if I had-if my brother and I hadn't come, he wasn't going to keep on being a trustee. Now, he never said that ahead of time. [laughter] I really don't know how that would have worked out. [laughter] But, he was very glad that--that we did, he was certainly supportive.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

In it.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And we were always glad that we did.

Glen Taul

What about you, Dr. Hambrick?

Horace Hambrick

Well, I think it was sort of preordained, not that it was arranged. I don't think I seriously thought of starting anywhere. Bbut here. Of course, I think--well actually in--in 1945, when I had graduated from high school, I joined the Navy. Just about six weeks after I graduated from high school, and I was going into Navy in October of '45. And I just went to the college, even though I didn't gain credit, for about six weeks to have something to do and so that definitely committed me there. And I was in college and--at Stevens Institute of Technology at Hoboken, New Jersey, for a year, courtesy the Navy and then I definitely determined to come back to Georgetown.

Glen Taul

So, you did go into the service?

Horace Hambrick

Yes, I was in service.

Glen Taul

But this is a--

Horace Hambrick

For just a year. What did you say?

Glen Taul

Just at the end of the war?

Horace Hambrick

Just at the end of the war, in fact, actually at two tests at Cincinnati and Detroit, Michigan to get in the Naval Air Corps, both physical and a mental test. And I had just completed the physical and mental tests in Detroit, Michigan, spending the night in a hotel and I came out that morning to get a newspaper, where they were hawking a newspaper about big bomb dropped on Japan. So, the day before I actually--the day after actually, was the day of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

So, I have good reason to remember [laughter] that--that. So--so to speak.

Glen Taul

I didn't know that (??).

Horace Hambrick

With the war over, I had signed up for six years, but they gave the option of going on to a naval pre-flight school or coming home and I decided to come home.

Glen Taul

Well, okay. How did y'all find the campus when you first--you said you'd been here sort of before? What kind of impression--this would be sort of a different kind of question if I was just asking someone who had never seen the campus and decided to come here, but since you all had been really exposed to it, I mean, what kind of impression was the campus--did the campus make on you when you first came here as students?

Maribeth Hambrick

I liked it. Now, I don't know. Of course, when I first came, Dr. [Sam] Hill had already been here for a little while, I came as a student.

Glen Taul

Right.

Maribeth Hambrick

Dr. Hill had already been here for a little while, and things were beginning to be fixed up and there were more sidewalks and things but still, the hole was there where the old chapel had burned. And that that--nothing had been done much with--with that. But I had been on campus at these GA house parties that the school used to have, a few years before I came to school. And to us at that point in time, it was a very exciting place to be because the girls got to stay in the dormitory rooms and the college girls entertained us and that--and that kind of thing. But, we could tell it it needed fixing. But--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Being very much in sympathy with the people who were here, it didn't make--we weren't critical of it. Let's put it that way--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

We sort of accepted it and knewe things are being fixed up.

Glen Taul

Okay, what about you Dr?

Horace Hambrick

I feel pretty much the way Maribeth feels. Of course, I was here, the whole period, so to speak. And even as a child, I was on campus with some regularity. And I guess I just grew along with the changes, and of course, you need to realize that the time that--my earliest times with the college were in Depression times. And so you didn't quite expect what you might expect today on a college campus. And of course, I was conscious of the changes they made. But I suppose the most regular remembrance that I had, was at commencement time, because invariably, when we had commencement, we went to the college picnic, which occurred for--the earliest years I can remember as a very young child coming up here at commencement time, right around the the tombstones near the physics or Highbaugh Hall.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

--What have you and people all brought their food there to participate in a big picnic area, and faculty and administration and alumni all intermingled there.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

And it was a very interesting moment, I can remember helping carrying dressed eggs and pimento cheese sandwiches and [laughter] fried chicken and all those things to these picnics.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

Which--which got me I guess, sort of involved very early because all my family was, of my father, had a strong connection with--with the college--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

--And so and table conversation in my home, was invariably associate--and I believe with Maribeth.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

With the college. I mean, it was just normal and expected conversation about old professor so so and [laughter] and president so and so or something related to the church or what have you.

Glen Taul

Goodness gracious, that's great. Well, I mean, now what--those deficiencies, if you want to call them that when you first came, how did that affect your routine of life, on the campus during your four years?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, not at all really. We didn't look at on them as deficiencies.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

It's just the way things were. I think young people today have had such, I don't know if a fancier upbringing, but they've expected more material things maybe at home, and we just did not look on them as deficiencies. But, when we came to school, we did well, if brought a lamp and a bedspread.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And now everybody arrives with all these tremendous musical arrangements and carpet for the floor, and all this kind of thing. So, it was a much simpler time, really. When you face it.

Glen Taul

Well, both of you stayed in dorms or housing.

Horace Hambrick

No, I didn't.

Glen Taul

Oh, you didn't?

Horace Hambrick

I lived at home.

Glen Taul

You lived at home.

Horace Hambrick

--I commuted every day, so to speak, just a mile away.

Glen Taul

Okay?

Horace Hambrick

And gave me the advantages of being at home and yet being on campus and I would often go up the fraternity house or independent house, whichever the case might be and stay late at night and go home. And--or if it--I was having a test the next day, I didn't go and so I--had quiet at home, so. [laughter] There were many advantages to that.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

But of course, when I had been in New Jersey, I had certainly lived on campus.

Glen Taul

Yeah. Yeah

Horace Hambrick

So to speak, but--

Glen Taul

But, you lived in a?

Maribeth Hambrick

I lived in a dorm. I first was in what we called Yager Hall.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Which was that great big, red brick house on Estill Court that was owned by the college at that time. So I was in there for about a year and a half. But we ate our meals at Rucker Hall, course we went to Rucker Hall for all that. So we walked back and forth for that. But, that was just sort of about--a totel of about twenty-five girls, I guess.

Glen Taul

At Yager Hall?

Maribeth Hambrick

At Yager Hall.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And that was just a nice housing unit.

Glen Taul

And you had roommates?

