UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #244
COLLINS, DOROTHY G.

COLLINS, Dorothy G. (1929- )
Undergraduate Student; Wife of George E. Collins (Professor of Computer Science)
At UW: 1969-1985

Interviewed: 	1982	
Series: 	Faculty Wives
Interviewer: 	Laura Smail
Length: 	1 hour, 55 minutes

Abstract: In her November 1982/March 1983 interview with Laura Smail, Dorothy Collins discusses her life both as a faculty wife and as a woman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She related her background and desire to be independent, their family’s move from New York to Madison, her activities in Madison and Middleton, and her joys and frustrations with the constraints of being a faculty wife.  This interview was conducted for inclusion into the UW-Madison Oral History Program.

Key Words: Husband George Collins; Earning B.A. at UW; Handling course work and family; Family time; Her background and work experience; Attitude of professors to having faculty wife as student; TA Strike of 1970; University League and League of Women Voters; Member of Middleton City Council; Advantages of living in academic community.

First Interview Session (January 21, 2009): Digital File

Time	Keywords

00:00:00	Start of Interview/Interviewer’s Introduction

00:00:52	[begin Tape 1/Side 1] Husband, George, very much involved in research so she got involved in other community and university activities.  DC had never been to college before she was married.  When she finally did go to college.

00:02:45	Social hierarchy based almost entirely on advanced degrees.  Fact that she didn't have an undergraduate degree didn't bother her.  George Collins worked for IBM 11 years so DC is familiar with lives of both industrial research and faculty wife.

00:07:20	George one of last people to move from industry to academics.  Rough transition.  More involved with husband's academic work than work at IBM.

00:08:30	DC quit working after George Collins got his Ph.D. in 1955.  Didn't resume working until 1970.  Had children.

00:09:40	Moving to Madison; new friends but very similar neighborhoods--small children, housewives, etc.  Involved in University League--a support network for new faculty.  Other universities don't have such quality support groups.

00:14:12	1966: Departmental social network.  Department growing, a lot of social intercourse.  Large Christmas party at Chairman's house.  Met people primarily though University League.  Much recruiting carried on by department for qualified teachers.  When someone gave a paper person who knew him best would invite him for dinner with other faculty members so they could get to know each other.

00:17:20	[end side 1/ begin side 2] Since George Collins was chairman, DC was invited to open house when a new faculty member was there.  But no faculty coffees to introduce new faculty members.  Now DC doesn't recognize most of faculty.  Department prints up twice a year lists and information on faculty and secretaries.

00:19:50	Story on last time DC gave an open house.

00:23:15	Sometimes resented George Collins' total involvement in academic world.  Used to work 9-5 with evenings and weekends free for family.

00:25:58	When teaching load lightened administrative load got heavier. George Collins chairman during anti-war demonstrations. DC realized there would be no family time.  Family time was year spent on leave at Stanford.

00:27:25	DC decided to create her own interests, not just resent that George Collins was wrapped up in his work.  Conditioned to accept total responsibility for house and children from her upbringing.  But the rule was everyone would be home for dinner.

00:30:33	Made agreement with girls when they were older that they would clean after dinner and DC and George Collins would have coffee in study and talk.

00:31:32	George Collins worked at home, but the house was large enough so children didn't feel they had to tiptoe around.

00:33:13	Decision to try to do something outside grew by degrees.  Not a sudden decision.  Enjoyed coming to University for plays, concerts, etc.

00:36:05	Her experience as a student and how it changed her husband's attitude towards his own students.  Started college in 1968.  

00:38:50	Decision to become a student.  So much red tape then.   University was not prepared for older students wanting to enter the University.  Problem with her high school transcripts getting filed under her maiden name and being effectively lost.  Came in for the SOAR program and people kept thinking she was a parent not a student.  Problems learning to study again.  Coping with multiple choice exams.  

00:44:40	Took only one course per semester because it was difficult to care for children otherwise.  DC horrified her academic husband by way she chose courses by time and day they were being offered.

00:47:51	[begin tape 2/side 1] On leave family time.  Had opportunity to meet people and live in different cultures because she was faculty member's wife.  

00:49:40	George's attitude about DC’s saying that he didn't spend enough time with family.  He probably felt it was impossible for him to do anything about it.  

00:50:43	Background, education.  Reasons for not going to college right after high school.  Had two brothers who wanted to go to college and one wanted to be a doctor, so she felt there wasn't enough money for them all to go.  Environment in which men were educated first before women.  She went to Katie Gibbs in Boston & New York because she wanted to be financially independent.  

00:54:26	Use of Katherine Gibbs training, confidence, and self-discipline in later life. 

00:57:00	Varying attitudes about secretaries in Midwest, where they were seen as glorified typist, vs. northeast, where they had great responsibility. Attitudes in the University.

01:00:42	Why DC never applied for a job on campus as a secretary, because she felt conflict between being a faculty wife and a working woman. Her anger that many faculty saw her as a “dilettante” rather than a serious student, because she was a faculty wife. Her high GPA.

01:05:42	George Collins’ confusion at faculty attitudes toward DC, seeing a student as a student, and his attitudes about women’s intelligence and ability.

01:07:56	Ways DC’s family helped around the house while she studied or wrote papers; and how she managed to get schoolwork done. Differences between how she and George got work done.

01:11:36	George’s support for DC getting her degree. His growing interest in recent years in political affairs.

01:13:37	DC’s experiences going to classes in the late 1960s; walking through picket lines during the TA strike. Her ambivalence toward the TAs’ position—being struck by how badly some departments treated TAs.

01:17:19	[end side 1/begin side 2] Joining the University League to belong to the social organization for faculty wives and as a social outlet. University service she and George did together, including “computerizing” their dinner group.

01:22:58	Acquaintances DC made through the University League & League of Women Voters.

01:23:37	DC’s realization and irritation that much of the volunteer work she did was experience others were getting paid for. Her contemplation of getting a job, eventually working for the state for a year. 

01:27:27	The decline of department social events with a greater number of working wives or wives who didn’t want to entertain. Both her and George’s growing sense of isolation from (especially younger members of) the department.

01:32:07	DC suspected that younger faculty had social contact, much of it arranged by computer but not department-wide.

01:33:44	DC’s volunteer work on a church board and Brownies in NY and her growing involvement in Madison because of George’s time commitments to work.

01:35:43	Middleton City Council. George’s support for her running, her community experience leading up to it, and her garnering resentment because she tried to accomplish something.

01:38:01	A French colleague of George’s who was temporarily living with the family, as well as other international students and colleagues with whom they had established friendships.

01:42:03	DC’s comfort with being her own person—an independent existence—rather than a faculty wife without fearing hurting her husband’s reputation. Opportunities being a faculty wife had afforded her—academic and travel opportunities—but her independent interests in politics.

01:48:19	[begin tape 3/side 1] DC sometimes very much resented the fact that she doesn't have as much companionship as she wanted. But George Collins is very conscious of what he wants to do in his life, and is determined to do it.  He feels that he is a researcher first and a teacher second.  Because he must teach, he is forced to do his research at night and on weekends.  

01:52:03	DC has a much more relaxed approach to life, but she tends to become easily distracted and fragmented with the many different interests in her life.  When he is on leave, they enjoy each other's company quite a bit.  

01:54:16	Doesn't regret not having an equally intense ongoing concern like George Collins.  DC very content with what she does; she's probably not capable of being that intense.  

01:55:30	End of First Interview Session

End of Interview #244