UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #201
BREE, GERMAINE

BREE, Germaine (1907-2001)
Professor of French
At UW: 1960-1973

Interviewed: 1981	
Interviewer: Donna Hartshorne
Length: 2 hours, 51 minutes

Background in France and England; Bryn Mawr; Teaching in Algeria; Experiences in G2 during WWII; New York University; Languages and teaching; Reasons for coming to UW; Institute for Research in Humanities; Attraction of UW for women; Women's Studies; Anti-war movement; French Department; Albert Camus; Current activities. 

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:20	Memories of France; silk worms, background, both parents bilingual.  Channel Islands--Guernsey and Jersey.  Got a more rigorous education than would have in Islands; why this is.  How French education system set up, guarantee of a job.

00:17:40	Came to America for a year--how it was done, Bryn Mawr.  Big impact on life.

00:20:34	Goes to North Africa.  When Bryn Mawr asks her back--in French literature.  Talk of the college, how her bilingual education helped.

00:23:48 	Back to teaching in Africa (Algeria)--taught English; how the system was set up.  Digression on swimming Lake Monona.  Traveling in North Africa, Spain, Italy.

00:29:30	How GB got in the French Army.

00:30:28	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:30:29	Why volunteered for army; a bit about it.  G2 (intelligence), American headquarters, things did in G2.  The cases she had to smooth over; all the traveling, left as soon as she could--August.  Talk about the trip back over to America, to New York; Bryn Mawr took her back--taught there until 1953.

00:45:15	Offered chairmanship at New York University; first French then Slavic languages.  Stayed seven years.  Her opinion of this job; dollar-credit-point system; a new experience--administrative work; taught some as well.

00:54:25	About becoming a US citizen--some reasons; first decision was whether to be French or British citizen.  Talks about foreigners speaking up about their political beliefs, and about the responsibilities of citizenship in general.

01:00:55	End of side.

End of Mp3 File. 

Tape 2/Side 1

00:00:00 	Teaching both graduates and undergraduates--differences in these teachings; how GB deals with them.  Ways others deal with them; GB doesn't agree.  Long dissertation on the language- learning process, mechanisms involved--with thinking, writing and speaking the languages.  Has learned both Spanish and German.  Does most of her teaching in French, gives preference.  Preference as to teaching of graduates or undergraduates.  Talk of job problem--how this affects graduate teaching, why it will be a long dry spell for jobs.  What the saving grace could be.

Tape 2/Side 2

00:30:22	Why GB decided to come to Wisconsin.  Job duties; the "Institute."  Stipulations of Vilas professorship.  Difficulty of leaving NYU.

00:34:36	Thirteen years at Wisconsin were marvelous in what she was able to do in research and traveling; teaching in Australia, University of London, University of Cairo.

00:35:35	The students; relations with director, executive secretary. Talk of stress of life in New York.

00:37:20	Choosing fellows; Johnson professors, what kind of people tried to get; Marshall Clagett, Julius R. Weinberg.  Kind of structure had to "meetings."  Times had here.  Length of time fellows are here.

00:47:15	Attractions of UW for women--Women's Research Center.  Digression on parking.  More on what GB thinks Center has done.

00:51:05	Elaine Marks--about her, GB's praises.  Something about women's places in academics.  Back to Center; mentions some of these people; GB's praises of this center.

00:55:55	How GB felt as a woman academic--didn't really feel imposed upon.  Bryn Mawr; GB has never applied for a job.  GB develops her career, importance of publishing.

01:01:17	End of side.

End of Mp3 File. 

Tape 3/Side 1

00:00:00	Publishing--the importance of it in judging a professor. Anecdote about Ken Setten, doing research vs. teaching.  GB's opinion of writing, of University politics.  Hurt by Vietnam War, about this time, draft resistors, Civil Rights Movement.

00:18:10	Involvement with French department, its students; benefits of this relationship.  About the department; students' passion for French Existentialism.

00:23:27	Contrast of students "today"--the differences of those and the northern and southern students.

00:29:36	The job situation in French--very bad.

Tape 3/Side 2

00:30:40	How decided to go to Wake Forest.  Still teaching, still writing; talk of committee work.

00:34:21	How knew Camus; suggestion for GB to write a book on him; opinions of Francene Camus--why they were held.

00:43:35	Being able to keep in touch with Paris connections; how important this is, what can go wrong if this is lost.

00:48:30	End of interview.

END