Maribeth Hambrick

Roommates, yes. Doris Jean Finley, now she was one of my first roommates and in Yager Hall.

Glen Taul

That's what she said.

Maribeth Hambrick

Did she?

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Okay. Joanne Jones from Northern Kentucky, I've lost track of Joanne, but I've kept up with Doris Jean, the three of us and lots of Betty Lindell, Betty Chatham, I roomed with the next year.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And they've--she was a senior and I was a sophomore, they asked me to room with them the next year,

Horace Hambrick

At Dott Hindman (??)

Maribeth Hambrick

At Dott Hindman.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And Dennis White, from Russellville, those were my roommates.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Their former roommate, Libby Hagen, had graduated, and so they needed a third one, so--I filled that in.

Glen Taul

Oh!

Maribeth Hambrick

In the meantime, I joined the Sigma Kappas, who lived in the house then over on Main Street, next to the--where the president's house now is.

Glen Taul

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

The house then--in that side yard, it's hard to believe.

Glen Taul

Yes.

Maribeth Hambrick

There was a great big red brick house there.

Glen Taul

Huh.

Maribeth Hambrick

But I went--I chose to keep keep living with Benny and Dot and even though I was a member over there, because I wanted to keep up with them.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

In the last two years, I lived at the Sigma Kappa house.

Glen Taul

Okay. So you were talking about things you had to bring with you.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.--

Glen Taul

--To set up housekeeping so to speak. --Tell me about that.

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, all we brought was just our sheets and towels and maybe a lamp or a throw rug? Nothing fancy at all for---

Glen Taul

--Now, what did the college provide?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, just a bed and a dresser and the space.

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

That was about it?

Glen Taul

No desk?

Maribeth Hambrick

There probably was a desk in there. Yeah, we did use a desk occasionally. [laughter] There was a desk. [laughter] But, in some of those older houses that we used, had those cardboard kind of closets in them--the one the one--weren't enough built-in closets. So, I know our room my senior year had this closet in the corner. it was a cardboard thing. So and somebody I think came in and cleaned those houses, I'm not real sure. But and there's one telephone on each floor.

Glen Taul

I was gonna ask about that.

Maribeth Hambrick

There was a telephone on each floor and that was it, no telephones in the rooms.

Glen Taul

In each room.

Maribeth Hambrick

And there was a bathroom on each floor.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And there was a house mother, who was--who was very, who there was always there. And you signed in and out, like if you went to town, there was a sign out sheet and you signed your name and when and where you were going, if you were going off campus. And even if you went to the library at night, you'd sign that thing for library.

Horace Hambrick

You might mention the number of dates you had as a freshman through the senior.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah--as when you were a freshman, each girl was allowed three dates a month. And then it increased.

Glen Taul

Three days?

Maribeth Hambrick

--Five sophomore, seven for junior, nine for senior.

Glen Taul

Oh, my.

Maribeth Hambrick

But if you went to the library, or if you went to a prayer meeting on Wednesday night at church or Sunday night church, that didn't count as a date.

Glen Taul

Date.

Maribeth Hambrick

You'd go with somebody to the library, [laughter] or the church, as long as you came home right after church.

Glen Taul

Right.

Maribeth Hambrick

But, if you were out too long, that counted as a date. [laughter] So--it's not--wouldn't as bad as it sounded because not many people had a chance to go to Lexington anyway. On these--what you would call a real date to a picture show or eat out or something.

Glen Taul

We all had an extra show here in Georgetown maybe?

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, had the Glenn Theatre then. We did, yeah. Had the Glenn.

Glen Taul

Could you dance?

Maribeth Hambrick

No, when we were in school, you weren't supposed to dance.

Horace Hambrick

She danced in Louisville though.

Glen Taul

Oh, she danced then? [laughter]

Horace Hambrick

When she was going out.

Maribeth Hambrick

--And people that really wanted to, there was a place called The Green Dome. You could go out--we called it out the road.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Maribeth Hambrick

--If--you could dance out there. And also, I think there was probably drinking out there too, I'm not real sure once you try to cross the Scott County line. Things got--

Glen Taul

Oh, I take it that Georgetown was dry in--

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Glen Taul

--Early 1940s.

Horace Hambrick

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Still had gone down dry til 1945, hadn't it?

Horace Hambrick

Yes, I think it was close to the middle of 40s, when it went. Because I can remember when Georgetown was wet--as--as a high school student, but it was dry for a long time till just recently, of course.

Glen Taul

And right now it's only limited, wet.

Horace Hambrick

Yeah, yeah.

Glen Taul

I did with That's right. Now, the fraternities had, there was a big issue about fraternities on campus, back in that time weren't there and sororities? --What was--what's the deal about that?

Horace Hambrick

Well, I think there were many on--in the Baptist denomination who looked with disfavor on fraternities and sororities for a variety of reasons. And I'm trying to think Maribeth, was it '47 or '48, when we had the most crisis, where it--

Maribeth Hambrick

I think it was '48 at the convention--

Horace Hambrick

It probably was.

Maribeth Hambrick

At the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

Horace Hambrick

Where we had instances of--I guess it was paint put on the sidewalks that Greeks are unchristian, or maybe it--

Maribeth Hambrick

No, the question was Greek or Christian. They thought you couldn't be both.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Maribeth Hambrick

This was more of your fundamental, conservative pastor element. There was a real strong ministerial association on the campus

Horace Hambrick

--Very strong.

Maribeth Hambrick

And a lot of these men had come back from the service, they had been in school, before the war, and had come back, and they were putting--there were a lot of them. And--and they were pretty strong in this, and their question was Greek or Christian.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

That's what they would have written around on posters and things.

Horace Hambrick

And this came to a head, I think about 40s, Maribeth says. We were actually at that convention, I think it was in Lexington. And I believe it was at that time that they stated that henceforth, these type of internal affairs would be no longer allowed on the floor of the convention. And in return, the college agreed to allow the convention to appoint the trustees, with of course working with President and the board so to speak.

Glen Taul

I thought they--I thought that change had already been made at the end of the Sherwood controversy?

