Sweet MUMories Oral History Project - Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper
Title
Sweet MUMories Oral History Project - Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper
Description
Date
November 18, 2016
Duration
37:58
Transcription
Sweet MUMories Oral History Project
Transcript: Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper, November 18 , 2016
Donation record # rohrkemper.MT.11182016.1
Transcribed by Erika Nisbet & Maryah Martin 7/05/2017. Approved for deposit by Marsha Robinson on 11/13/2018 Copyright Miami University. All rights reserved
MRR: My name is Marsha Robinson and we are recording an oral history with Mr. and Mrs. Rohrkemper as part of the Sweet MUMories Oral History Project. This project marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Miami University of Middletown, Ohio, campus. This interview is taking place on November 18, 2016, at the Gardner Harvey Library. Mr. and Mrs. Rohrkemper, do I have your consent to proceed with this interview?
MR: Yes, you do.
MRR: Thank you. Would you mind telling us about your relationship to Miami University Middletown?
MR: You want to start or you want me to share?
TR: Sure. I was a member of the first graduating class across the street at Middletown High School. So I matriculated across the street to Miami, And I would not have been able to go to college if it hadn’t been for this campus because I couldn’t have afforded it. I would never have been able to go away and go to college. I was fortunate enough to be hired as a part-time student-secretary in the office which enabled to me to make about two hundred and twenty dollars a quarter, which was what tuition was in 1970. So that’s how I got here.
MRR: Ok. Thank you. And you graduate from here?
TR: Mhmm.
MRR: And what was your major?
TR: Elementary Education, graduated in Elementary Education and spent…
MRR: And where did that take you?
TR: I spent, I ended up getting a master’s degree and spent thirty-two years in education. I ended up as an elementary principal in Cincinnati.
MRR: Wonderful. Mr. Rohrkemper?
MR: Yes. Well, I matriculated to the Miami University Middletown campus as a what was called a nontraditional student. When I graduated from high school I had attended another university unsuccessfully and I ended up being drafted into the Marine Corps.
TR: Draft number one.
MR: And spent, you got me off track here.
TR: Sorry. His draft number was one.
MR: Well, let me do that stuff, ok? So nontraditional student. And I came to Miami University. And I probably would not have continued my education had it not been for the availability to attend this campus because, you know economics was, you know, a main inconsideration. So, I started here in 1970. I spent a year in Vietnam and four years in the Marine Corps and I graduated in 1974. One interesting side note is I have an accounting degree and at the time and still today Miami is very renowned for its accounting program. When I went to register, at the time cell phones and internet were not available so you had to register live and in person. So I went to the Oxford campus and went, I can’t remember the building now I registered at but I looked and it was packed. And, you know I’m thinking man, I don’t really want to spend all day here. And I looked and there was one line that was a short line and it was the accounting program. So I said, “Well, I’ll give it a shot.” And it was one of the better decisions I’ve made but probably not one of the better decision-making process I’ve used.
MRR: Did you want to tell us that degree served you for a career?
MR: Yeah. I still leverage that degree today. I was in public accounting for about half of my career and I had a firm that I started of my own that I had for ten years with a partner. I from there went to a public company into a CFO position in Cincinnati. And from there I went to a CEO position for a regional restaurant chain, Gold Star Chili. And I have, I am officially retired today but I’m probably as busy as I have ever been today with a lot of different board involvements and involvements with non-profit organizations.
MRR: I’d like to follow up with your community involvement but I’d like to follow the story of number one, we have a recording of a student recalling gathering in Verity Hall around the television and watching the draft numbers be pulled. You mentioned being number one. Could you tell us about the draft experience?
MR: Well, the draft experience I obviously knew that I would be drafted so when my lottery number was that low of a number, I actually went to the recruiter and said, “If I’m going to serve I would like to get at least as much as I can out of this,” meaning I would like to do something other than just be an infantry guy. So, instead of two-year draft, I enlisted for four years and I got training.I was in the Marine Corps Air Wing and worked on F-4 Phantom jets and I was a avionics technician. So I worked on a lot of the communications equipment that are in jet fighter aircraft, which is certainly different than my end career as an accountant.
MRR: If you don’t mind I’d like to talk about what the campus means to the community as far as a source for people to employ. Do either of you want to speak to the role of Miami in providing future employees for local businesses?
MR: Well, you know as Teresa mentioned, I think there are a lot of folks in this community that would not have, certainly the capability of achieving a college education, but would not have an opportunity for that because an economic requirement. So from that standpoint I think it’s a great, great program that a community like this can have. It just gives a lot of people that opportunity that would not possibly have it. With that being said, also it provides a more skilled workforce for the community that the campus is in.
MRR: Also in the 1970s we have stories about women who are finding out that they can strike out and have careers of their own, it was an era of feminism on campus especially according to the KAOS newspaper. Can you speak to that environment of feminism on campus since you went into leadership?
TR: I do remember that. I remember taking a course called Contemporary Feminism and reading Betty Friedan and , as a matter of fact, when first started dating, I told him, he opened the door for me, and I said, “You know, I am perfectly capable of opening my own door.” So, several years later, I’m pregnant with groceries in my hands, and I have to ask him to open the door. That’s when we finally decided, “Okay, you can help me open the door.”
TR: Point made.
MRR: So since we’re talking about family, how did the two of you meet?
TR: Oh, I can tell you that. I was the student-secretary and once a quarter this guy would come up the window to apply for his veteran’s benefits. And at the time, the secretary, her name was Phoebe Green. I worked for Phoebe Green. And every time he would leave, she’d say something to the effect of “See, you need to stop dating those losers and date that guy. He seems like a nice guy.” And I will tell you that we had registration one night, and I was working registration, and he came to register, and of course we knew him because he always came to the window. And we played Euchre downstairs in the little student center. There were candy machines and tables, a little tiny place. And so, we were acquainted. But then Phoebe invited him to go out with us and Dr. Beard. We went to some pizza place after registration. So, Phoebe jumps up like as soon as we get there and she says “Oh I forgot! My husband is supposed to call me. He’s in the service. He’s supposed to call me. Mike, can you take Teresa home?” And then as she’s leaving she whispers in my ear “I will be a bridesmaid.” And she was. That’s how this got started
MRR: And you were okay with this idea?
