UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #382
COYE, ROBERT D.

COYE, Robert D. (1924- )
Professor of Pathology; Secretary to Faculty of Medical School; Associate Dean of Medical School
At UW: 1955-1972

Interviewed: 1990	
Interviewer: Mailed questionnaire
Length: 01:31:15

Background; Medical school at University of Rochester; Arrival at UW; Work as secretary of faculty and associate dean; John Bowers's administration; Admissions work; Black and female students; Committee work; Curriculum; Pathology Department; Medical School deans; Robert Clodius and proposed medical school at UW-Milwaukee; Marquette School of Medicine; Governor's Task Force on Medical Education.

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:40  Robert Coye born on December 17, 1924 in Los Angeles, California.  Family
impacted by Depression.  Moved to New York and lived there through high school.  Injured
back playing basketball and had to wear a back-jacket for year.  Afterwards worked as orderly
in operating rooms at Genesee Hospital in Rochester, New York.  Worked with Dr. Hopkins.

00:03:00  In summer of 1942, RC began pre-medical program at Williams College.  Was then
involved in WWII.  Came back in 1946 and finished degree in 1948 in biology.

00:04:12  RC went to medical school at University of Rochester.  Good faculty attitudes 
towards students.  Dr. George Wipple was Dean of Medical School.  RC enjoyed pathology.  
Did not decide to go into pathology until worked summer of third year in Maine State TB 
Sanitarium.

00:09:21  RC graduated from medical school in 1952.  Interned and was resident at Rochester. 
Interested in proteins and teaching pathology.  Headed towards academic work.

00:11:07  In 1955 Dr. Wipple retired as department chair in pathology at Rochester, and RC 
decided to leave.  Dr. Angevine, at the University of Wisconsin, offered RC position.  Had a 
dim appreciation of Midwest and did not realize importance of UW or it medical school.

00:14:30  Angevine offered RC $7500 a year, and RC thought this was low.  Angevine told 
him he would not need to do much work. 

00:16:25  RC was Secretary of Faculty and Assistant/Associate Dean of Medical School at
University.  Bowers was dean of medical school, and invited RC to be Secretary of Faculty.  
Was new position.  He recorded at faculty meetings and was sounding board for Dr. Bowers.

00:19:22  John Bowers, Dean of Nursing School, and Hospital Director meet once a week. 
Bowers' battle to name new Surgical Director.  Bowers was pleasant, but aggressive.  Was a 
good dean, and RC supported him.  Bowers fired by Board of Regents.

00:21:55  RC became assistant and associate dean in 1960.  Active in admissions, student
affairs and curriculum.  Deans were Bill Cohen, Jim Crow, and Peter Eichman.

00:23:17  RC worked with Tommy Thompson, Art Stevenson, Charles Lobbeck, Ted Gramm, 
Bill Lewis, John Benfield, Warren Davis, and Bob Benjamin.  Robert Hally and Otto Mortensen 
also important in RC's work.

00:24:57  Isabel Peterson important in admissions work.  Prior to RC she only person doing 
admissions, and first contact students had with department.  She also dealt with student's 
problems.

00:26:20  When RC began at UW he never had specific office for administrative matters.  Had 
office adjacent to lab.  Administrative issues not considered major function of dean's office.  
Dean's office run family style until 1970s.

00:28:50  When RC began admissions work were fewer applicants than space.  Admitted 80 
students a year.  Policy question was whether to drop admissions requirements to fill spaces.  
RC opposed.  Applicant numbers grew over time.  Selection became difficult job.  Criteria for 
admissions not rationally developed or clearly spelled out.  Admissions Committee debated 
issues such as whether interviews were important, emphasis on science vs. liberal arts students, 
and importance of extra-curricular activities. 

00:34:10  Women always admitted while RC was at University, but would have to be better than 
average student.  Females had 50% attrition rate as opposed to 10% for males.  As numbers of 
females admitted went up, attrition rate went down.