Horace Hambrick

Glen, you may be right on that. I was thinking was then, but I'm not sure, you--you may be right. It was somewhere, in that period

Glen Taul

Unless they tweaked it a little bit during that time.

Horace Hambrick

I remember that, that our future president of the college was chairman of that committee, Leo Eddleman.

Glen Taul

Eddleman.

Horace Hambrick

Before he came as president in 1954. That something you may need to check up.

Glen Taul

Yes.

Horace Hambrick

So to speak.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

But [clears throat] it was--whatever the resolution was it was--the problem was taken care of at that time.

Glen Taul

What was the argument that the ministerial students were making against fraternities and sororities?

Maribeth Hambrick

I don't know if it thought we were too, too liberal to--

Horace Hambrick

I was thinking he was going to ask that question and [laughter] and I'm glad you attempted to answer it because I'm not too sure how to the point I can be. I think they felt that in many ways, we were more liberal or perhaps looser on morals or a variety--that's why I said to begin with, a variety of things. And I imagined it differed between the individual who was concerned about it, as opposed to another individual who might be opposed to them for a different reason. Maybe that they were too selective. Could be another reason that I'm sure some may have had.

Maribeth Hambrick

And lot just plain didn't understand that the organizations themselves had good purposes--had often a Christian foundation. But they just plainly didn't like them

Glen Taul

What was the reputation of fraternities on Georgetown College? I mean, outside of the ministerial students, I mean.

Maribeth Hambrick

It was good. I feel like because, within any group, you were going to have those who were your wild types and you were gonna have your church types. There was a strong BSU [Baptist student union] on campus, at this time, very strong, because the state convention was on campus sometime in the 40s.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And you would have BSU people in your--in your Greek organizations.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

As well as ones who were not, you would have your--

Horace Hambrick

Yes, there, there was a great diversity--

Maribeth Hambrick

A great diversity.

Horace Hambrick

--In the Phi Kaps that I was in. We had several ministers, who were in the fraternity, as well as those who had other views so to speak.

Glen Taul

Okay. Did you have some ministerial students in the--in the fraternities?

Maribeth Hambrick

Oh, yeah. Oh, yes.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

I--I'm Sure.

Maribeth Hambrick

Lee Hopkins (??) Betty Albright (??).

Horace Hambrick

Well, I mean, Asa Jones, Bill Howard, I mean, I can go on and name several more. Probably, of course, when I was in the fraternity, we had over 100 members, so it could very easily have been 10% would have been members of a fraternity. I mean, the ministry.

Glen Taul

Okay. What kind of activities did the sororities and fraternities sponsor or engage in?

Maribeth Hambrick

we always had a basketball team, we would have the the teams that you would--

Horace Hambrick

Intermural

Maribeth Hambrick

--In the intramural.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Deal. You have your teams, you would have projects you would do at the nursing home or somewhere with--with the people in the nursing home.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

You would have, the big event each year was the spring formal, which would usually be it--at the--one of the hotels in Lexington.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And there'd be the program. [Tape stops] And usually on Saturday nights, like when I was still living in Yager Hall, I would go over to the Sigma House to spend the night. Lots of them would--go over and spend--spend the night.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Just to be there--with their--oh, and basketball banquet, the girls of the sorority would put on a dinner for the basketball team and then for the football team.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

This kind of thing.

Glen Taul

So--a big function of both organizations was social?

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, it was.

Glen Taul

--In with some service, activities--service.

Maribeth Hambrick

And of course, but all these organizations, sponsor--they had awards, you know, scholarship awards. Nationally, you try to reach the--a good standard nationally, in your national fraternity.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Or sorority.

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And then you have a province officer who comes and visits to see that you're doing everything all right. Like you weren't supposed to do any hazing or this kind of thing.

Glen Taul

Was there much hazing going on?

Maribeth Hambrick

It's a good question--

Glen Taul

I don't know about--you don't associate it much with sororities, as you do--

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Glen Taul

--With.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Glen Taul

With fraternities.

Maribeth Hambrick

We just had funny stuff that you were like, what--open the door first and let the active and the pledge would have to open the door and silly things you had to say when you answered the telephone. They don't even allow that to happen anymore, as I understand it, but it was never anything that was going to hurt anybody. It was just and--memorize a lot of stuff. Of course, a lot of it was memorizing chapters that were all over the United States, the names of--the locations of the of the chapters of Sigma Kappa and the dates of the history and so forth.

Glen Taul

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

--There was great similarity with--with all the sororities, there were just two sororities on campus at that time.

Glen Taul

Oh, there was only two, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Lambda Chi which was a local, became Kappa Delta--

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

In the her late 40s. I think it was the spring of '46. Kappa Delta came on campus. The Sigma Kappa had been here since 1929.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

So it was just the--the two of them. I think there been a third one in there sometime, but it ended up combining with one of these others, it didn't stay.

Glen Taul

Okay. Is there--what about the fraternities?

Horace Hambrick

There were just three and that period, Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi and Phi Kappa Alpha. And there was a great deal of emphasis, I know when I was in school, about academics. In fact, my junior and senior year, our fraternity got the national award for highest academic in Phi Kappa Alpha in the nation, so to speak. So, there was an emphasis on that. But of course, there were plenty of social activities. There were all type of competition. Of course in intermurals, and homecoming, the houses were decorated, and there were always prizes, who had the most outstanding house decoration. And then we had the campus sing, which was of course, a musical tradition, which still has continued off and on.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

Since then, and we had a variation of that. When we were here, we had a fellow member, a name of Joe Loveless, (??) who was outstanding [an] pianist, and he volunteered to lead us on campus sings. And so what, actually--serenades is what I meant to say. And frequently we would go on campus and would serenade various houses. And our--everybody knew when we were coming, because Joe got one of the boys in our fraternity, who was good with the trumpet, to have [laughter] a trumpet fanfare and--the you know, the hymn "God of our Father?"

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

Has a trumpet fanfare.

Glen Taul

Oh, that's right.