MR: I...
TR: He didn’t know
MR: Oh I knew nothing about this conversation. But it certainly worked out well for both of us.
MRR: That’s a wonderful story! Can you talk more about life for students while here? Any professors that you would like to recall? Any moments that particularly shaped your career trajectory besides standing in the short line at registration?
MR: Well, yeah I can start with that. You know, I found that being the nontraditional student, sometimes I kind of think I don’t know why that term is referenced, because a student’s a student. But, I will say this, when I got out of the service I was a serious student. I had never been a serious student before, you know. In high school I did what I needed to get by and certainly did okay. But when I was in the Marines Corp I really came out with much more of a discipline and a real drive, I’ll say, to accomplish something. So when I came to Miami University Middletown I was a student, number one, and the social part was fine, but student number one. And I think a lot of the faculty recognized that, and I think a lot of the faculty also recognized the fact that a lot of veterans weren’t treated really well. The Vietnam War was not a popular war and you know, I always felt welcomed by the faculty, and I was always very encouraged by the faculty. And I can still remember, you know Dr. Lehman was a Western Civ individual, Mike Broida, he was on the Oxford campus> But I took a, I had to take nine hours of statistics for my accounting degree, very difficult class, and he was very encouraging and he talked me into taking a graduate level class after I took my requirement, my minimum requirements. So I’ll never forget the first day of class, there were thirteen students in the class, me and twelve math majors. So I kind of looked at him and he looked at me but it was fine, you know I’m just glad I took that credit/no credit. But you it was, I think I was always challenged by the faculty in that way, you know, just to try and push a little harder and do a little better. But, you know I had academic success here that I never had. You know I had a, I think spent one year at Ohio University and, you know, unsuccessful. And I think I started here at Miami with a one point two accum [g.p.a.] and I graduated with a three six so, you know I got serious here.
MRR: Teresa, do you want to recall any professors or any special moments that shaped your career?
TR: I also had, was it Dr. Lehman or Mr. Lehman? For Western Civ I had that class and he kind of opened my eyes to history. He was really good. But I also remember that there was a core group of students in elementary education. I want to say maybe twelve, fifteen of us. And even thought we didn’t live on campus we became cohesive. We became a group and we studied together when we met and, you know we still formed a unit and we had the same goals in mind. So I do remember having a relationship with that and it was the same group of people, of course, and that was nice.
MRR: Were there any special classes or anything that the group was able to put together?
TR: Well, I, because I worked in the office, many times there would be a class and they weren’t going to offer it on campus or it was coinciding with another class that we had to take. So I would just, we would petition. I would bring in a petition and we would petition to get that class offered maybe in the summer and I would just take it into class and fifteen people would sign it and we would send it over to main campus and somebody would come in the summer and do our class. I bet I did that four times. And that’s really what kept me here and I didn’t really have to commute. Now, I did have commute for the student teaching, the pre- and post- and a couple of other classes but mostly I was here because I brought them to me. [smiling]
MRR: For both of you, can you speak to what it might have meant to the parents in the community to know that a college was coming here? I don’t know if you recall any conversations or if you were paying attention at the time the university was planned. What difference did it make to families to know that the kids could go to school nearby? You began to speak to this but I’d like to talk about parents if you can recall.
TR: I knew that I wanted to be a teacher in second grade at Maple Park Elementary which doesn’t even exist anymore. I had a second grade teacher and I just knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I had no idea how I was going to do that. And when I told my parents I was going to start taking classes here and I don’t, I think the school was only five years old or something in seventy. I don’t know when, wasn’t very old.
MRR: 1966.
TR: 1966, yeah so four. And at first my parents thought that was crazy. “Get a job at Armco so you can buy a car.” That’s what my dad told me. And then I overheard him a couple years later talking to some people, some friends of his and he said, “Yeah, my daughter’s in college. She’s in college. She’s going to be a teacher.” So at first I think they thought it was kind of silly but then I know that they were very proud.
MR: And you were probably the first college graduate in your family too, I would think.
TR: In a big family.
MR: Yeah.
TR: Yeah.
MRR: So what did that mean to the extended family?
TR: I think it, I think they were impressed. I think they were impressed, yeah. I mean, who knew? Nobody expected it and I just I knew what I wanted to do and I was going to figure out a way to do it and thank God this place was here so I could.
MRR: The committee that planned this campus envisioned a university that not only provided opportunity to the children of the community but they also wanted a university that gave back to the community. Were there any events here that happened during your time as a student where you could say, “Yes, this campus had an event that helped the community or since then”? Any events you could think of?
MR: You know, I don’t, they had some concerts. Yeah, I mean…
TR: MUMfest.
MR: They had some concerts with some, at the time fairly big name musicians and I can’t even recall. Johnny Winters for all the older folks that are going to see this tape
TR: Country Joe without the Fish.
MR: Which, you know was pretty big for Middletown at the time.
TR: That was huge. That was right after Woodstock. A couple years after Woodstock, I think. That was huge.
MRR: Now is that the MUMstock event or?
MR: Yeah.
TR: MUMstock.
MRR: MUMstock. Can you speak to that?
TR: Oh my goodness.
MR: That was the unofficial term for it. Yeah
TR: That was great. Yeah, that was great. Well were you there?
MR: Well, it was like Teresa said it was around the Woodstock time. It was after Woodstock but not long after. I don’t remember when Woodstock took place.
TR: It was right, it was right beside the library, I mean it was right in the yard. It was right here outside, yeah.
So, you know with thousands of people attending…
TR: Yeah.
