Retirement Association Interviews

This collection features interviews with former Central Washington University (CWU) students, faculty members, and Board of Trustees members. These interviews were conducted by the Central Washington University Retirement Association (CWURA), which was founded in 1990 “to facilitate the mission and goals of the University and provide for continuing professional, educational and social activities of retired University personnel.” Interviewing began in 1995 and continues into the present. Each CWURA interviewee answered questions about personal background, education and experiences at CWU.

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John Agars interview

John Agars

John Agars taught in the art department at Central Washington University, 1964-2000.
Ann Anderson Video Interview

Ann Anderson

Ann Anderson talks about her early life growing up in Yakima and attending college at Central. She then had a career as a public school teacher before being elected a state senator, where she served for twelve years.Ann was later hired to be Director of Government Relations for Central Washington University.
Joe Antonich Video Interview

Joe Antonich

Joe Antonich talks about his life before CWU and graduating from University of Washington and service during Vietnam. He discusses working for state auditors office before working in accounting at CWU.
Myrna Antonich Video Interview

Myrna Antonich

Myrna Antonich talks about her life before coming to work at Central. She also discusses working in the registrar office and other positions before becoming Office Supervisor of the College of Arts and Humanities.
Jimmie Applegate interview

Jimmie Applegate

Jimmie Applegate taught in the education department at Central Washington University, 1970-1997.
Walter "Spike" Arlt Video Interview

Walter Arlt

Spike Arlt talks about his life and early career as a high school athletics director before coming to Central. He then discusses being tenured faculty and a coach. The expansion of campus from a state college to a university. Memorable faculty and administrators are recalled. He discusses campus issues and workloads of coaches. He also discusses working with the alumni from Track and Field (the CAT board) to get historic material shipped to the archives.
Liahna Armstrong Video Interview

Liahna Armstrong

Liahna Armstrong talks her early life and earning her degree at UCLA and then teaching English in Oregon and Iowa. She also chaired the English department at Montana State University for ten years before coming to Ellensburg and working for Central Washington University as the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. She talks about changes in students over the years.
Anthony Aronica interview

Anthony Aronica

Anthony (Tony) Aronica attended Central Washington University as a Running Start high school student and university student between 2000 and 2006. He completed bachelor's degrees in history and anthropology, as well as serving as Student Body President at CWU.
Ellen Avitts Video Interview

Ellen Avitts

Ellen Avitts talk about her experiences before coming to central then coming and teaching art and design at Central. She enjoyed teaching art history the most. She also liked her colleagues in the art department. She liked the student focus she found at central.
Jim Ayers interview

Jim Ayers

Jim Ayers graduated from Central Washington State College (predecessor to Central Washington University) in 1970. He speaks about the drama program at the university.
Jim Ayers Video Interview

Jim Ayers

Jim Ayers discusses his personal biography, coming to Central as a student in 1968, working at the firehouse, his professors, schedule problems, dating, campus protests, student government, building changes, winter hazards, campus TV and radio, his teaching career, and final notes on his experience at CWU.
Brian Bach Video Interview

Brian Bach

Brian Bach talks about his early life growing up in Ellensburg and attending the Hebeler School, town and gown relations, his higher education and work at CWU. Brian also talks about his published books including: The Grand Trunk Road: from the front seat, Calcutta’s Edifice: the buildings of a great city and his ebook, Busted Boom: The Bummer Of Being A Boomer.
Frank Bach Video Interview

Frank Bach

Frank Bach discusses personal history, the Department of Art, awards and honors, campus committees, interdepartmental relations, salary schedule, faculty code, Board of Trustees, Faculty Senate, town/gown relationships, campus emergencies, and final thoughts on CWU.
Phil Backlund Video Interview

Phil Backlund

Phill Backlund talks about personal history and education. He discusses coming to Central to work in the communications department and different positions during his tenure, international and non-traditional students, and great opportunities working for the university gave him.
Becky Baker Video Interview

Becky Baker

Becky Baker discusses personal history, first impressions of CWU, getting hired, influential faculty, town/gown relations, working in Human Resources, and working in Ellensburg.
Luther Baker interview

Luther Baker

Luther Baker taught in the home economics department at Central Washington University, 1964-1987.
Kathleen Barlow Video Interview

Kathleen Barlow

Kathleen Barlow discusses her early life attending college at Pomona college in San Diego and teaching Elementary school. She then discusses returning to school and studying cultural anthropology and doing field work in Papua New Guinea. She also discusses being hired as chair of Anthropology Department at Central Washington University and issues during her tenure as chair.
Adrian Beamer interview

Adrian Beamer

Adrian (Bink) Beamer worked with the athletics program at Central Washington University, 1957-1983.
Eric Beardsley interview

Eric Beardsley

Eric Beardsley taught in Central Washington University's athletics program, 1959-1986. For much of this time, he acted as wrestling coach at the university.
Linda Beath Video Interview

Linda Beath

Linda Beath talks about her early education and career working at Western Washington University before coming to Central in 1992. She talks about coming to Ellensburg and her duties in the Education department. She discusses early introduction of the internet and new construction on campus. She also discusses political issues at the University, including president's office issues and unionization of faculty.
Paul Bechtel interview

Paul Bechtel

Paul Bechtel acted as Director of the Physical Plant at Central Washington University, 1957-1988.
Robert Bennett interview

Robert Bennett

Robert (Bob) Bennett taught in the physics department at Central Washington University from 1967 to 1989. He speaks about his time working for UNESCO at Zambia University. He also talks about his work at CWU, including team teaching, physics program support, university administration, organizational structure, academic standards, publishing requirements, research opportunities, awards, RIF, committees, and Faculty Senate.
Ethan Bergman Video Interview

Ethan Bergman

Ethan Bergman talks about his job as a faculty member at Central Washington University in the Health Sciences Department for 35 years. He discusses his early college career and degrees in biology and coaching baseball before hitchhiking around Europe. He also talk about teaching high school biology before getting his PHD at Washington State then coming to Central. He mentions changes in education over time and how things have changed.
Alan Bergstrom interview

Alan Bergstrom

Alan Bergstrom taught in the education department at Central Washington University, 1960-1983.
Marco Bicchieri Interview

Marco Bicchieri

Marco Bicchieri taught in the anthropology department at Central Washington University, 1969-1996. In this interview he talks about the following: his childhood in eastern Africa, school in Italy, WWII experiences including prison and working with resistance against Germany, big game hunting in Africa, his time at the University of Minnesota, the creation of CWU anthropology department in 1969, depersonalization during the digital age, and CWU administrators.