Horace Hambrick

And so, with that 80 to 100 people, we had a fairly loud serenade--

Glen Taul

Oh, my goodness.

Horace Hambrick

--So to speak and so that was one feature--

Glen Taul

And this was taking place downtown on Main Street and up here on the campus, and,

Horace Hambrick

Yeah, well, we primarily serenaded on campus. Yeah.

Glen Taul

You know. Okay.

Horace Hambrick

But of course, the campus sing was in the--usually--

Glen Taul

--Giddings--

Horace Hambrick

Giddings Hall, yeah. And so there's a variety of things like that.

Maribeth Hambrick

The Alumni Association gave the homecoming cup everybody strived for when they decorated the houses, they would give the--and every house--the independent houses too, isn't that right, Horace? The independent houses as well as the--

Horace Hambrick

Yes.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Fraternities--and all decorated for homecoming and the idea was for--when you came back on campus, as an alum to go all the houses.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

So it was really a--a big morning of doing that. And then sometimes, there'd be a homecoming parade. Not often but some--some years we had a parade--

Horace Hambrick

That developed later on.

Maribeth Hambrick

Now they're being--award for that.

Glen Taul

Well, what about the independents? Were they just as--

Maribeth Hambrick

Oh they were good--

Glen Taul

--As a sorority--

Maribeth Hambrick

--Those serenades I was telling you about Yager Hall, when Betty Chatham was in Yager Hall, she was great with music. And so we had these early morning serenades. We would go wake [chuckles] everybody up, Christmastime singing pretty--singing Christmas songs in early. So yes, there--there were quite a lot of activities with those houses too.

Horace Hambrick

Oh, yes.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

The (??) were well-organized and had some outstanding people in it--over there.

Maribeth Hambrick

They really did. And these camp--the thing that's now the campus sing, we never were as much of an act [chuckles] as those are. Those are really Broadway productions practically now.

Glen Taul

They really get them out, don't they?

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, they really do. Ours were really people walking in a line, you know, standing on risers and singing--.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Singing songs--

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

But, each group would have a sorority song and then---a popular song.

Horace Hambrick

The thing, you'd primarily have musicians who would evaluate who would win based upon their musical accomplishments as a group singing.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And also what else we used to have too until the college counter got changed a whole lot was May Day. There was a May King and a May Queen. And so that was usually the first Saturday in May. And that was a big event because, there were about 10 attendants, I'm sure.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

And the girls who were attendants then would ask somebody to be their escort so you would have these girls and boys all dressed up in the long dresses and, and somebody on campus, a child of a faculty person, would be ring bearer and a flower girl and all this kind of thing.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And the phys ed classes, got to learn Maypole dances and got to do them.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Maribeth Hambrick

There's--a lot of times it was in the gym, AND then sometimes it was outside. Where this happened, but that was a big event.

Glen Taul

Now, did y'all have to attend chapel every day?

Maribeth Hambrick

It was three times a week, I think. Or it was Tuesday--

Horace Hambrick

No, I think it was Tuesday and Thursday--

Maribeth Hambrick

It must have been twice a week, when we were in school.

Glen Taul

Okay. Where was chapel then?

Horace Hambrick

It was in Giddings. Before the chapel was built, because you see, we built it in '49 when we graduated.

Glen Taul

Right.

Maribeth Hambrick

Ours was the first class to graduate from the chapel.

Glen Taul

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

The '49 class. Cause it was dedicated--

Horace Hambrick

--in January

Maribeth Hambrick

In January

Horace Hambrick

Of '49.

Glen Taul

What were the chapels like?

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, it was announcements--

Glen Taul

Did you consider it burdensome? Or--

Maribeth Hambrick

Well--

Glen Taul

--Were they--were they interesting or?

Maribeth Hambrick

It could be a little bit of anything? Oftentimes it was a Baptist preacher, wasn't it? They--there were a lot of preacher kind of things.

Horace Hambrick

It was a (??) time. It was educational, or maybe a political figure might be there or something, but it is--was more of a religious emphasis. And, of course, one of the most fascinating things, which we don't have now, which might not work, I don't know. We used to have announcements in chapel. And some of the students could be very innovative in the way that they make [laughter] presentations.

Glen Taul

Such as?

Horace Hambrick

Well, sometimes we had alarm clocks going off in the chapel [chuckles]. That's, that's an exceptional sort of thing. But I remember--oh--have you ever heard of Sam Gash (??), who's from Harrodsburg, who, I guess it was actually making an announcement, finally became a young faculty member, who was particularly unique in the way that he made his announcements and so good at it. That a lot of people who wanted announcements went to him--.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Horace Hambrick

To make the announcements for them.

Maribeth Hambrick

Advertise for them.

Glen Taul

Oh my goodness.

Horace Hambrick

So it--

Maribeth Hambrick

And they took roll you see, you had a certain seat. You had an assigned seat--

Glen Taul

Oh they did?

Maribeth Hambrick

You had an assigned seat in chapel and--

Horace Hambrick

So they'd know better, who was there--

Maribeth Hambrick

People from the registrar's office or somewhere would come through and check. So you really were supposed to be there.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Maribeth Hambrick

And I guess you had a certain number of absences you could have without it affecting--

Horace Hambrick

I've forgotten, it's changed so much--

Maribeth Hambrick

--Your graduation--

Horace Hambrick

But--there could be a sizable penalty if you didn't come to chapel enough, so to speak.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, you had to be there.

Glen Taul

So, that's very interesting, I didn't realize--.

Maribeth Hambrick

So, you can look back and see the alphabetical order, you know.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--In chapel.

Glen Taul

When--did you feel like that was a time of---making of forming bond with the whole student body or they just didn't see it that way. I know they wouldn't see it that way today. But--

Maribeth Hambrick

I guess I was so brought up to accept things as they were. I enjoyed it, because it was a time you could see everybody and you could make your announcements if you had announcements to make, and--.

Horace Hambrick

Also friends and so forth. Of course, as I say, we were just more used to those type of restrictions. And of course, I'd been in the Navy where I had a few restrictions. So--

Glen Taul

And most service, I mean, since most of the men students were servicemen.