MR: And the unofficial name for it was MUMstock.
TR: Pretty sure we thought we were pretty cool then.
MRR: That’s what I’ve heard but you said MUMfest.
TR: MUMstock. It was MUMstock.
MRR: MUMstock, ok.
TR: We had a little sorority, too. Not an official sorority. A little sorority and there were a group of girls. it was called Sigma Epsilon Chi or and I remember we would have parties in the white house.
MRR: Verity?
TR: Verity Lodge. We would have dances and parties. And one time we hired Bob Shreve, who was a late night crazy guy who did the movies, to just walk around. I mean it was fun. We had fun things.
MRR: I heard there used to be outdoor movies and symphony concerts and things like that?
MR: There was symphony concerts, certainly. I don’t recall the outdoor movies but I’m sure there were there, yeah.
MRR: Some people talk about a group called Rusty Nails. Other people talk about taking trips through the college. Did you participate in any of those?
TR: Trips through here? The main trip I remember is, it wasn’t here but it was on main campus. The McGuffey Lab School. Going through the McGuffey Lab School as an education major. Oh my goodness and they had two-way mirrors, two-way windows and watching the kids interact. That was probably during my student teaching time. Boy, was that impressive. I remember that.
MR: You know this is a little out of context but one thing I wanted to make sure to get a point across when you talk about what this campus meant to the community. I think one of the unique, one of the unique things about this campus that was really important is that, you know there are a lot of very, very small universities and colleges out there but for one to have the quality that this had, you know having the association with, the you know the parent, the Miami University in Oxford, I just think the quality would be unsurpassed for a small community college, independent community college.
TR: I agree. I agree. I think I got a pretty fine education here.
MRR: As we go through this interview, were there any opportunities you had for co-ops or internships. You mentioned student teaching. That’s required but could you talk about the accountancy program?
MR: You know, there were internships that were available. I did not participate in internships because I really had a time table that I was on. You know I started a little later so I was ready to make it through and get out into the job world.So there certainly were internships available. I did not participate for that reason. And I don’t think they had the focus on the internships then that they have today. I think internships are very beneficial and, you know I’d certainly encourage any student today to participate. But I did not but I know that there were some available.
MRR: Are there any other evolutions of academic programs that you’ve seen here between then and now that you’ve heard of?
MR: I know that there’s a, and I’m going to probably not describe the program, there’s a law enforcement-related program,Criminal Justice program, that I’ve read about and heard about and when I was here for the graduation ceremony. I know I talked to a few students that were Criminal Justice majors. And it sounds like that’s been a very robust program that’s been successful.
MRR: Can you speak to the graduation ceremony? What did both of you see that day?
MR: Well, I was a little surprised, I mean I was honored to be invited to do it. You know I’m not a high profile person. So I was very honored that I was asked to do that. And Dr. Pratt, who I have known for a long time, asked me to do it. It was a far larger, more energy kind of an event than I anticipated. It was very rewarding for me to do it. I was honored to do it, you know I kind of stretched myself a little bit doing that. But I thought it was great and, you know I think there were three thousand people here so.
MRR: What did you see on the faces of the students and families?
TR: Pride.
MRR: Could you speak to that?
TR Pride, a great sense of pride. I was really impressed. I was really impressed with the professionalism and the, I mean it was a well-oiled machine. That whole program was great and of course the keynote speaker was fab. He did a great job.
M:R And you know I think I was able to communicate to the some thengs to the students that they may or may not have heard before, you know. Once you get your degree, you know you’re just getting started at that point. You’ve accomplished a lot. You need to be satisfied and happy with your performance. But there’s a lot of personal skills that need to be developed. A lot of things that you can’t really teach necessarily and then. You know I was just happy that I could communicate some real world kinds of experiences to the students because that, that resonates I think.
MRR: From your time at MUM what are some of the values that you cherished that you hope continue in the next fifty years?
MR: You know, one thing that I think I didn’t appreciate at the time as much as I do now was the liberal arts aspects of the education that you get here. I mean, you know, I think it’s you need to get an education that allows you to provide a life for yourself and your family and certainly I was able to do that. But some of those other courses I took, you know I took a philosophy course and I took Western Civ and, you know some other electives that, you know if I had it to do all over I may have done a little more of that. And I do have a good friend who is a president of a university in Cincinnati, not one of the major ones but,cathy who really convinced me that the importance of that liberal arts aspect of an education. And maybe, I don’t know if today’s students really recognize that. I mean, I think it’s what do I need to do to get a job. That’s important but I think the liberal arts learning aspects are of quite frankly of equal importance because you know that’s where character comes from and a lot of personal attributes.
MRR: With our education program were there any teachers that modeled certain behaviors? You mentioned your teacher in second grade but was there anything about the education program here that you really could build on once you got into the work place?
TR: No one instructor stands out. I think there was a Mr. Ferris [sic] and I don’t know what he taught. I don’t remember that. I do remember him. I remember hearing a lot of, you know, you can do all these things, you can make all these lesson plans that you want but when you’re in the classroom it may not work so you have to have something to fall back on in the event So. I think I learned to over-plan. I think I learned to over plan. You can’t run out of time. I mean you can’t run out of things to do with kids and if one thing doesn’t work you have to go to a plan B and I know that I got that here because we had to make so many lesson plans and, you know we didn’t have kids to present them to. And then, you know what do you do if the kids don’t get that? You have to have an alternate idea. I think that was very helpful.
MRR: You mentioned the core group of people you went through school with as a cohort. Did you see anyone build lifelong friendships here or what keeps you connected to this campus? Like why do you keep coming back?
TR: I really only built one lifelong friendship here and he’s right here.
MR: I, you know I think probably the thing that brings us back-the global thing-is the Miami University. You know that’s first of all. We’re very, very proud of Miami University, being graduates of Miami University. Certainly the Middletown branch and the Regional campuses, you know, allow other students to recognize that same level of accomplishment. So that’s my primary appreciation for the Regional campuses. That everybody can’t go to Oxford primarily because of economics but there a lot of students who are certainly as capable as any student that goes to Oxford that attends these Regional campuses.
