The Cavalier Daily Alumni Association has launched a history project aimed at compiling the recollections of past staff members and publishing them, first on this web site. As designed, this will be the web version of an oral history project. We intend to edit very lightly and post these reminiscences more or less as written. We hope to get enough memoirs to give a fairly detailed account of the CD’s evolution over the years.
It is hoped that the essays will convey the flavor and the humor of working for the CD along with basic information about how it was published. In order to assure that the reminiscences cover common ground and present some factual data, the project’s editors have compiled a list of nine questions they would like each respondent to address in his or her essay (See below). It’s not necessary, however, to answer the questions in order, and good anecdotes that aren’t responsive to the questions are encouraged.
The following memoirs have been submitted to date:
- Moving To the Newcomb Hall Basement, 1992 by Lisa Guernsey
- CD Lifestyles, 1989–92 by Kim Ramsey
- The Demise of the Media Board and the Birth of the CDAA, 1979–83 by Rick Neel
- Couric Wins Earth Momma Award Twice, 1974–78 by PJ Boatwright, III
- Finally Taken Seriously, 1969–73 by Steve Wells
- Women join the CD, 1970–1972 by Holly Smith
- Years of Upheaval, 1966–70 by Bob Cullen
- Censorship and Dean Runk, 1963–67 by Dick Dyas
- Pogo, Peanuts, and Carroll’s Tea Room, 1954–58 by Tom Hawley
- Thanks Only to Mr. Jefferson’s Influence, 1949–51 by John Rybolt
Now it’s your turn!
Here are the guideline questions:
- What were your active years on the CD? What jobs did you do?
- Where was the paper’s office located during those years? What was it like
- Where was the CD printed and what technology was used? What were the technological innovations during those years, if any?
- How many times a week did the paper appear during your tenure? How many pages? What size pages?
- What was the structure of the managing board? Who were the managing board members in your time? How were they selected? If they were elected, what were the politics of election? Did fraternity connections play a major role?
- Did any of your colleagues on the staff go on to fame in journalism or another profession?
- What can you say about the paper’s financial condition during your tenure? Were salaries paid, and, if so, how much? Did the paper receive a subsidy from the Student Activities Fund or some similar fund?
- What were the paper’s relations with the University administration like during your tenure? What issues arose in this arena?
- What were the major events the paper covered during your tenure? What were its most important editorial stands?
Responses should be in essay form and take into account the questions above. However, any good anecdotes are encouraged, even if they are not on point with the questions. Answers should be sent via email to rbcullen@yahoo.com. The questions are also available as a Word document, which can then be modified and attached to an email when you are ready to send it.
Thank you in advance for your time and responses!