Horace Hambrick

Yes.

Glen Taul

They were used to those restrictions.

Horace Hambrick

In fact, there were a great number of them--were from the service. So we--because to show you how it had declined in the war, I think my sister when she graduated in '44, was in a class of 13 I think, graduating class.

Maribeth Hambrick

And see, the fraternity houses were even closed during the war. The Sigma Kappas lived in the Phi Kap House.

Glen Taul

I see.

Maribeth Hambrick

They gave them the Phi Kap House on Main Street, because they needed the space and so while the guys were gone, they had that house and I don't know what happened in the KA house and they LCA house--

Horace Hambrick

I don't know.

Maribeth Hambrick

But though--those chapters were just--there weren't--people weren't here.

Glen Taul

Yeah, yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Because I remembering reading back in some trustee minutes somewhere where one of the groups just told college, take care of our property, we're gone.

Glen Taul

Yeah. Yeah

Maribeth Hambrick

You know, because everybody had gone to the service.

Glen Taul

The only men's dorms, I guess the only--

Maribeth Hambrick

Pauling Hall.

Glen Taul

--Was Pauling and then Rucker

Maribeth Hambrick

Pauling and then--

Horace Hambrick

They were the two.

Maribeth Hambrick

And they gradually added not Nunnelly (??) House and I guess that's over on Jackson Street.

Horace Hambrick

And then they built Calhoun.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, Calhoun. Well, Calhoun was a combination of the old art building and--

Horace Hambrick

That's true.

Maribeth Hambrick

And Nunnelly. Yeah. Okay. There was some frame houses along Jackson, that the college gradually bought. But they--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yegar Hall was the first one I think, that they bought when they needed more space.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And something else we had every day, the BSU had we call noonday prayer meeting, right after lunch, and every day a different student would give a devotional--

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Of some sort and that would be over in the chapel, and that was purely optional. Not everybody--didn't--didn't have to go to that.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

But a lot of people did.

Glen Taul

Well, I noticed you were in mass crafters, weren't you?

Horace Hambrick

No, no.

Glen Taul

I saw you in a costume once--in one of the annuals.

Horace Hambrick

Well, you might--I tell you what you might have seen--

Maribeth Hambrick

Phi Kappa open house

Horace Hambrick

--That was Phi Kappa house, had open house at homecoming . The four of us who were officers, dressed in sort of colonial.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

Uniform.

Glen Taul

--You had a wig on--.

Horace Hambrick

Yeah. Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

You and Danny Penn (??)--

Horace Hambrick

Yeah--

Maribeth Hambrick

--And Ken Fendley probably.

Horace Hambrick

I think Sam Hill was there.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah. Yeah

Horace Hambrick

Too.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Glen Taul

That was-- But, the mass crafters performed in Giddings too?

Maribeth Hambrick

Eupian (??) Hall first.

Horace Hambrick

Eupian Hall, yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

They were in Eupian Hall when we were in school. That was the right hand--if you faced Rucker Hall, that was the right hand end.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Of Rucker Hall. There was a nice--

Glen Taul

Oh, so on---.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Auditorium.

Glen Taul

--That end, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah. On the right hand, cause you ate on the left hand and ate on the other end.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

But it was something.

Horace Hambrick

Have you ever heard of Eupian Hall?

Glen Taul

Yeah. I've come across it.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, it was a woman's sort of debate society early on you, Eupian.

Glen Taul

It started with the Georgetown Female Seminary.

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, probably that makes sense. Yeah. Okay.

Glen Taul

I think Dr. Rucker started it?

Maribeth Hambrick

Is that right? Well, that's his just mother (??). Somebody has heard, well, you Epian pen? I guess--I guess Mary has that. She was in the Eupian.

Glen Taul

And then it just continued--when the college went co-ed. So it was the literary equivalent--it was the literary society for women as the--

Maribeth Hambrick

This runs into--

Glen Taul

Tau Beta----.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Tau Beta Kappa. Yeah, that's about right.

Glen Taul

Exactly.

Maribeth Hambrick

But that was a real nice auditorium. And then after that, of course, there was the Lewis Auditorium, which is--was in where Giddings, was, but that--that was in the 50s. Yeah.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

But, the 40s, it was still Eupian Hall.

Glen Taul

What do you all remember about your professors? Any particular ones in--

Maribeth Hambrick

I had Dick Scutter (??) a our whole lot, because I majored in sociology.

Glen Taul

You majored in sociology?

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, and of course, Carl Fields was a--in history. I--enjoyed him so much. Johnny Hoskins in history, Johnny was just here, one semester, that--we were on a quarter system in the 40s. And--when I first came.

Glen Taul

I remember that was a big thing in--during--the government, I think went to that system so they could get people through in a hurry, through colleges quicker than they would on the semester system. I think that's what somebody.

Maribeth Hambrick

--I never knew.

Glen Taul

That's what my dad explained to me.

Maribeth Hambrick

Is that right?

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, I'm glad they--

Horace Hambrick

What--I missed what you said, Glen.

Glen Taul

They went on--the government., I don't know who made the decision, but they encouraged the universities and colleges to go on the quarter system. So they could get students through to graduation faster.

Maribeth Hambrick

Well, I guess, I guess it worked that way.

Glen Taul

It might--I don't know.

William Marshall

Well--

Glen Taul

Especially when universities and colleges were training servicemen for different kind of leadership positions within the--.

Horace Hambrick

Well--I've been on both the quarter and the semester system and did sort of float back and forth.

Maribeth Hambrick

What helped me, I came to school as a mid-term student, so I had a graduated from high school in a January, then I could start at Georgetown in March. So I got a quarter there before--before the summer session.

Glen Taul

Okay

Maribeth Hambrick

So there was a quarter there, then there was the summer session, then you were ready for fall and winter.

Glen Taul

Okay. Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Again, so so it didn't move it--moved right along. I had my history civilization in three--in the strange order. [laughter]

Horace Hambrick

Three different quarters.