MRR: Is there anything else that you want future researchers to know about the first fifty years or your four years here? Anything that they should pay attention to?
MR: Well, I think the university could do, and maybe I’m stating this not in the most diplomatic way, I think the university should do a better job of promoting the quality of the education that you get at the Regional campuses. I think it’s kind of like big brother Oxford, little brother Hamilton, Middletown. And I do believe under the current regime we’ve had the opportunity to meet the new president. I know…
TR: I think he’s moving in that direction.
MR: Yeah, and I think that’s important. That’s how you develop that sense of pride, I think.
TR: I think he got a big kick out of the fact that we were a forty-year Miami Merger. He liked that.
MRR: That’s wonderful. Thank you. I think that’s the questions that I have at the moment. Is there anything else that you want to add that I have not addressed?
TR: Just that I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t had the opportunity to go here. I can’t emphasize enough that I would not have gone to college. I was in high school across the street and I met with a counselor and I remember he said, “Well, you need to take business courses so that you can get a job as a secretary.” And I said, “But I don’t want to be a secretary. I want to be a teacher.” And he looked at me and he said, “You can’t afford to be a teacher.” Well, I guess I proved him wrong. It just made me more determined. I know it’s terrible.
MR: You know, the one thing to I would say about the Regional campuses that’s important, and really it’s not just the Regional campus, it’s the university is, you know from high school to here, you know high school it’s kind of just being, it’s kind of a one way street, you know and information is provided, information is provided. Where here there’s way more opportunity for real interaction and to develop, you know, your real personality, I think. And I think that’s important.
TR: If you compare that to education I think it’s like being in a small school district as compared to a very large one where you can get lost. No one got lost here. Every student was known and every student counted and I think that’s important. I think the small community that was created here, and I’m sure probably still is, makes every person feel important. I think you have to approach something like, especially if it’s like the first in the family no one’s really going to understand what you’re doing at first. They’re really going to think you’re wasting your time. You have to be focused and you have to believe in yourself. And, you know you’re going to get people who think that it’s ridiculous what you’re trying to accomplish. But my personal experience is I knew that once I had a college education, nobody would ever take that away. Once you had it, you have it. And I think that’s something students need to know. You know it’s not going to hurt you to test yourself and there’s nothing wrong with continuing and following what you start because it’s something that you’ll always have accomplished. And no matter what else happens in your life you are going to have that. And if that’s successful for you, I mean I went on to graduate school. I did post-graduate work. I mean I loved school. That’s why I stayed in it for so long. You just have to be driven I think and believe in yourself.
MR: I might answer that a little bit differently. I mean totally, you know our experiences were a bit different. I would say that the Regional campuses might even have a bit of an advantage in a way in that there’s much more of a cross-section of people at a regional campus. You know at the main campus and I’m not, nothing derogatory there, you know these are very, very good students right out of high school, l go to the Oxford campus and, you know make their way where many of the students that come to the campus here are students that are individuals and students that have had far different life experiences. You know, single-parent families, older people like myself that have been in the military. So I will say when you blend all those people here nobody thinks about those differences. You know we’re all students and, you know it’s kind of interesting. You just kind of stimulated that thought but I feel very strongly about that. You know I’m sitting at a study table with, I’m twenty-four years old and, you know a freshman, working with kids eighteen right out of high school but, you know there’s no real difference there. And, you know the thing to is I think there is always plenty of help available. And I couldn’t even tell you when office hours were for the faculty when I was here. I’m sure there were a couple of hours a day but I just know any time after a class is over, you know if you raise your hand and ask the professor, “Hey, you know I got this issue can you help me out?” You know, you’re never going to get a no. So.
TR: I remember one time, you know I worked in the office and I was taking Geography and it was Mr. Sink and he came by the office. We had taken an exam that day and he came by the office and asked me one of the questions on the exam and I answered. And he said, “Why didn’t you put that down on your paper?” I said, “Oh, oh I don’t know. ”And he goes, “Alright. I’ll give you that answer.” And would that happen anywhere else? Probably not. He just, he, I think he said, “I had a feeling you knew the answer.” He said, “That’s not what you wrote.” He said, “Ah, I’ll give you that answer anyway.”
MR: You know at the graduation there was a student speaker also and I don’t remember her name now. But you know it’s kind of an example of mentioned before. She was single-parent and I don’t know her age. Certainly older than a high school graduate and she was a military person too, that’s right.
TR: That’s right.
MR: And, you know I was just very impressed with her.
MRR: So this is a place where people are transformed?
MR: Yeah.
TR: I think so.
MR: Yeah. Yeah but I mean more so than a main campus quite frankly. I don’t know if the main campus wants to hear that but…
TR: We had a good experience here.
MR: Yeah. Yup.
Indexing terms for the finding aid:
Accounting
Armco
Beard, Mike
Broida, Michael
Country Joe without the Fish
Crawford, Greg
Criminal Justice
Dances
Elementary Education
Feminism
Ferris, Mr.
First generation
Friedan, Betty
Gold Star Chili Corporation
Graduation Ceremony
Green, Phoebe
Hamilton campus
Internships
KAOS newspaper
Lehman, Dr.
Liberal Arts
Maple Park Elementary
Marine Corps
McGuffey Lab School
Miami Merger
Miami Merger
Middletown High School
Middletown Symphony
MUMstock rock concert
Nontraditional
Ohio University
Oxford campus
Parents
Petition
Pratt, Michael
Rusty Nails
Shreve, Bob
Sigma Epsilon Chi
Sink, Mr.
