Interview with Thomas D. Clark, June 15, 1987

Interview Summary

Dr. Thomas D. Clark, University of Kentucky Professor of History emeritus, describes his trips abroad. He recalls traveling to Salzburg, Austria in 1949 for the second meeting of the Salzburg Seminar. He states that Southern history courses were popular in Austria at that time as a result of interest in Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind." While in Europe he formed a friendship with Sam Williams, who was the head of education and cultural affairs in Vienna. Clark states that Williams and Bill Howland offered him a professorship to teach at the University of Vienna.

Clark describes teaching at the University of Vienna starting in the Fall of 1950. He recalls how poor the Austrian students were and the limited resources available on U.S. history. Clark remembers that he had some students who were involved in interesting activities, though. One student's father was in charge of the imperial clothing, another was a member of the Vienna Boys choir, and one student worked in the bibliotheque and allowed Clark to come for a visit. Clark describes some of the lectures he gave including one on Elizabeth City, New Jersey, of which he knew very little, and other lectures on Native Americans.

After coming back to the United States, the State Department asked Clark to go to India, lecture, and report back on the communist situation in India. Clark describes his experiences in India and recalls that there was a lot of anti-imperialism in India at the time. He complains about the Indian educational system and states that he became very conscious of the class structure. He explains that he came back to the United States with a pretty clear perspective that we needed to solve the race problem in America, and he talks about the Supreme Court decision in Board v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.

Interview Keyword

American Indians College environment College students--Social conditions College teachers--Social conditions College teaching. Greece. International travel. Native Americans Politics and government Schloss Leopoldskron United States--Race relations. Universities and colleges--Faculty. University of Oxford

Interview LC Subject

Austria Clark, Thomas Dionysius, 1903-2005 Clark, Thomas Dionysius, 1903-2005--Interviews Educators India

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