Maribeth Hambrick

Three different quarters. The third quarter first, and then the second quarter, and then the first quarter.

Horace Hambrick

Just a reverse order. [laughter]

Glen Taul

Now what impressed you about Dr. Scutter, how did he teach?

Maribeth Hambrick

It--very dry, dry wit. And you pretty much went--went by the book.

Glen Taul

By the textbook?

Maribeth Hambrick

Of course, Ms. Cranfield (??) taught sociology too go with Gwen Curry's mother.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

She was in sociology. So I enjoyed her a whole lot. Of course, a lot of these people I automatically liked and accepted things because I'd heard of and known a lot of them before I got here.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Dr. Hill was a good friend of my father's at Deer Park Church before he came to Georgetown college. So you weren't going to be critical of a school where you knew the people that were running it. You asked--you know how we accepted it, but when you were brought up knowing these people, you weren't going to be critical of what they were doing.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

On campus, but made you in sympathy with it--with it all.

Glen Taul

Okay. Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

So , no matter what they had to eat in the cafeteria, I didn't mind it, you know. [laughter] I was supposed to like it. [laughter]

Horace Hambrick

Weren't gonna criticize it as much.

Maribeth Hambrick

No.

Glen Taul

Well, what about your professors, Dr. Hambrick?

Horace Hambrick

Well, of course, naturally being a historian, I was interested in history classes and of course, that meant that I took a lot of courses with Carl Fields, who I was very fond of and, and had known him, of course, being a townsperson, even before I came to Georgetown. I think at the time that he even had a Sunday school class that he taught and so forth and others in history department as well. When a man from Alabama, Al Garner, who was a pretty pronounced supporter of the South for the Civil War, and we sometimes had that when we talked about the history of the South. One of the very interesting teachers was Howie Summers (??) that Maribeth and I both had. Clashed with him in the English department.

Glen Taul

Yeah--he's a published author.

William Marshall

Right. Right.

Glen Taul

He made it--he sort of made a living at writing.

Horace Hambrick

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Oh, yeah. Write in a corner (??). All those books.

Glen Taul

What was he like?

Maribeth Hambrick

He's like, if you were late to class, he would stop in the middle of a syllable and wait till you made it to the corner seat.

Glen Taul

Is that right.

Maribeth Hambrick

Before he would pick up [chuckles] where he left off. He was--he was very sort of scholarly.

Glen Taul

Did he have a stiff personality?

Maribeth Hambrick

I don't know--he'd halfway--not, he didn't make fun of you. But you wanted to you know--

Horace Hambrick

You wanted to do well.

Maribeth Hambrick

--You wanted to do well in his class. He's the kind, he would give a pop quiz. One time, he gave a pop quiz and people didn't do so well. The next day, he gave the same pop quiz, and you felt pretty dumb if you hadn't looked up the answer between the--[laughter]--two days. He would do that kind of thing, but was a good teacher, made you think.

Horace Hambrick

---As a teacher, I realized the constraints he operated under. We had his class in the gym. In the midst of his lecture, you would hear the basketball bouncing on the--.

Glen Taul

Oh!

Horace Hambrick

--On the floor in the gym. So there were--there were problems like that that you dealt with. Another fascinating teacher that I had was Charles Hatfield, who was about completing his career in mathematics. And my sister and cousins had both been in his class. One of the first thing he told me is where each one of them had sat in his class.

Glen Taul

Are you kidding?

Horace Hambrick

So to speak, and he was also a big baseball fan as I am. And so we had a lot of things in common along that line. But there were some very outstanding.

Glen Taul

Now were the mathematics classes taught?

Horace Hambrick

The mathematics were taught in the in Highbaugh Hall.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

And they say that in Dr. Hill's younger days, I didn't see that--that he loved to sort of point to you to answer the question about a equation or something he was writing on the board, but sometimes those who might be slow, it's been reported that as he was writing on the board all at once, he'd leave the classroom, run around the building and sometimes come back through the window now, what's the--. [laughter]--answer Mr. so and so or Miss so and so. That at least is the legend told about it.

Glen Taul

Well, you know lots--I mean, there's a lot of legends about different professors.

Horace Hambrick

Right, right.

Glen Taul

I mean, what was--what was the thing connected with Dr. Fields? I mean, it was the most memorable thing.

Maribeth Hambrick

You know, I think his interest in students, Horace can answer this one better, and I'm sure he will, too. But as being on the campus, he would often, he'd be walking, he always walked back to his home on South Broadway. And if he was walking along, as you were, he entered right in with the students and you could tell he was really interested in them as people. He wasn't just interested in the classroom, part of it and he was real active in--in BSU events that would happen and what would help you do things.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

So that's a kind--my impression, you would have had more--more too.

Horace Hambrick

Well, he was--he was a very solid professor, always well-prepared, and he was always bringing in some other situation that he would have apply to whatever he was talking about in the lecture that particular day. And then--then the personal interests he took in people I think, was also very, very meaningful. And everyone knew him to be such a fine man of integrity and so forth. Well, well respected.

Maribeth Hambrick

Did he bring the people that Cincinnati Council of World Affair?

Horace Hambrick

Yes, I--

Maribeth Hambrick

--That he did quite early on--.

Horace Hambrick

--I think he was quite active with the Cincinnati Council--

Glen Taul

Okay.

Horace Hambrick

--On World Affairs coming in from Cincinnati to have lots of programs in Georgetown.

Glen Taul

Okay. Well, what other activities were you involved in on the campus?

Maribeth Hambrick

Of course, I was in the sorority--I was President my last year but I was, all along, I was interested in The Georgetonian.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

And somehow I got into that when I first came that spring, and some of the guys who had come back were interested in that. That was really exciting time to be here, because they were--they were coming back and they didn't talk a lot about the war, but you knew that they'd had some strange, unusual experiences anyway.

