Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Robert D. Hall (1914- ) and Alice Freeman Hall (1916-) oral history

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Track 8, Transcript p. 23-26: Track 8, Transcript p. 23-26
Transcription: Track 8 AH: No. Mother came here in 1916. I was born in 1916. And she subsequently got into the community activities. With her background in a Quaker community, one of the big things is service to the community. This was one of the concepts that they promote, that everybody contributes to the general Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. p.24 welfare. So I guess you'd say she became a professional volunteer in all kinds of things, in the school's affairs, the PTA. The PTA now, I don't think, compares to what it was at that time. It was a tremendously strong program and they did a great many things to augment the facilities of the school. They had sales. They had bake sales. I remember cakes that we couldn't eat because they were being made for the PTA. [lalughter] So she was very active in that and she was on the school board and she worked with the Girl Scouts. She was also very active in the Wilmette Women's Club. And her particular bent was the philanthropy area and that lead her into, she served on the board at Park Ridge School for Girls. She was on, uh, oh, what's the one up on the shore? Arden Shore. She was on the Arden Shore board. That was also a part of the Women's Club. The Women's Club had strings out to all of these philanthropic organizations. RA: They were responsible for a great deal that was started in the community. Just as Rotary was. AH: They were promoting a lot of these things. And there were some other things she was on, too. Well, of course, her own church, the Christian Science Church here, she became a member of that and there again with the committees she was active in that. She was also a lifelong supporter of Earlham College as an alumni of that and there were organizations in the city that helped promote Earlham Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. p.25 College and she was always interested in that. RA: You mentioned her going to Puerto Rico. Did she go anywhere else in her girlhood? Did she participate in similar activities? AH: No. That was really.... RDH: She taught school in Indianapolis. AH: Yes, but she didn't do it, that was a job. RDH: Oh. AH: But she went to, this was, yes, a volunteer kind of thing when she went down there to Puerto Rico. She was there a year. RA: I see. AH: And it was, she always felt it was a very interesting kind of experience. It was a very primitive area that she was in and they had a lot of fun, you know, down there. RA: Very interesting. So similar to today's Peace Corps. AH: Yes. I'm not sure I gave my mother's name. She was Elizabeth Freeman. My father was at the Armour Institute which was then a fairly new school. RA: And Armour Institute is today? AH: Illinois Institute of Technology. It combined with Lewis Institute some years ago and became.... RA: Oh, yes. RDH: He taught there for forty-two years. AH: Yes. Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. 26 RA: I hadn't realized he did. RDH: That was the electrical department.
Creators: Hall, Robert D., Interviewee; Hall, Alice Freeman
, Interviewee; Adler, Rhea Saul
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Robert D. Hall and Alice Freeman Hall by Rhea Adler in Wilmette in winter 1977.

Abstract:

• His childhood in Zion, Illinois - Description of the community founded for religious reasons by Mr. Dowie
• Wilbur Glenn Voliva and radio station WCBD
• Hall family from Vermont to Zion "to be. healed" in 1902 -Most went on to California later but his father and uncle stayed
• "Blue laws" - No sewers - No movies - Owned all industries -Zion Bakery - Lace factory - Power plant
• Uncle Charley moves family to Alamo, Michigan about 1920 -Family and household goods in two boxcars - Head of household drives team of horses from Zion to Alamo -Spends first night in Wilmette, horses spend night on Ridge in a lumberyard - Goes through Chicago via Western Avenue and horses spend second night in lumberyard and driver slept in wagon - Took two weeks to reach Alamo, Michigan - Had a celery farm ~ Strawberries
• Return to Wilmette - Lived in various areas - 4th Linden area
• "West of tracks" - Community attitudes toward different locale - Harms Woods trolley - Two years University of Alaska
• Alice Hall's description of Mrs. Freeman's (her mother's) grade school board tenure - Purchase of Harper school land - Mother's Quaker upbringing in Richmond, Indiana
• Graduated Earlham College - Volunteer year in Puerto Rico
• Discussion of philosophy of Wilmette/ Winnetka schools - PTA -Woman's Club - Arden Shore Girl Scouts - Park Ridge School for Girls - All activities of Elizabeth Freeman - Father on faculty of Armour Institute (forerunner of Illinois Institute of Technology) for 42 years
• Present activities of the Halls - She, New Trier High School teacher - He, in audio-visual school supplies – Avedex in Skokie
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: 1977
Subject(s): Teachers
Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Hall, Alice Freeman ; Hall, Robert D.
Local identifier: R977.31 HA
Language of Item: English
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