00:36:56  A qualified black student had never been rejected.  Most did not apply until 1960s.  
Issue nationally.  RC supported black enrollment.  In 1965 had first black student enroll, Walter 
Tarduy.  Committee allowed black students to have lower academic qualifications.  Resulted in 
heated debate.   Created some problems in the system, but RC believed the position was correct.

00:43:47  RC did not decide admissions issues on blacks.  Faculty and University established
policies and procedures.

00:45:00  Admissions Committee voted on applicants for admissions.  Avoided undue 
influence by others.

00:45:56  RC supported student involvement on faculty committees.  Movement began in the \
mid to late 1960s.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:47:30  Students on faculty committees.  RC did not promote students on the faculty
promotion, tenure, or search committees.  

00:48:36  When RC began was limited financial aid available, usually $2500 a year.  RC would 
authorize disbursements.  Money became available because increased federal loans and 
contributions from alumni.  Could offer financial aid packages to students, and this helped 
attract more students.

00:51:09  RC did academic counseling.  Discouraging.  Students having academic problems.  
Not a pleasant task.

00:53:13  RC attended student beer and brat parties and student/faculty field days.

00:53:45  RC asked to study revising curriculum.

00:56:57  New teaching issues emerging.  Most medical schools undertaking changes.  
Proposed revisions with first year presentation by department, and second year by 
inter-disciplinary committees.  Not enthusiastically agreed upon.  Resisted by older faculty.  
Was accepted by close vote.

01:01:15  Implementation of new curriculum difficult.  Curriculum Committee proposed 
changing grading system from letter to number grades.  Faculty and students objected, but 
accepted.

01:04:48  RC full-time faculty in pathology department, but only spent half-time on teaching 
responsibilities.

01:06:00  RC had some research grant money.  Interests stronger in teaching and 
administration.  Dr. Benjamin a good chairman and allowed faculty to pursue own goals.

01:07:30  Other members of faculty staff RC worked with.  Dr. Angevine and Allrich were 
senior members of department and most influential in departmental governance.  Harmonious 
group to work with.

01:10:20  RC discusses his work with State Crime Laboratory.

01:11:39  Medical school deans, Crow, Cohen, and Eichman, viewed RC's academic work as 
secondary when compared with other issues they faced and they pretty much left him on his 
own.

01:13:55  1955 facilities.  SMI building housed library.  Facilities have improved over time.

01:15:06  RC served on several University wide committees like Allied Health Committee for
Physicians Assistant Program and Nursing Dean's Search Committee.

01:15:57  In 1965, Vice President Robert Clodius asked RC to work with group formed by
President Harrington to form a medical school at UW-Milwaukee.  Did study of physician 
manpower needs in Milwaukee and throughout state.  Investigated capacities of undergraduate 
and graduate programs at UWM, and willingness of hospitals and clinics to help in program 
development.

01:18:47  Marquette University School of Medicine in trouble during this time both in its
operating budget and inadequate facilities.  It opposed UWM medical school idea; wanted funds 
from state to improve its program.  Revised charter to break ties with parent Catholic university 
and developed board with public-at-large.  Thought this would make it easier to secure public 
funding. 

01:22:36  Governor's task force on medical education looked at medical education in state and
in Milwaukee.  RC served on staff.

01:24:24  In December 1967, task force issued report stating medical school at Madison should 
be increased to 160 students per class, Marquette should be increased to 160 students per class, 
and a new school should be developed in Milwaukee at University with 100 students per class.

01:26:45  Relations with central administration.  No difficulty in working with these people.

01:28:12  Women and minorities discussed earlier.  Prejudices based on religion not an 
admissions issue.  No quotas used for any group.

01:29:54  RC worked closely with Dr. Mark Hanson, Dr. Arvin Weinstein, and Dr. 
J.M.B.Bloodworth.

01:30:25  Time at UW represented by young Turks vs. “old goats”, who represented the status quo.
   			 End of Oral History 382