Glen Taul

Yeah. Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

That--they were here. And then I stayed with The Georgetonian, and I was editor--we had co-editors then.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

With Peggy Burge (??) one year and then with Bill Long another year.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

So--and that--you were pretty busy with that, because you actually then put a paper together. It didn't get put together by a--by a machine, you went down, they melted the little lead pieces.

Glen Taul

Oh.

Maribeth Hambrick

And it was down at the Georgetown (??) Times And we got to know the printers down there. Those were some of our best friends here in town, Harry Bailiff (??) at the print office. He just died a couple of years ago.

Glen Taul

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Got to know those--those folks. And if you made a mistake, then you'd proof it. If it was one mistake, you would try to--you'd ust take the piece out and they'd melt it and then you put it back in right then.

Glen Taul

Oh my goodness.

Maribeth Hambrick

So it was really lots of fun, but I was real interested in that as well as BSU.

Glen Taul

Yeah, it was about a six page paper back then.

Maribeth Hambrick

It was big pages.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah, if you wanted a picture of somebody, you had to send the cut off to someplace--it'd come back on a bus. You couldn't just--it wasn't easy to have a picture in there. You had to have a cut made--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Ahead of time--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--To run--to run the thing.

Glen Taul

Okay, what about you, Dr.?

Horace Hambrick

I wasn't nearly as interested in activities as Maribeth was. I was of course in fraternity and did spend some time dating from time to time and I still--since I was still here, I was still active in church work, here in the church here in Georgetown.

Maribeth Hambrick

You were the assistant superintendent of the Sunday School weren't you?

Horace Hambrick

Yeah, at that time. Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

And we would have Sunday school classes even up on campus , you would fill up that auditorium at the church because see, people didn't have cars, so they would go to the local churches--

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

--More than they do--

Glen Taul

Today.

Maribeth Hambrick

--Do now. I know Mrs. Hill taught the girls class and it filled up the auditorium down there, at the church.

Glen Taul

Well what--what was the--President Hill like? As far as administering the college the relationship among students and?

Maribeth Hambrick

I found him to be a very friendly and jovial and you never went into his office but when he didn't have the big plan out. The buildings that he--he wanted to have on campus and his dream for Georgetown College. He definitely was a--was a builder because--the campus needed so much done.

Glen Taul

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick

At that point in time. Because of course we had--the chapel was built at that time. And I guess that's the main--main one, isn't it? The main building that--there was a lot of updating and fixing things and doing over Rucker Hall was pretty much? The Rucker Hall.

Glen Taul

Was the Rucker Hall was remodeled.

Maribeth Hambrick

It was it--was refurbished more like, was a better word.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Not really remodeled but paint, paint, paint and paper and that kind of thing.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

In a lot of these buildings happened at that time.

Glen Taul

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick

Now, I think he was a very friendly person. And I think everybody was conscious of the physical improvements that he brought to the campus when he was the there and seemingly was so well supported by a community and Kentucky Baptists in general, I think. And Maribeth and I, on more than one occasion. Even in his home because her family and my family both were close to the Hills.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Horace Hambrick 1:

So, we were in his home on a number of occasions and--as he was in our home, so to speak, got to know us. One of the reasons why I got to be such a good friend of his--of his son, Sam Hill, and also---his daughter, Jane and Maribeth of course was--

Glen Taul 1:

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

We had known then back at Deer Park, in Louisville.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

My brother was about Janie's age and I was about Sam's age.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

So, we had known each other.

Horace Hambrick 1:

In fact, I think the first time that Maribeth and I met was that Sam introduced me to--to Maribeth and.

Glen Taul 1:

Oh, okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

He was on leave, it was before you got out of the Navy.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay. What do you remember about the building of John L. Hill Chapel?

Horace Hambrick 1:

Filling up the hole for one thing. [laughter] Which had, she mentioned had been there a long time and, oh when I think about it right now, dating my answers here when I say it, but reminds you of very, very miniature, like what we're seeing in the World Trade Center now.

Glen Taul 1:

Oh, is that right?

Horace Hambrick 1:

It was sort of--.

Glen Taul 1:

I didn't realize there was a big hole.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

They just didn't fill it in. There was all these stones, you can see the foundation stones--

Glen Taul 1:

Of the old church.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--And trees growing up out of it. I really don't know why they never did fill it in.

Glen Taul 1:

Oh, I'll be darn.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

So it was just sort of there.

Glen Taul 1:

Well, that's what the site looked like before they started--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes.

Glen Taul 1:

--Construction.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

There was no other building, there, it was just the foundation of the old chapel.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Not anything as horrible anyway, like what we were talking about in the World Trade Center,

Glen Taul 1:

Right.

Horace Hambrick 1:

But the thing it was, it was just the old foundations in the old main, which had just been pretty much left intact.

Glen Taul 1:

Of course, the--

Horace Hambrick 1:

--All the framework

Glen Taul 1:

--The walls were torn down.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--Oh, yes.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yes, it was just purely ground level.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

You could see the foundation stones of it, yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

But it was sort of an eyesore, and of course, that's why I think we were particularly glad to see this new building going up, you know.

Glen Taul 1:

When did they start actually construction of it?

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I think they broke ground in in --'48.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I think it was '48.

Glen Taul 1:

And then--

Horace Hambrick 1:

It could even have been late '47.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

It could have been.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I don't know whether it took--because he was dedicated, I say in January of '49. So--

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--It could have been--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--I knew it must have taken at least a year to build it and it could have been started in '47.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Because there was--there were fundraising things going on all the time, you know, getting money for it. And of course, you know, a lot of the memorials in there were from World War--or some from World War Two.

Glen Taul 1:

Did the students get involved in that fundraising?

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I don't remember it at all, do you?

Horace Hambrick 1:

I don't remember--. I don't remember that we were.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--I don't think we did.

Glen Taul 1:

So--when--what--describe the week that it was dedicated.

Horace Hambrick 1:

A very special week.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Services every day.

Glen Taul 1:

Every day.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

There was something every night.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes and--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--Special speakers, they came in.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--Very prominent Baptist leaders such as naturally, John L. Hill.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

His brother.

