| Description | Track 1 [00:58:41] [Session one: 8 March 2017] Muriel Chamberlain [MC] born in Syston, Leicester, in 1932. MC discusses moving a lot during childhood, ending up in Preston, Lancashire. Gained a BA and DPhil at Oxford. MC spent 2 separate years as lecturer at Royal Holloway College University of London, came to Swansea 1958. MC describes life at Oxford, St. Hilda’s women’s College. MC discusses studying History. DPhil topic, the study of the Fourth Earl of Aberdeen during the 1840s. MC discusses gender and studying political history. [00:05:26] MC describes the appointment process at Swansea University, reference to Glanmor Williams [GW] and John Fulton. MC discusses deciding to choose History over Law, reference to Mary Holt MP. [00:11:25] MC describes first impressions at Swansea, devastation of Swansea East (moonscape). MC describes the History Department at Swansea, reference to GW and tells stories about Neville Masterman, (son of Charles Masterman). Reference to David Walker, Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, Walter Minchinton and Charles Moat (sp). MC an assistant lecturer at Swansea and started at the same time as Kenneth Morgan [KM], Bill Greenway [BG], and Anne Parry [AP]. MC discusses historical areas covered by the department. [00:21:29] MC discusses friendships and socialising with KM, BG and AP, visiting each other and going to pubs. MC discusses staff rooms and lunch at the refectory, sitting with members of other departments. MC describes food and terrible coffee. [00:25:41] MC discusses involvement in the Women’s Singleton Ladies Society. MC tells anecdote about meeting women at the society. MC compares Oxford and Swansea concerning women in senior positions. [00:34:00] MC discusses the student body at Swansea compared to Oxford. MC discusses good students, reference to Professor Stuart Clark (sp) and Donald Anderson. MC tells anecdote about student activities. MC tells anecdote about being a sub warden at Beck Hall. [00:40:17] MC discusses teaching British and European History and the variety of courses for undergraduates, reference to GW. MC discusses introduction of module systems. MC discusses change in class sizes. MC discusses academic standards at Swansea including plagiarism. [00:45:18] MC discusses student sit-ins and reaction. MC discusses her opinion on senior management, reference to Vice Chancellors John Parry and J.S Fulton, Frank Llewellyn-Jones, Robert Steel and Brian Clarkson. MC discusses universities becoming business orientated.
Track 2 [01:52:00] MC discusses her career and ending up as Head of the History Department. MC discusses her published works. MC discusses her interest in colonialism, imperialism and de-colonisation. MC mentions her books The Scramble for Africa and Lord Aberdeen. MC discusses publishing and career as a lecturer. MC comments on her career in administration and describes the process of becoming Head of Department. MC describes role as Dean, responsible for coordination between departments and faculty meetings. [00:13:33] MC remembers being Dean before becoming a Professor then later becoming Head of Department. MC discusses the title of professor. MC as first female professor in the history department but not in the college, reference to Florence Mockeridge. [00:17:28] MC describes her reaction and the reaction of others on her professorship and appointment as Head of Department, reference to GW and Charles Moet (sp). MC describes herself as the statutory woman on the academic board, reference to T. J. Morgan [TJM]. MC tells anecdote about car crash with TJM. MC comments on being the only woman in the department. [00:23:37] MC discusses later members of the History Department from MC’s time at Swansea, mentions Alan Davies, Mike Simpson, Hugh Dunthorn, John France, Eleanor Breuning, John Latham, Terry Lloyd, Jill Lewis and David Eastwood, Stuart Clark, Peter Stead, John Anderson and John Law. MC annotates story about a different car accident, reference to Jill Lewis. [Section closed 00:32:20-00:34:10]. MC discusses clerical staff, reference to Janet Toft, Phyllis ‘Ginge’ Thomas and Betty Nicholas and the importance of the role of departmental secretaries. [00:38:57] MC discusses little Welsh Nationalism at Swansea, compared to Aberystwyth. MC discusses the Welsh language and bilingualism, reference to Ifor Rowlands. MC discusses the closing of the Philosophy Department, and references Colwyn Williamson [Section closed 00:43:57-00:44:40]MC discusses the closing of the Sociology and Anthropology departments and the Chemistry department. [00:48:03] MC discusses ‘Town versus Gown’ and the resentment of Swansea citizens toward the University. MC comments on giving public lectures, improvement with Taliesin bridging a gap between the University and Swansea locals. MC discusses staying in Swansea rather than moving to Oxford or Cambridge. [00:56:01] MC discusses her retirement. MC still chairman of trustees of the Cambrian Archaeological Association, organising a conference with Prys Morgan on Morgans Hotel Swansea, and active with the National Trust. MC discusses involvement in the Historical Association. |