SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:  Flora Goforth talks about her education at Texas Tech University, her teaching in Texas public schools, and her teaching through the U.S. Indian Service.   She also talks about her book, Weave It Yourself, and talks about the background and descriptions of the items she is donating to the Southwest Collection.

MAIN ENTRY:                                           Gorforth, Flora

DATE OF INTERVIEW:                            January 11, 2000

LOCATION OF INTERVIEW:                   Almogordo, New Mexico

INTERVIEWER:                                          David Marshall

NUMBER OF REELS/TAPES:                    3

TAPE FORMAT:                                        Cassette

LENGTH OF INTERVIEW:                       2 hours, 30 minutes

ABSTRACT:                                         The education and teaching career of Flora Goforth

TAPE ONE             SIDE ONE

Reasons for choosing Texas Tech University for getting an education

Interest in design and weaving

Converting a large loom to a hand loom

Description of the first blanket made on the handloom

Designing and building a handloom at Texas Tech

Selling baby blankets made on the handloom

            Help received in learning how to sell

Being a woman student and not fitting the female student mold

Advantages of attending Texas Tech when it was new

            Starting new courses

Difficulties with the Dean of Home Economics

Being the first freshman elected to a committee

Applying for a teaching position in El Paso, Texas

            Recruiting for Texas Tech’s Textile Department

Teaching high school arts & crafts in El Paso, Texas

            First day teaching

Campus life at Texas Tech

            Common for deans and faculty to have students in their homes

President of Texas Tech

            Knew every student on campus

            He was friendly and had an open door polaicy

Hightower, Jack

            Night watchman

            Influence he had on the students

TAPE ONE             SIDE TWO

Hightower, Jack (again)

Description of the Texas Tech campus

Story about when and where sidewalks were built on campus

Student parades down Broadway

Hightower, Jack (again)

            Interaction with students

Killing a rattlesnake on campus

Advantages of Texas Tech (again)

Delaney, Marie

            Design teacher

            Encouragement toward Native American art studies

Studying Native American art and its influence on studying archeology

Teaching high school arts & crafts (again)

            Texas school system’s plan for improving education

                        Experimental schools

            Being a teacher in the experimental schools

            Impact of experimental methods on the students

            Influence of her mother’s teaching methods on her teaching

Teaching in Spade, Texas

            Rural experimental school

            Never sending books home with students

            Story about one student’s mother becoming a friend

List of schools where Flora Goforth taught

Teaching in El Paso, Texas (again)

            Mixing grade levels within one class

            Story about a student whose parents wanted him to become a minister

            Over 50 percent of her students were from broken homes – 1930’s

TAPE TWO – SIDE ONE

Easter Sunrise Services at Texas Tech

            Held in the East Tower on campus

            No sermons, just music

Playing in the band at Texas Tech

            Instruments played

            All girls orchestra

            Practices at First Methodist church

Story about the boy’s motorcycle club

            Boys killed in motorcycle accidents

            Story about one accident in particular

                        Flower girls at his funeral

            Trips made by the motorcycle club

Easter Sunrise Service (again)

Knapp, Bradford – Texas Tech University’s president

            Comparison to Dr. Horn (former TTU president)

Texas Tech University Band

            Co-ed band

            Girls only group

Phillip Sousa came to Texas Tech

            Offering one of the students a job

Texas Tech University Band  (again)

            Train trip to Austin, Texas

            Picture of the band – 1929

            Events for which the band played

            Band practice

            Playing at football games

            Some students had never played an instrument before

Description of a piece of weaving done on the reservation

Decorating the Indian Service office building

            Having the drapes made

            Difficulties with Indian Service employees

Teaching for the Indian Service

            Purpose for teaching Native Americans to weave

            Weaving projects

            Market increase for Native American crafts

TAPE TWO – SIDE TWO

Teaching for the Indian Service (again)

            Description of woven scarves made on the Indian reservation

            Cross-stitch work

            Information ready to be published

            Students developed their own designs

            Items made by students

            Indian name given to Flora Goforth by her students

            Items made by students (again)

[Approximately 20 minutes of blank tape.]

 TAPE THREE - SIDE ONE

Descriptions of items donated to the Southwest Collection

Description of how to make a straight edge

Descriptions of items donated (again)

Weave It Yourself by Flora Goforth

            Naming the book

            Background of photographs in the book

            Description of processes shown in various photographs

            Background of photographs (again)

Drafting school pictures

RANGE DATES:                                               1925-1951

BULK DATES:                                                   1931-1951

AGE OF INFORMANT:                                      92

GENDER OF INFORMANT:                              Female

ETHNICITY OF INFORMANT:                        Anglo