Horace Hambrick 1:

His brother, Russ Hill. I've forgotten the names of those who came, but a number of denominational leaders that spoke but it was, as Maribeth said--it was--a full week.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

And students were there., I remember crowds in there.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Every night for those services. So it was quite a thing on campus to have that dedicated.

Glen Taul 1:

We're getting ready to run out of tape.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Well, we'll have to stop. [laughter]

Glen Taul 1:

We all want to continue this at another time.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Upbeat as I recall.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Of course then again, you have two people whose background had been tied up with it.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

For years. I'm sure you know, daddy was in on trying to raise money, as was his family and I had a cousin, one of the windows was named for, he had been lost in World War Two. And, and we knew some of the people. The Englishes had had a window in there. So people--well you're in those front windows, his grand--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

The two small front windows as you're going in the door, one is for my grandmother, and the other is for my grandfather. On [the] right and on the left.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--His family--.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--Gave the one--

Horace Hambrick 1:

For my--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--For his grandfather and the woman's association--

Horace Hambrick 1:

Gave for my grandmother.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

For--for Mrs. Thomas because she'd been treasurer of the woman's association for 25 years, on campus.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

So.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--You might get some history sometimes by looking at all those individual windows of the different people.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Horace Hambrick 1:

The names of people that you maybe didn't know about.

Glen Taul 1:

Ohter than the dedication services, I mean, what--maybe you can sort of expand on I mean, this is you don't see too much anymore them planning a whole week of services just to dedicate--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

No.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

No.

Glen Taul 1:

A building.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Well, it's relatively unique. --I don't think I have.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Even now you wouldn't and not 25 years after that did they spend a week dedicating anything.

Glen Taul 1:

I mean, when my church--

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Glen Taul 1:

--Was dedicated in Danville, Kentucky in 1929, they had a whole week--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Is that right?

Glen Taul 1:

--Of services.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Okay. Well, you see revival meetings used to last---

Horace Hambrick 1:

Well that's--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--All the time.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--Or sometimes two weeks--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Vacation, used to last two weeks, and now everything is shortened.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

So I guess.

Glen Taul 1:

--Some people don't have the patience--

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Don't have the patience or the time.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Or the time.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I think you can say.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Charitably.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

And of course, there were a lot of people around the state they wanted to recognize and they gave special honor-- honorary degrees--

Horace Hambrick 1:

At that time.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

At that time.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

And there was just a lot of recognitions they wanted to make, I think in connection with the college is probably one reason they--they did that.

Glen Taul 1:

Did it seem like a revival meeting, when you were having these dedication ceremonies?

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes, I think in a sense there was on because there was---

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Some preachers.

Horace Hambrick 1:

There was hymn singing.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Oh, yeah, music, church music, yeah.

Glen Taul 1:

Had a different speaker, except they had a different speaker every time.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Glen Taul 1:

Was it usually at night or in the daytime?

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--I think--I remember it being at night--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah I--don't remember--

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I don't know what we did about studying that week. I guess we didn't do it.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I think that was enough to have had it probably every night.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Of course, you must realize of course, this is the time when we were carefree as college students, you know, and a lot of these details sort of slipped by.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I can remember being in there.

Glen Taul 1:

Now, the pictures I've seen--the pictures I've seen of the interior, it's sort of spare as far as decoration or.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I can't even remember if the curtains--when it was dedicated where those curtains are--were up there by then.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I don't remember.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I don't know, but it did look sort of empty, because it was the big stage and then--those three portraits in the back. And--the organ pipes weren't there, I don't believe. I'm not sure.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

But, the stage did have an empty look.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah, I would say that--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

--The three chairs were up there in the pulpit.

Glen Taul 1:

--When it was dedicated, was it totally finished?

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I think they--oh yeah

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yes, because we had, because I had clashes in the chapel actually there for quite a while. Some of them main classes in the college were in those six, big rooms in the basement. And then--did--did your have a class in the chapel?

Glen Taul 1:

I'm trying to remember. No, because the room--room--.

Horace Hambrick 1:

So many of those room[s] were taken over by administration.

Glen Taul 1:

That's---and that's what they were.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

To begin with.

Glen Taul 1:

--When I was here. Like, Jim Bergman (??) had his and Catherine Bates had her office down there.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Okay.

Glen Taul 1:

And I think---.

Horace Hambrick 1:

But she--.

Glen Taul 1:

---Had his office down there.

Horace Hambrick 1:

But she--originally they were six--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Big classrooms.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--Because when I started teaching, I taught in Knight Hall four which was one of the big classrooms and it remained that way for quite a number of years.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Horace Hambrick 1:

And--but.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

I think the registrar's office is probably the first thing that moved in down there. I can remember seeing.

Glen Taul 1:

I remember that office being down there too.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--The--

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Dorothy (??) Schneider was the one when we were here, so.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Horace Hambrick 1:

And then the treasurer's office later was moved down there.

Glen Taul 1:

Okay.

Horace Hambrick 1:

And then other administrative offices from time to time, but I know in at least the first 10 years or more, that so many classrooms were in the chapel. Of course, it was the newest building. So obviously--.

Glen Taul 1:

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--You'd use it for that.

Glen Taul 1:

Now, how many students were in your graduating class? How many graduates?

Horace Hambrick 1:

100 and what.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

115, I think.

Glen Taul 1:

115.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Something like that or 120.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah, it was supposed to be--it was the largest.

Horace Hambrick 1:

I remember thinking it was 114 now.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Think so? Okay, anyway, it was the largest--

Horace Hambrick 1:

Something like that--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Supposed to be the largest class up till that point, I think.

Glen Taul 1:

Up to that point.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Yeah.

Horace Hambrick 1:

Because you see, we had a considerable influx of students because of so many of the veterans--.

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

Service men.

Horace Hambrick 1:

--Coming back and after the war, things were getting better economically and more people could afford to go to college.

Glen Taul 1:

Well, I mean, now what--what were the activities surrounding that include?

Maribeth Hambrick 1:

What?

Glen Taul 1:

Was it a whole week of stuff or?