Sorority
Student center
Student Secretary
Teacher
Trips
Verity Lodge
Veteran’s benefits
Vietnam War Draft
Winters, Johnny
Woodstock
Transcript: Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper, November 18 , 2016
Donation record # rohrkemper.MT.11182016.1
Transcribed by Erika Nisbet & Maryah Martin 7/05/2017. Approved for deposit by Marsha Robinson on 11/13/2018 Copyright Miami University. All rights reserved
MRR: My name is Marsha Robinson and we are recording an oral history with Mr. and Mrs. Rohrkemper as part of the Sweet MUMories Oral History Project. This project marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Miami University of Middletown, Ohio, campus. This interview is taking place on November 18, 2016, at the Gardner Harvey Library. Mr. and Mrs. Rohrkemper, do I have your consent to proceed with this interview?
MR: Yes, you do.
MRR: Thank you. Would you mind telling us about your relationship to Miami University Middletown?
MR: You want to start or you want me to share?
TR: Sure. I was a member of the first graduating class across the street at Middletown High School. So I matriculated across the street to Miami, And I would not have been able to go to college if it hadn’t been for this campus because I couldn’t have afforded it. I would never have been able to go away and go to college. I was fortunate enough to be hired as a part-time student-secretary in the office which enabled to me to make about two hundred and twenty dollars a quarter, which was what tuition was in 1970. So that’s how I got here.
MRR: Ok. Thank you. And you graduate from here?
TR: Mhmm.
MRR: And what was your major?
TR: Elementary Education, graduated in Elementary Education and spent…
MRR: And where did that take you?
TR: I spent, I ended up getting a master’s degree and spent thirty-two years in education. I ended up as an elementary principal in Cincinnati.
MRR: Wonderful. Mr. Rohrkemper?
MR: Yes. Well, I matriculated to the Miami University Middletown campus as a what was called a nontraditional student. When I graduated from high school I had attended another university unsuccessfully and I ended up being drafted into the Marine Corps.
TR: Draft number one.
MR: And spent, you got me off track here.
TR: Sorry. His draft number was one.
MR: Well, let me do that stuff, ok? So nontraditional student. And I came to Miami University. And I probably would not have continued my education had it not been for the availability to attend this campus because, you know economics was, you know, a main inconsideration. So, I started here in 1970. I spent a year in Vietnam and four years in the Marine Corps and I graduated in 1974. One interesting side note is I have an accounting degree and at the time and still today Miami is very renowned for its accounting program. When I went to register, at the time cell phones and internet were not available so you had to register live and in person. So I went to the Oxford campus and went, I can’t remember the building now I registered at but I looked and it was packed. And, you know I’m thinking man, I don’t really want to spend all day here. And I looked and there was one line that was a short line and it was the accounting program. So I said, “Well, I’ll give it a shot.” And it was one of the better decisions I’ve made but probably not one of the better decision-making process I’ve used.
MRR: Did you want to tell us that degree served you for a career?
MR: Yeah. I still leverage that degree today. I was in public accounting for about half of my career and I had a firm that I started of my own that I had for ten years with a partner. I from there went to a public company into a CFO position in Cincinnati. And from there I went to a CEO position for a regional restaurant chain, Gold Star Chili. And I have, I am officially retired today but I’m probably as busy as I have ever been today with a lot of different board involvements and involvements with non-profit organizations.
MRR: I’d like to follow up with your community involvement but I’d like to follow the story of number one, we have a recording of a student recalling gathering in Verity Hall around the television and watching the draft numbers be pulled. You mentioned being number one. Could you tell us about the draft experience?
MR: Well, the draft experience I obviously knew that I would be drafted so when my lottery number was that low of a number, I actually went to the recruiter and said, “If I’m going to serve I would like to get at least as much as I can out of this,” meaning I would like to do something other than just be an infantry guy. So, instead of two-year draft, I enlisted for four years and I got training.I was in the Marine Corps Air Wing and worked on F-4 Phantom jets and I was a avionics technician. So I worked on a lot of the communications equipment that are in jet fighter aircraft, which is certainly different than my end career as an accountant.
MRR: If you don’t mind I’d like to talk about what the campus means to the community as far as a source for people to employ. Do either of you want to speak to the role of Miami in providing future employees for local businesses?
MR: Well, you know as Teresa mentioned, I think there are a lot of folks in this community that would not have, certainly the capability of achieving a college education, but would not have an opportunity for that because an economic requirement. So from that standpoint I think it’s a great, great program that a community like this can have. It just gives a lot of people that opportunity that would not possibly have it. With that being said, also it provides a more skilled workforce for the community that the campus is in.
MRR: Also in the 1970s we have stories about women who are finding out that they can strike out and have careers of their own, it was an era of feminism on campus especially according to the KAOS newspaper. Can you speak to that environment of feminism on campus since you went into leadership?
TR: I do remember that. I remember taking a course called Contemporary Feminism and reading Betty Friedan and , as a matter of fact, when first started dating, I told him, he opened the door for me, and I said, “You know, I am perfectly capable of opening my own door.” So, several years later, I’m pregnant with groceries in my hands, and I have to ask him to open the door. That’s when we finally decided, “Okay, you can help me open the door.”
TR: Point made.
MRR: So since we’re talking about family, how did the two of you meet?
TR: Oh, I can tell you that. I was the student-secretary and once a quarter this guy would come up the window to apply for his veteran’s benefits. And at the time, the secretary, her name was Phoebe Green. I worked for Phoebe Green. And every time he would leave, she’d say something to the effect of “See, you need to stop dating those losers and date that guy. He seems like a nice guy.” And I will tell you that we had registration one night, and I was working registration, and he came to register, and of course we knew him because he always came to the window. And we played Euchre downstairs in the little student center. There were candy machines and tables, a little tiny place. And so, we were acquainted. But then Phoebe invited him to go out with us and Dr. Beard. We went to some pizza place after registration. So, Phoebe jumps up like as soon as we get there and she says “Oh I forgot! My husband is supposed to call me. He’s in the service. He’s supposed to call me. Mike, can you take Teresa home?” And then as she’s leaving she whispers in my ear “I will be a bridesmaid.” And she was. That’s how this got started
MRR: And you were okay with this idea?
