Sample Interviews
More interviews and audio exhibits will appear as the COHP website develops. For now, enjoy the sample selections below.
Michael Veeck on Disco Demolition
Area resident and Charleston River Dogs co-owner Michael Veeck is infamous in Major League Baseball circles for his role in planning “Disco Demolition,” considered by many to be the worst promotional event in sports history. The son of legendary Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck, Michael Veeck joined with local disc jockey Steve Dahl in the summer of 1979 to offer fans admission to a doubleheader between the White Sox and the visiting Detroit Tigers for .98 cents and an unwanted disco record. Between games Dahl exploded the records in a large crate in center field at which point thousands of fans rushed the field and rioted until Chicago police regained control.
Disco Demolition, Chicago, 1979
In the two interview excerpts linked below, Veeck discusses his family’s longstanding ties to professional baseball. He acknowledges that “Disco Demolition” ruined his career in Major League Baseball, but boasts that it succeeded in bringing the disco craze to an end. He also recalls the conversations and events that led to the ill-fated promotion. Veeck offered his comments in Kerry Taylor’s “US History since 1945” class on November 17, 2008.
transcript | clip #1 (mp3) | clip #2 (mp3)
Richard Polite on Sanitation Work and Unionization
Interview by Kerry Taylor, April 10, 2009. In the two excerpts linked below, Charleston native Richard Polite, 58, discusses his work as a driver for the City’s environmental services department. He enjoys the job he has now held for 12 years as it affords him the opportunity to serve and interact with the public. Nevertheless, hazardous conditions and mismanagement have led Polite and many of his coworkers to establish a union this past year.
transcript | clip #1 (mp3) | clip #2 (mp3)
Philip Minges on His Combat Experience in the Battle of The Bulge
During the 2008-2009 school year, Citadel Fellow Jack Bass conducted 27 interviews with Citadel Alumni who were World War II combat veterans. The interviews have been transcribed and are available as part of the Citadel Oral History Program Collection at the Citadel Archives and Museum in the Daniel Library. In the following interview excerpts, Philip Minges (’48) discusses his combat experiences during the Battle of the Bulge. The interview was conducted on October 10, 2008.
transcript | clip #1 (mp3) | clip #2 (mp3)
