Zone d'identification
Cote
Nom et localisation du dépôt
Niveau de description
Dossier
Titre
Town-Gown Tales
Date(s)
Importance matérielle
Season 2 Episode 5 -- Town-Gown Tales
Dan Kaiser, emeritus professor of history, tells three lesser-known stories from the 1930s and 40s that illustrate the evolving relationship between the town and College. From racist housing covenants and Japanese internment to botanical gardens and reduced tuition for Episcopal students, we discuss some moments that show how this complex relationship has played out over the years. The first story details how D.W. Norris 1892 formed a partnership with the College to build a foundry in town. Then, Kaiser discusses how the College’s botanical garden, led by Henry Conard, gave way to what is now St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, at the intersection of State St. and 6th Ave. Lastly, Kaiser discusses the Japanese American students who came to Grinnell during World War II to study and escape internment camps. Through these episodes, a complex picture of the town-gown relationship emerges, one that challenges simple narratives and informs the current relationship.