UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #261
PFANKUCHEN, GRETCHEN K.

PFANKUCHEN, Gretchen K. (1912- )
Undergraduate Student; Staff; Wife of Llewellyn Pfankuchen (Professor of Political Science)
At UW: 1932-1945; 1951-1963

Interviewed: 1983	
Series: Faculty Wives
Interviewer: Laura Smail  
Length: 2.5 hours

Background and training; Marriage; Arrival in Madison; Personalities and issues in Political Science Department; Experimental College; Her undergraduate coursework; Assisting husband Llewellyn Pfankuchen; First job; La Follettes; League of Women Voters; Home management; Run for State Assembly; McCarthy era.

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:00	Interviewer’s introduction. 

00:00:13	Background. Education. Jobs before marriage.

00:20:29	Arrival in Madison.  Finding a house.  Meeting people in department.  Joining League of Women Voters.

00:32:03	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:32:05	More on department social gatherings.

00:34:26	Salary waiver.

00:36:18	President's house.

00:37:17	Awareness of Experimental College students.  Experimental College faculty.  Didn't do much research.  Ogg's vote for ILS.

00:46:38	Auditing Max Otto's course.

00:49:18	Enrollment as undergraduate.  Courses taken.

00:53:03	First child, buying a house.  Rices.

00:57:49	Ways she helped her husband.

01:02:29	End of tape. 

Tape 2/Side 1

00:00:01	Her first job since marriage.  Meeting La Follettes after their trip to Germany. Year and a half in Washington.

00:13:38	Finishing degree.  Majored in German.

00:16:43	University Club.  Social life.  Washington during war.

00:23:25	Activity on League of Women Voters.  Dane County Citizens Committee. 

00:28:42	End of side. 

Tape 2/Side 2

00:28:44	Question regarding husband's role in house.  Not important to her.  Of course she minded but not something to fuss about.  Wasn't a career woman.  Just trying to get a B.A.  Took care of all house work.  Didn't think about contrast.  Son helped some.  LP worked a lot at home--reading, grading papers.  Now he gets own breakfast.

00:35:21	Department parties frequent in 1940s.  A major source of friendships.  After he retired in 1972 lost contact with younger members.  Already a change in department in late 1940's.  Less social life.  When Ogg retired a complete break in how things were done.  Clarence Dykstra instituted three-year chairman rule, so not same feelings for chairman.

00:51:55	They divide financial matters.  He doesn't see disorder.  Her father lived with them ten years.  Great help.

00:55:05	LP didn't write very much.  That didn't bother her.  He liked teaching.  Gave lectures on United Nations around state.

00:58:44	End of tape.

Tape 3/Side 1

00:00:06	His course on United Nations in New York during summer.

00:03:17	Question about traveling alone. She hasn't regretted lack of single life's work such as a professor has.

00:10:30	Her work for Democratic Party.

00:13:54  	Running for assembly in a Republican area.  Got a lot of help.  Was 52.  Being a candidate very different from helping.  She had no campaign manager.  Got more votes in primary than Uehling.  Too hopeful.  Lost by close margin.

00:19:51	Reactions to Women's Movement.  League of Women Voters an important outlet for women before women's movement.  Long discussion.

00:26:45	Their house.

00:31:25	End of side [unclear where it ends]. 

Tape 3/Side 2

00:31:28   	GP did stenographic work for Phil La Follette's sister, describes her and La Follette house.

00:36:15   	LP was chairman of department when Howard McMurray case occurred.  She does not think he was partisan in his teaching.  GP active in Democratic politics, supported him.  Thought it was a shame he was let go.   Some wives want to be alter egos of their husbands.  GP didn't want to be this, and couldn't do it.  LP thought McMurray should have tenure.  Many people thought Democrats should have supported La Follette.

00:41:33   	GP worked in "Joe Must Go" movement.  More on politics.

00:48:30   	Talking about initial question from Mrs. Ogg that got her into League of Women Voters.  Mrs. Gaus was an artist.

01:02:33	End of interview. 

END