MR: I...
TR: He didn’t know
MR: Oh I knew nothing about this conversation. But it certainly worked out well for both of us.
MRR: That’s a wonderful story! Can you talk more about life for students while here? Any professors that you would like to recall? Any moments that particularly shaped your career trajectory besides standing in the short line at registration?
MR: Well, yeah I can start with that. You know, I found that being the nontraditional student, sometimes I kind of think I don’t know why that term is referenced, because a student’s a student. But, I will say this, when I got out of the service I was a serious student. I had never been a serious student before, you know. In high school I did what I needed to get by and certainly did okay. But when I was in the Marines Corp I really came out with much more of a discipline and a real drive, I’ll say, to accomplish something. So when I came to Miami University Middletown I was a student, number one, and the social part was fine, but student number one. And I think a lot of the faculty recognized that, and I think a lot of the faculty also recognized the fact that a lot of veterans weren’t treated really well. The Vietnam War was not a popular war and you know, I always felt welcomed by the faculty, and I was always very encouraged by the faculty. And I can still remember, you know Dr. Lehman was a Western Civ individual, Mike Broida, he was on the Oxford campus> But I took a, I had to take nine hours of statistics for my accounting degree, very difficult class, and he was very encouraging and he talked me into taking a graduate level class after I took my requirement, my minimum requirements. So I’ll never forget the first day of class, there were thirteen students in the class, me and twelve math majors. So I kind of looked at him and he looked at me but it was fine, you know I’m just glad I took that credit/no credit. But you it was, I think I was always challenged by the faculty in that way, you know, just to try and push a little harder and do a little better. But, you know I had academic success here that I never had. You know I had a, I think spent one year at Ohio University and, you know, unsuccessful. And I think I started here at Miami with a one point two accum [g.p.a.] and I graduated with a three six so, you know I got serious here.
MRR: Teresa, do you want to recall any professors or any special moments that shaped your career?
TR: I also had, was it Dr. Lehman or Mr. Lehman? For Western Civ I had that class and he kind of opened my eyes to history. He was really good. But I also remember that there was a core group of students in elementary education. I want to say maybe twelve, fifteen of us. And even thought we didn’t live on campus we became cohesive. We became a group and we studied together when we met and, you know we still formed a unit and we had the same goals in mind. So I do remember having a relationship with that and it was the same group of people, of course, and that was nice.
MRR: Were there any special classes or anything that the group was able to put together?
TR: Well, I, because I worked in the office, many times there would be a class and they weren’t going to offer it on campus or it was coinciding with another class that we had to take. So I would just, we would petition. I would bring in a petition and we would petition to get that class offered maybe in the summer and I would just take it into class and fifteen people would sign it and we would send it over to main campus and somebody would come in the summer and do our class. I bet I did that four times. And that’s really what kept me here and I didn’t really have to commute. Now, I did have commute for the student teaching, the pre- and post- and a couple of other classes but mostly I was here because I brought them to me. [smiling]
MRR: For both of you, can you speak to what it might have meant to the parents in the community to know that a college was coming here? I don’t know if you recall any conversations or if you were paying attention at the time the university was planned. What difference did it make to families to know that the kids could go to school nearby? You began to speak to this but I’d like to talk about parents if you can recall.
TR: I knew that I wanted to be a teacher in second grade at Maple Park Elementary which doesn’t even exist anymore. I had a second grade teacher and I just knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I had no idea how I was going to do that. And when I told my parents I was going to start taking classes here and I don’t, I think the school was only five years old or something in seventy. I don’t know when, wasn’t very old.
MRR: 1966.
TR: 1966, yeah so four. And at first my parents thought that was crazy. “Get a job at Armco so you can buy a car.” That’s what my dad told me. And then I overheard him a couple years later talking to some people, some friends of his and he said, “Yeah, my daughter’s in college. She’s in college. She’s going to be a teacher.” So at first I think they thought it was kind of silly but then I know that they were very proud.
MR: And you were probably the first college graduate in your family too, I would think.
TR: In a big family.
MR: Yeah.
TR: Yeah.
MRR: So what did that mean to the extended family?
TR: I think it, I think they were impressed. I think they were impressed, yeah. I mean, who knew? Nobody expected it and I just I knew what I wanted to do and I was going to figure out a way to do it and thank God this place was here so I could.
MRR: The committee that planned this campus envisioned a university that not only provided opportunity to the children of the community but they also wanted a university that gave back to the community. Were there any events here that happened during your time as a student where you could say, “Yes, this campus had an event that helped the community or since then”? Any events you could think of?
MR: You know, I don’t, they had some concerts. Yeah, I mean…
TR: MUMfest.
MR: They had some concerts with some, at the time fairly big name musicians and I can’t even recall. Johnny Winters for all the older folks that are going to see this tape
TR: Country Joe without the Fish.
MR: Which, you know was pretty big for Middletown at the time.
TR: That was huge. That was right after Woodstock. A couple years after Woodstock, I think. That was huge.
MRR: Now is that the MUMstock event or?
MR: Yeah.
TR: MUMstock.
MRR: MUMstock. Can you speak to that?
TR: Oh my goodness.
MR: That was the unofficial term for it. Yeah
TR: That was great. Yeah, that was great. Well were you there?
MR: Well, it was like Teresa said it was around the Woodstock time. It was after Woodstock but not long after. I don’t remember when Woodstock took place.
TR: It was right, it was right beside the library, I mean it was right in the yard. It was right here outside, yeah.
So, you know with thousands of people attending…
TR: Yeah.
MR: And the unofficial name for it was MUMstock.
TR: Pretty sure we thought we were pretty cool then.
MRR: That’s what I’ve heard but you said MUMfest.
TR: MUMstock. It was MUMstock.
MRR: MUMstock, ok.
