David Orr, Interview with Elizabeth Fraterrigo, 1998

An instructor at Mundelein College, David Orr recalls his time teaching there. He grew up in Illinois, went to college in Iowa, and graduate school in Ohio. Orr started off as an activist-minded instructor, working for Upward Bound at Mundelein, and later teaching there full time. He was one of several progressive faculty, involved in Conference on the Curriculum, Experimental College, and Weekend College. Orr was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War, partaking in activism alongside students. In the 1970s, he left teaching for politics, becoming an alderman. Orr finishes, wishing that he could balance politics with teaching.

1998

David Orr was born in Bloomington, Illinois in 1944 and grew up in Lombard, Illinois. Orr attended Simpson College and received a bachelor’s of arts in History in 1966 and received an master of arts in American Studies from Case Western Reserve in 1968. Orr worked as an instructor at Mundelein College's Upward Bound Program during the summers between 1967 and 1969 and was then hired as a History Instructor and Assistant Professor. Orr served as the 49th Ward Alderman from 1979 to 1990, acting Mayor of Chicago in 1987, and most recently as Cook County Clerk beginning in 1990.

David Orr
Interview with Elizabeth Fraterrigo, November 18, 1998
Chicago, IL
Time Log

NOTE: Sound is quite low on the interview.

Tape 1, Side A

0-5 minutes
Born in Bloomington, Illinois. Family moved up to Chicago suburbs. Simpson College in Iowa. American Studies for Masters, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, 1968. High point of the Vietnam War. A nun approached him about teaching in her college. He was more of an activist than a student. Worked at Notre Dame College in Cleveland.
5-10 minutes
Upward Bound. Letter from either Sister Kathleen O’Brien or Sister Margaret Thornton asking him to teach U.S. history to young women. Taught at Mundelein during summers 1967 to 1969. Wonderful experience. Focused on eyewitness testimony.
10-15 minutes
Students met Robert Kennedy in Washington, D.C. Joined Mundelein’s faculty in the Fall of 1969. Progressive people - Mary Griffin and Mary DeCock - involved in progressive educational theory. Mundelein was always experimenting.
15-20 minutes
City in Crisis class, summer school program, met with community organizers and groups. Class was experiential. Camaraderie of class Conference on the Curriculum (Con-Cur), evaluation of the curriculum. Paid little at Mundelein.
20-25 minutes
People like Bill Hill and Mike Fortune committed to reforming through Con-Cur. Teaching reflective of the late 1960s. Experimental College; David Crosby in English led the way. Countercultural.
25-30 minutes
Achieve goals you want; independent study. Mary Griffin. Most students turned out successful, except for Les Mueller. Mueller tried to escape, but came around.
30-35 minutes
Crosby and Orr had long hair. Many campuses getting really active around Vietnam War in late 1960s.

Tape 1, Side B

0-5 minutes
Strike, spring of 1970. Bill Hill. Mike Fortune. Russ Barta. Students and faculty had debates. Mary Ann Kroger. Nancy Zak, one of the leaders. Very dramatic group of mainly Loyola students, performed Viet Rock. Orr performed.
5-10 minutes
Sister Ann Ida Gannon was a wonderful president. Open intellectual debate on campus. Organized Weekend College.
10-15 minutes
To be successful, did a lot on your own. Five in charge of Weekend College had an advisory role. Mundelein had enrollment problems. Mary Griffin. Mary DeCock. Always plotting educational experiments. Weekend College added to enrollment. Dan Vaillancourt. Bill Hill.
15-20 minutes
Women’s Movement picking up steam in 1974 and 1975. Good relationships in Weekend College. Taught Movements in Welfare Capitalism and Radicalism in the U.S.
20-25 minutes
Considered who was left out of history. Taught a religion course with Bill Hill on the History of Evil.
25-30 minutes
Mundelein had a pretty open culture. Sister Kathleen O’Brien and Sister Mary Griffin left BVMs.

Tape 2, Side A

0-5 minutes
Interested in history and politics. Lived in Rogers Park since 1969. Involved with anti-machine progressive forces in the neighborhood. Farwell Area Neighbors; mobilizing for the neighborhood. Campaign manager in 1974 for a friend, Mike Kreloff, running for alderman. Beginning of Weekend College. Had to give up tenure to be a full-time alderman.
5-10 minutes
Warm environment on campus in the skyscraper. Parties in Piper Hall. Mundelein lost closeness and commitment to women during affiliation. Wish Mundelein was better in touch with alumni. Would like to balance politics with teaching.

David Orr 1998 Index

KEY
DO 1998 T1=David Orr 1998 Interview Tape 1
DO 1998 T2=David Orr 1998 Interview Tape 2

INDEX
American Studies, DO 1998 T1 Side A, 0-5
Barta, Russ, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5
Bloomington, Illinois, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
Case Western Reserve University, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
City in Crisis class, DO 1998 T1 Side A 15-20
Cleveland, Ohio, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
Conference on the Curriculum (Con-Cur), DO 1998 T1 15-20
Crosby, David, DO 1998 T1 Side A 20-25, DO 1998 T1 Side A 30-35
DeCock, Mary, DO 1998 T1 Side A 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15
English, DO 1998 T1 Side A 20-25
Experimental College, DO 1998 T1 Side A 20-25
Farwell Area Neighbors, DO 1998 T2 Side A 0-5
Fortune, Mike, DO 1998 T1 Side A 20-25, DO 1998 T1 Side B, 0-5
Gannon, Ann Ida, DO 1998 T1 Side B 5-10
Griffin, Mary, DO 1998 T1 Side A 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side A 25-30, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side B 25-30
Hill, Bill, DO 1998 T1 Side A 20-25, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side B 20-25
History, DO 1998 T1 Side A 5-10, DO 1998 T2 Side A 0-5
History of Evil, DO 1998 T1 Side B, 20-25
Indianola, Iowa, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
Kennedy, Robert, DO 1998 T1 Side A 10-15
Kreloff, Mike, DO 1998 T2 Side A 0-5
Kroger, Mary Ann, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5
Loyola Mundelein Affiliation, DO 1998 T2 Side A 5-10
Loyola University Chicago, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5
Movements in Welfare Capitalism class, DO 1998 T1 Side B 15-20
Mueller, Les, DO 1998 T1 Side A 25-30
Mundelein College, DO 1998 T1 Side A 5-10, DO 1998 T1 Side A 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side A 15-20, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side B 25-30, DO 1998 T2 Side A 5-10
Notre Dame College, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
O’Brien, Kathleen, DO 1998 T1 Side A 5-10, DO 1998 T1 Side B 25-30
Piper Hall, DO 1998 T2 Side A 5-10
Radicalism in the U.S. class, DO 1998 T1 Side B 15-20
Rogers Park, DO 1998 T2 Side A 0-5
Simpson College, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5
Thornton, Margaret, DO 1998 T1 Side A 5-10
Upward Bound, DO 1998 T1 Side A 5-10
Vaillancourt, Dan, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15
Viet Rock play, DO 1998 Tape 1 Side B 0-5
Vietnam War, DO 1998 T1 Side A 0-5, DO 1998 T1 Side A 30-35
Vietnam War Strike, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5
Washington, D.C., DO 1998 T1 Side A 10-15
Weekend College, DO 1998 T1 Side B 5-10, DO 1998 T1 Side B 10-15, DO 1998 T1 Side B 15-20, DO 1998 T2 Side A 0-5
Women’s Movement, DO 1998 T1 Side B 15-20
Zak, Nancy, DO 1998 T1 Side B 0-5

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