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  • Oral Histories

Interview with Henry Janssen Ph.D., 2009

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JANSSEN-2009
Interview with Henry Janssen Ph.D., 2009
2009-11-04
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Interviewer: Resnick, Susan
An oral history conducted by Susan Resnik, Ph.D. with former San Diego State University Professor Henry Janssen on November 4, 2009.

In 1953, Janssen accepted a position in the political science department at San Diego State College. He was instrumental in creating multi-disciplinary classes and helped to found the master's program in Liberal Arts. The Associated Students awarded Janssen with the Outstanding Faculty Award in 1971. San Diego State Alumni and Associates again honored Janssen with the Outstanding Faculty Award in 1983. Janssen retired in 1989. His tenure lasted thirty-five years, which made him the longest teaching professor at San Diego State University at that time.

Janssen's oral history documents his early childhood, education, and his tenure at San Diego State University. He details his early childhood in Kansas during the Depression as well as his academic and military pursuits. He shares many remembrances of the adventures he and his friends had on their farm, including their barn trapeze act. He also discusses his forward observation army unit during World War II. He goes on to talk about his tenure at San Diego State University as a professor of political science, and reflects on how San Diego State University changed over the decades, particularly during the anti-communist 1950's and the Vietnam protests during the 1960's and early 1970's. In addition, Janssen mentions his teaching philosophy and his role in introducing multi-disciplinary classes.

This oral history was made possible by a grant from the John and Jane Adams Endowment for the Humanities and is part of the University Archives Multimedia Files Collection.
Henry Janssen; Susan Resnik; Administrators; Oral Histories; Interviews; San Diego State College; Professors; Master's in Liberal Arts; Outstanding Faculty Awards; San Diego State Alumni and Associates; Great Depression; United States Army; World War II
5500 Campanile Drive
California - San Diego - San Diego State University
© San Diego State University. All rights reserved.
  • Oral Histories
San Diego State Oral Histories
MS-0296
English
Text
03:55:17
Yes
JANSSEN-2009T
See JANSSEN-2009T
  • San Diego State University Library and Information Access, Special Collections and University Archives
San Diego State University Library and Information Access, Special Collections and University Archives
Audio
MP3
215.33 MB