TR: We had a little sorority, too. Not an official sorority. A little sorority and there were a group of girls. it was called Sigma Epsilon Chi or and I remember we would have parties in the white house.
MRR: Verity?
TR: Verity Lodge. We would have dances and parties. And one time we hired Bob Shreve, who was a late night crazy guy who did the movies, to just walk around. I mean it was fun. We had fun things.
MRR: I heard there used to be outdoor movies and symphony concerts and things like that?
MR: There was symphony concerts, certainly. I don’t recall the outdoor movies but I’m sure there were there, yeah.
MRR: Some people talk about a group called Rusty Nails. Other people talk about taking trips through the college. Did you participate in any of those?
TR: Trips through here? The main trip I remember is, it wasn’t here but it was on main campus. The McGuffey Lab School. Going through the McGuffey Lab School as an education major. Oh my goodness and they had two-way mirrors, two-way windows and watching the kids interact. That was probably during my student teaching time. Boy, was that impressive. I remember that.
MR: You know this is a little out of context but one thing I wanted to make sure to get a point across when you talk about what this campus meant to the community. I think one of the unique, one of the unique things about this campus that was really important is that, you know there are a lot of very, very small universities and colleges out there but for one to have the quality that this had, you know having the association with, the you know the parent, the Miami University in Oxford, I just think the quality would be unsurpassed for a small community college, independent community college.
TR: I agree. I agree. I think I got a pretty fine education here.
MRR: As we go through this interview, were there any opportunities you had for co-ops or internships. You mentioned student teaching. That’s required but could you talk about the accountancy program?
MR: You know, there were internships that were available. I did not participate in internships because I really had a time table that I was on. You know I started a little later so I was ready to make it through and get out into the job world.So there certainly were internships available. I did not participate for that reason. And I don’t think they had the focus on the internships then that they have today. I think internships are very beneficial and, you know I’d certainly encourage any student today to participate. But I did not but I know that there were some available.
MRR: Are there any other evolutions of academic programs that you’ve seen here between then and now that you’ve heard of?
MR: I know that there’s a, and I’m going to probably not describe the program, there’s a law enforcement-related program,Criminal Justice program, that I’ve read about and heard about and when I was here for the graduation ceremony. I know I talked to a few students that were Criminal Justice majors. And it sounds like that’s been a very robust program that’s been successful.
MRR: Can you speak to the graduation ceremony? What did both of you see that day?
MR: Well, I was a little surprised, I mean I was honored to be invited to do it. You know I’m not a high profile person. So I was very honored that I was asked to do that. And Dr. Pratt, who I have known for a long time, asked me to do it. It was a far larger, more energy kind of an event than I anticipated. It was very rewarding for me to do it. I was honored to do it, you know I kind of stretched myself a little bit doing that. But I thought it was great and, you know I think there were three thousand people here so.
MRR: What did you see on the faces of the students and families?
TR: Pride.
MRR: Could you speak to that?
TR Pride, a great sense of pride. I was really impressed. I was really impressed with the professionalism and the, I mean it was a well-oiled machine. That whole program was great and of course the keynote speaker was fab. He did a great job.
M:R And you know I think I was able to communicate to the some thengs to the students that they may or may not have heard before, you know. Once you get your degree, you know you’re just getting started at that point. You’ve accomplished a lot. You need to be satisfied and happy with your performance. But there’s a lot of personal skills that need to be developed. A lot of things that you can’t really teach necessarily and then. You know I was just happy that I could communicate some real world kinds of experiences to the students because that, that resonates I think.
MRR: From your time at MUM what are some of the values that you cherished that you hope continue in the next fifty years?
MR: You know, one thing that I think I didn’t appreciate at the time as much as I do now was the liberal arts aspects of the education that you get here. I mean, you know, I think it’s you need to get an education that allows you to provide a life for yourself and your family and certainly I was able to do that. But some of those other courses I took, you know I took a philosophy course and I took Western Civ and, you know some other electives that, you know if I had it to do all over I may have done a little more of that. And I do have a good friend who is a president of a university in Cincinnati, not one of the major ones but,cathy who really convinced me that the importance of that liberal arts aspect of an education. And maybe, I don’t know if today’s students really recognize that. I mean, I think it’s what do I need to do to get a job. That’s important but I think the liberal arts learning aspects are of quite frankly of equal importance because you know that’s where character comes from and a lot of personal attributes.
MRR: With our education program were there any teachers that modeled certain behaviors? You mentioned your teacher in second grade but was there anything about the education program here that you really could build on once you got into the work place?
TR: No one instructor stands out. I think there was a Mr. Ferris [sic] and I don’t know what he taught. I don’t remember that. I do remember him. I remember hearing a lot of, you know, you can do all these things, you can make all these lesson plans that you want but when you’re in the classroom it may not work so you have to have something to fall back on in the event So. I think I learned to over-plan. I think I learned to over plan. You can’t run out of time. I mean you can’t run out of things to do with kids and if one thing doesn’t work you have to go to a plan B and I know that I got that here because we had to make so many lesson plans and, you know we didn’t have kids to present them to. And then, you know what do you do if the kids don’t get that? You have to have an alternate idea. I think that was very helpful.
MRR: You mentioned the core group of people you went through school with as a cohort. Did you see anyone build lifelong friendships here or what keeps you connected to this campus? Like why do you keep coming back?
TR: I really only built one lifelong friendship here and he’s right here.
MR: I, you know I think probably the thing that brings us back-the global thing-is the Miami University. You know that’s first of all. We’re very, very proud of Miami University, being graduates of Miami University. Certainly the Middletown branch and the Regional campuses, you know, allow other students to recognize that same level of accomplishment. So that’s my primary appreciation for the Regional campuses. That everybody can’t go to Oxford primarily because of economics but there a lot of students who are certainly as capable as any student that goes to Oxford that attends these Regional campuses.
MRR: Is there anything else that you want future researchers to know about the first fifty years or your four years here? Anything that they should pay attention to?
