Oral history interview with Edward Alexander, May 7, 1981.

ArchivalResource

Alexander, Edward, 1936-. Oral history interview with Edward Alexander, May 7, 1981.

Oral history interview with Edward Alexander, May 7, 1981.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50612875

Alexander briefly discusses his early life in Williamsburg and his Orthodox Jewish parents. He mentions his education at Columbia University (bachelor of arts, 1957) and the University of Minnesota (Ph. D. in English, 1960). After completing his doctorate, Alexander began his professional career at the University of Washington. He discusses in detail the development of the Jewish Studies Committee at the University, naming those who worked for and against the formation of the JSC and reflecting on the results of the program. He recalls that Rabbi Arthur Jacobovitz and professors Neil Groman and Leo Sreenby pushed for the formation of the committee, which was originally called the Hillel Committee due to tension surrounding the Jewish Studies Program. The program was ruled out by the university in 1969, but in 1971 Alexander, Jacobovitz, and others approached the College of Arts and Sciences to create a standing committee on Jewish studies. Alexander explains that he drafted the letter to the college, which was signed by professors Howard Kaminsky, Jere Bacharach, Don Kartiganer, Willis Konick, Allen Podet, Barry Scherr, and Joan Ullman. The group of signers was appointed to the new Jewish Studies Committee by Dean William Phillips. Alexander discusses certain difficulties the committee faced: persuading the history department to use a position to staff the Jewish Studies Program, getting approval for someone to head the program, and finding a replacement after the original program head, Deborah Lipstadt, resigned in 1979.

Sound recordings: 2 sound cassettes : analog, mono.Transcript: 30 leaves.

University of Washington. Libraries