Suffolk University Oral History Project

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  Oral History Interview with Ilene Seidman (SOH-076 video recording and transcript)

  Ilene Seidman, Ashley Johnson, and Kaitlin Whalen

  Ilene Seidman, a professor emerita and former associate dean of Suffolk University Law School, discusses her early law career, including her time at Harvard University Law School. Seidman provides details about her advocacy work on behalf of low-income clients, domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and her involvement with Harvard University’s AIDS clinic. She describes her career at Suffolk University including her roles as a clinical professor and associate dean, her involvement with Suffolk University’s Accelerator-to-Practice Program, and the overall development of Suffolk’s clinical law program. Throughout the interview, she reflects upon her overwhelmingly positive memories of Suffolk University, especially her relationships with colleagues and students.

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  Oral History Interview with Lewis Shaw (SOH-077 video recording and transcript)

  Lewis Shaw, Grant Price Smith, and Thuan Huynh

  In this interview, Professor Emeritus Lewis Shaw describes his background, his teaching career at Suffolk University in the accounting department, and his other professional activities. At Suffolk, he was chair of the accounting department for eight years, managed the graduate programs, created the 4+1 program in accounting, directed Suffolk's Dakar campus for several years, and served as advisor to Suffolk's Beta Alpha Psi Club. He describes his transition into retirement during the pandemic, the highlight of which was a scholarship fund set up by his students in his name. Outside of the university, Shaw taught at Haifa University for many years and consulted with government agencies including the Israel Security Authority.

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  Oral History Interview with Beatrice Snow (SOH-027)

  Beatrice Snow and Ben James

  Beatrice Snow, a former professor and chairperson in Suffolk University’s biology department discusses her early life, educational background, and her teaching career at Suffolk. She describes Suffolk’s evolution over the past four decades including changes to the campus, the growth of the sciences, and changes to the university’s overall culture. She goes on to describe the establishment of the Arthur S. Friedman Field Station located in Cobscook, Maine. Dr. Snow’s interview recording abruptly ends due to a technical issue.

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  Oral history interview with Douglas R. Snow (SOH-078)

  Douglas R. Snow, Alex Arbaiza Perez, and Selvin Backert

  Dr. Douglas R. Snow, Professor Emeritus of the Institute of Public Services at Suffolk University, reflects on his personal and professional life before, during, and after his career at Suffolk University. Dr. Snow also talks about his role as a faculty member and chair of the Public Administration department, the growth of the various programs and degrees offered, as well as, the colleagues that inspired him during his career. Dr. Snow concludes with a reflection on what he hopes students gain from the MPA programs, their potential impact in the public sphere, and the future direction of Suffolk’s program.

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  Oral History Interview with Nancy Stoll (SOH-044)

  Nancy Stoll, Olivia Trythall, Yvonne Dhimitri, and Nicole Mason

  Nancy Stoll, dean of students emerita at Suffolk University from 1987 to 2016, discusses her early career, coming to Suffolk, and the evolution of the university’s student affairs division over 29 years. She describes key developments related to student life such as the creation of residence halls, the diversification of the student body, the growth of student support programs. Stoll also discusses the leadership changes that occurred at Suffolk from 2010-2018. The interview concludes with a discussion of her post-retirement work to establish a retiree association for the university.

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  Oral History Interview with Paul Tanklefsky (SOH-056 video recording and transcript)

  Paul Tanklefsky and Robert DiGuardia

  Paul Tanklefsky, the former director of the Career Development Center for Career Services and Cooperative Education, reflects on the growth and development of the career center during his 32 years at Suffolk. Tanklefsky describes his department’s early development as a co-op program and how it was expanded to provide comprehensive support for students. He discusses the challenges of adapting services and staffing to meet the evolving needs of students as the university grew and the population diversified. Among his accomplishments, he notes the creation of a dedicated team at the Center that was responsible for helping launch the career of thousands of Suffolk students. Throughout the interview, he reflects on how his career was positively impacted by his Suffolk colleagues and his collaborations with campus partners such as the Student Affairs Division. He also discusses his current position working with high school students and his future plans.

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  Oral history interview with Susan Clark Thayer (SOH-036)

  Susan Clark Thayer and Farrah Chamseddine

  Susan Clark Thayer, Associate Dean Emeritus, discusses her career at Suffolk University as both director of the Ballotti Learning Center and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The interview covers her role in the creation of the Ballotti Learning Center in 1982 and her work as associate dean in developing assessment programs, managing accreditation and strategic planning for the College. She also discusses her early life and career, her time as a graduate student at Suffolk University and the challenges of establishing herself in the workforce as a woman in the 1960s and 1970s. The interview concludes with a discussion of her passion for educational support, her contributions to the field of developmental education and her post-retirement activities.

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  Oral History Interview with Richard Torrisi (SOH-079 video recording and transcript)

  Richard C. Torrisi and Kathryn R. Kilbride

  Richard Torrisi, Professor Emeritus of Finance and International Business, discusses his background, early academic career, and then his teaching and administrative roles at Suffolk University. He discusses his scholarship in economics and international business, including his Fulbright appointments in Poland and Slovakia. Professor Torrisi talks about the programs he helped develop in the Sawyer Business School, including travel seminars and creating partnerships locally and globally to contribute to the student experience. He concludes the interview discussing Suffolk’s role, reputation, and the direction in which he hopes it the university will continue.

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  Oral History Interview with Margaret Collins Weitz (SOH-045)

  Margaret Collins Weitz, Tessa White, and Patrick Riordan

  Margaret Collins Weitz, professor emerita and former chair of Suffolk University’s Humanities and Modern Languages Department, discusses her non-traditional path into academia, her research, and her career at Suffolk. She begins with a description of her experiences growing up as child during the Great Depression and her Fulbright experiences in France which inspired her seminal research into women in the French Resistance. Dr. Weitz describes her campus involvement which ranged from reshaping her department and its educational offerings, supporting students from all backgrounds, to convening international conferences at Suffolk. She discusses the university’s dramatic growth, demographic changes, and the creation of international campuses in Madrid, Spain and Dakar, Senegal. The interview concludes with a discussion of Weitz’s post-retirement career, including several notable recognitions she received from the French government for her scholarship related to France and French women.

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  Oral History Interview with Kenneth Williams (SOH-010)

  Kenneth Williams and David L. Robbins

  Kenneth Williams, an alumnus of Suffolk University Law School’s class of 1927, discusses his career at Suffolk including his working relationship with Hiram and Gleason Archer during the earliest years of the school. He reflects on his experiences as a student, the development of the school, his tenure as a faculty member and member of the university’s Review Department from 1928-1958, Hiram and Gleason Archer’s relationship, and how Suffolk differed from other law schools by encouraging anyone, from any circumstances, to study there.