MR: Well, I think the university could do, and maybe I’m stating this not in the most diplomatic way, I think the university should do a better job of promoting the quality of the education that you get at the Regional campuses. I think it’s kind of like big brother Oxford, little brother Hamilton, Middletown. And I do believe under the current regime we’ve had the opportunity to meet the new president. I know…
TR: I think he’s moving in that direction.
MR: Yeah, and I think that’s important. That’s how you develop that sense of pride, I think.
TR: I think he got a big kick out of the fact that we were a forty-year Miami Merger. He liked that.
MRR: That’s wonderful. Thank you. I think that’s the questions that I have at the moment. Is there anything else that you want to add that I have not addressed?
TR: Just that I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t had the opportunity to go here. I can’t emphasize enough that I would not have gone to college. I was in high school across the street and I met with a counselor and I remember he said, “Well, you need to take business courses so that you can get a job as a secretary.” And I said, “But I don’t want to be a secretary. I want to be a teacher.” And he looked at me and he said, “You can’t afford to be a teacher.” Well, I guess I proved him wrong. It just made me more determined. I know it’s terrible.
MR: You know, the one thing to I would say about the Regional campuses that’s important, and really it’s not just the Regional campus, it’s the university is, you know from high school to here, you know high school it’s kind of just being, it’s kind of a one way street, you know and information is provided, information is provided. Where here there’s way more opportunity for real interaction and to develop, you know, your real personality, I think. And I think that’s important.
TR: If you compare that to education I think it’s like being in a small school district as compared to a very large one where you can get lost. No one got lost here. Every student was known and every student counted and I think that’s important. I think the small community that was created here, and I’m sure probably still is, makes every person feel important. I think you have to approach something like, especially if it’s like the first in the family no one’s really going to understand what you’re doing at first. They’re really going to think you’re wasting your time. You have to be focused and you have to believe in yourself. And, you know you’re going to get people who think that it’s ridiculous what you’re trying to accomplish. But my personal experience is I knew that once I had a college education, nobody would ever take that away. Once you had it, you have it. And I think that’s something students need to know. You know it’s not going to hurt you to test yourself and there’s nothing wrong with continuing and following what you start because it’s something that you’ll always have accomplished. And no matter what else happens in your life you are going to have that. And if that’s successful for you, I mean I went on to graduate school. I did post-graduate work. I mean I loved school. That’s why I stayed in it for so long. You just have to be driven I think and believe in yourself.
MR: I might answer that a little bit differently. I mean totally, you know our experiences were a bit different. I would say that the Regional campuses might even have a bit of an advantage in a way in that there’s much more of a cross-section of people at a regional campus. You know at the main campus and I’m not, nothing derogatory there, you know these are very, very good students right out of high school, l go to the Oxford campus and, you know make their way where many of the students that come to the campus here are students that are individuals and students that have had far different life experiences. You know, single-parent families, older people like myself that have been in the military. So I will say when you blend all those people here nobody thinks about those differences. You know we’re all students and, you know it’s kind of interesting. You just kind of stimulated that thought but I feel very strongly about that. You know I’m sitting at a study table with, I’m twenty-four years old and, you know a freshman, working with kids eighteen right out of high school but, you know there’s no real difference there. And, you know the thing to is I think there is always plenty of help available. And I couldn’t even tell you when office hours were for the faculty when I was here. I’m sure there were a couple of hours a day but I just know any time after a class is over, you know if you raise your hand and ask the professor, “Hey, you know I got this issue can you help me out?” You know, you’re never going to get a no. So.
TR: I remember one time, you know I worked in the office and I was taking Geography and it was Mr. Sink and he came by the office. We had taken an exam that day and he came by the office and asked me one of the questions on the exam and I answered. And he said, “Why didn’t you put that down on your paper?” I said, “Oh, oh I don’t know. ”And he goes, “Alright. I’ll give you that answer.” And would that happen anywhere else? Probably not. He just, he, I think he said, “I had a feeling you knew the answer.” He said, “That’s not what you wrote.” He said, “Ah, I’ll give you that answer anyway.”
MR: You know at the graduation there was a student speaker also and I don’t remember her name now. But you know it’s kind of an example of mentioned before. She was single-parent and I don’t know her age. Certainly older than a high school graduate and she was a military person too, that’s right.
TR: That’s right.
MR: And, you know I was just very impressed with her.
MRR: So this is a place where people are transformed?
MR: Yeah.
TR: I think so.
MR: Yeah. Yeah but I mean more so than a main campus quite frankly. I don’t know if the main campus wants to hear that but…
TR: We had a good experience here.
MR: Yeah. Yup.
Indexing terms for the finding aid:
Accounting
Armco
Beard, Mike
Broida, Michael
Country Joe without the Fish
Crawford, Greg
Criminal Justice
Dances
Elementary Education
Feminism
Ferris, Mr.
First generation
Friedan, Betty
Gold Star Chili Corporation
Graduation Ceremony
Green, Phoebe
Hamilton campus
Internships
KAOS newspaper
Lehman, Dr.
Liberal Arts
Maple Park Elementary
Marine Corps
McGuffey Lab School
Miami Merger
Miami Merger
Middletown High School
Middletown Symphony
MUMstock rock concert
Nontraditional
Ohio University
Oxford campus
Parents
Petition
Pratt, Michael
Rusty Nails
Shreve, Bob
Sigma Epsilon Chi
Sink, Mr.
Sorority
Student center
Student Secretary
Teacher
Trips
Verity Lodge
Veteran’s benefits
Vietnam War Draft
Winters, Johnny
Woodstock
Interviewer
Marsha Robinson
Interviewee
Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper
Location
Gardner Harvey Library, Miami University Middletown
Collection
Citation
“Sweet MUMories Oral History Project - Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper,” First to 50 - Miami University Middletown Digital Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://mum50.omeka.net/items/show/1074.