The Black Experience at Grinnell College Through Collected Oral History and Documents, 1863–1954

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Deborah Green: Mother is a school psychologist‚ working for the Denver public schools. father is an administrator. My mother has a Masters' plus ninety hours. My father has two years of college background. I was born and raised in Denver Colorado. We lived with my grandparents until I was five years oltl. I'd never known desegregation until I was around seven and went visiting to Texas. ] have always been in a desegregated area. I went to East High School‚ which is one of the main high schools in Denver at the time. It was about forty to fifty percent blacks at the school. However‚ in my classes I was usually the only one or the one of two in my high school classes. My graduating class was larger then the total enrollment at Grinnell College when I was there. I was reaised as an Episcopalian‚ and still practice that religion. Both my parents are Democrats.

Green: How did I choose Grinnell? I didn't. A friend of the family was going to Grinnell at the time I was a senior in high school and sent-excuse me‚ at the time I was a junior in high school-and sent information to us from Grinnell. My father had attended Grinnell for a couple of months during the war‚ in training‚ and he knew about it and knew it was a good school. I had actually wanted to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles‚ but my parents didn't want me to live in L.A. So‚ since they were paying the bill‚ Grinnell was the choice. “'Course‚ my reaction and my friend's reaction to Grinnell was‚ “Where's that?'' I tried to transfer from Grinnell to 'remple when I was a junior‚ but my father didn't want me to go to Detroit. So I ended up at Grinnell for four years and graduated on time. I was not actively recruited by the college.

My goals were set before I attended Grinnell. I decided when I was in eighth grade I wanted to be a physician‚ primarily a pediatrician. I idolized our pediatrician and wanted to be just li1ce him. My primary concerns as a student at Grinnell was just graduating. I was not involved with any of the political activities‚ then or now. I am not interested in politics in‚any way.

Not much in the way of social activities for blacks at Grinnell.‚ However‚ there were several progFams during the years at Grinnell which I enjoyed attending.

The school was very much aware of the blacks there‚ and they did try to bring some programs to interest the blaclrn at the college at the time.

I grew up in a fairly large city with a pretty good population. I guess at the time.that it was probably around 500‚000. So‚ moving to a small area like Grinnell was a big cultural shock. First year‚ it was difficult for me to adjust. I was not used to being in an area where everything closed at eight o'clock.

blacl{ al of Grinnell‚ however‚ there was one gentleman who had graduated about two years before I did‚ who'd come to Grinnell once a year to discuss present situations at Grinnell as far as blacks were concerned. He was very active in the alumni program of Grinnell and he helped us to establish the Concerned Black Citizens-excuse me Concerned Black Students.

Looking back while at Grinnell I‚ no‚ I probably was not happy there mainly because it was a small town‚ and I didn't want to be there. However‚ after realizing that I was going to be ther for four years‚ I tried to make the best of it. Sophomore year‚ I did have a car‚ and was able to leave Grinnell on weekends with my friends to go to Iowa City‚ Davenport or Des Moines. Also‚ several of the other black students in surrounding colleges would come to visit us at our events and activities-William Penn was one in particular. Several of the young men would come up‚ and several of us did date them.

After leaving Grinnell‚ I attended the University of Colorade Medical Center. During my senior year at Grinnell‚ I was married. However‚ after leaving Grinnell‚ I did get divorced. I graduated from the University of Colorado Medical Center in 1975‚ and went to Miani‚ Florida to do my residency in Family Practice at Jaclrnon Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami. After completing my residency in 1978‚ I moved to San Jose‚ California‚ and worked for Kaiser Permanente there. In 1979‚ I did marry again to a gentleman by the name of Michael Camp‚ whom I had met while at Grinnell during my sophomore year. He virtually had been together since my graduation at Grinnell until I was in Florida and he went to California‚ and I still went to Florida. However‚ we did meet up again in California and did get married. We presently have an eight month old son who we enjoy very much.

This past surmner I resigned from Kaiser and came back to Colorado to venture out into my own practice. I presently live and practice in Fort Lupton‚ Colorado‚ and my practice is picking up slowly‚ but surely. I enjoy-where I live-a small town‚ a little bit larger than Grinnell with a population of 5‚000. There are a total of three black families in Fort Lupton‚ and that includes myself. However‚ the townspeople are very friendly towards me‚ and I enjoy living situation very much. I try to keep myself involved in as many of the communtty activities where I live as I can. I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce‚ and do attend as many functions as I possibly can Fort Lupton. I am not politically affiliated with anyone at this time‚ and I am not active in politics in any way. My courses in various disciplines‚ briefly‚ did not address the question of race or the blaclr experience.

I was not involved in any of the religious activities at Grinnell‚ however‚ I did attend chapel on campus many times. present affiliation with the church is with the-I am an Episcopalian‚ and was raised as such. I think Grinnell gave me a very good educational background. Looking back on it‚ I'm glad I did go to Grinnell. It was an enlightening experience. I believe that if I had gone elsewhere‚ I might not have gotten the education that I got at Grinnell. As I said‚ I did take a leave of absence junior year and did attend the 1Jniversity of Colorado here at home. At that time‚ I realized how much of an asset Grinnell was. The classes at the University of Colorado were very large‚ and you were just a number and not a person‚ Whereas at Grinnell you were known by your first name‚ you were treated as a person‚ and the professors took time with you. The one thing that I do regreat about Grinnell is that there were no sororities or fraternities on campus. There was no real athletic events‚ other than intercollegiate. We were not active in any football or basketball perse. It was more like-I think my high school was more active than Grinnell.

Going to Grinnell did make me realize that an education is very important‚ and that you should try to get as much as you can out of it. The only unfortunate thing‚ I guess‚ about Grinnell‚ is that concerning the blacks‚ you really were not that organized or that close. Therefore‚ I don't believe that many of us keep in contact with each other at all. I hope this has been of some help to you. I think what you're doing is a very good idea‚ and I hope it will help students in the future. Thank you for asking me to participate in your program‚ and if there is anything I can do‚ please contact me and let me know.