Home- College of Education Faculty Oral Histories
- Dr. Surrendra Singh
College of Education Faculty Oral Histories
Dr. Surrendra Singh
LB: As I recall you had some interesting, if not disconcerting, experiences in Immokalee, Florida when you went down there to help the migrant children.
SS: Well, some of the experiences were not very pleasant. At that time in Immokalee, which was consistent with its time, segregation issues were overt. Incidentally, segregation issues today are not overt though remain more sophisticated and covert. Returning to Immokalee experience, after visiting some migrant program we went to a restaurant for lunch only to be taken out at the gunpoint.
LB: At gunpoint?
SS: At gunpoint. This was not a pleasant experience for any of us including our students. A similar experience had occurred in Brooksville though not at gunpoint. Bob Weatherford and I, as well as our students, were not served at a restaurant because of our diversified students and faculty group. There were many other experiences of this kind. The most important thing for us to remember is that the Department of Special Education was diversified long before diversity became the model to follow. Some of us were active participant and played significant role in training diversified prospective teachers and in training teachers of teachers as well. Another thing we have to remember that we had developed-courses the ones were used in developing new colleges. For example as you may recall I had taught a course entitled, Health Issues in Schools for the College of Education. The course was the outcome of direct experience relating to health issues at the migrant camps and the effects of lack of early appropriate health related services on children’s cognitive and affective developmental behaviors. The course later was transferred to College of Public Health. We made significant contributions in the development of other colleges at USF as well.
LB: OK. I noticed Bob Weatherford’s name listed as a College of Education faculty member. Was he originally a member of the College of Education in Special Education? He later went to Behavioral Sciences.
SS: No, Bob Weatherford did not go to the College of Behavioral Sciences. He was the member of College of Education faculty. When the Institute III was merged with the College of Education, like all original Department of Special Education faculty, Bob came to College of Education. There was another institute known as the Institute 1V which focused on speech disorders that merged with the College of Behavioral Sciences. On another historical factual footnote, initially, the College of Education and Special Education were separated. Physically Special Education was housed on the second floor of the College of Engineering and then moved to an apartment building on Fletcher Avenue, which was followed by another move to merge with College of Education.
LB: Going on with the projects, I have a listing here that there was an IT project you were heading it up as I recall because I got involved, working with the school system with John Melliscano, Don Seager, Don Taylor, and Judy Oxhorn. I think I was involved. What was that about? What did that involve?
SS: The successful concept of combining teaching, research, and service in training prospective teachers was the key ingredient in winning federal funding. The IT project was one of the service components that provided an avenue to serve the community and learn from serving. IT was the first major intensive community service involvement for the College of Education. The students loved it. Both Judy Oxhorn and Don Seager played significant role.