As another semester begins on campus, it is an appropriate time to highlight some of the recordings in the J. David Goldin Collection that feature colleges and universities. From academic pursuits to student life to college songs, many aspects of the college experience are captured on these recordings from the 30s through the 50s.

From the academic side of college life, the collection contains a large number of forums and debates hosted and produced by various colleges. The two most prevalent titles of this genre come from a pair of Chicago schools. Northwestern University reviewing stand and the University of Chicago round table brought together various experts, many of them faculty at each respective school, to debate current political, social, and economic topics. Recordings from forums and debates at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School can also be found.

In addition, several recordings of lectures can be found in the collection, including a large number of lectures from Ohio State University. These lectures on topics ranging from philosophy to radio were recorded in the classroom and not intended for broadcast. Lectures and appearances by faculty made on local radio stations can also be found. For example, recordings on topics such as St. Patrick and modern Ireland and literary criticism were broadcast over the air.

Study abroad is an important part of the college experience for some students. There are several programs in the J. David Goldin Collection that capture interviews with American students studying abroad. Most of these programs focus on American students studying in Europe at schools such as Oslo University and Heidelberg University. These students were generally interviewed about the differences between student life in Europe and the United States, both in the classroom and outside of it. For the opposite perspective, there are programs featuring foreign students speaking about their experiences studying at colleges and universities in the United States. A good example is Dutch students speak, program no. 10, which features interviews with Dutch students who studied in the United States. These recordings offer a unique insight into the characteristics of American colleges and universities.

School songs, while maybe not as popular now as they once were, have a special place in college tradition. The J. David Goldin Collection contains a large amount of music, and within these musical recordings are many school songs. Some notable discs are two by the U.S. Marine Band, program no. 21 and program no. 23, that contain school songs from Georgia Tech, VMI, Cornell, and many others. Another is a transcription disc of Clyde Lucas and his orchestra featuring songs from Notre Dame, Purdue, Illinois, and the University of Chicago.

These recordings, along with many more from a wide range of genres, are waiting for your use and can be found in the J. David Goldin Collection housed in the Marr Sound Archives at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Timothy Gieringer, Goldin Project staff