Interview with Russell Goodaker

Partial Transcript: Will you give me your full name, birth date?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker is a native of Kentucky. He discusses his date of birth and his parents. He also discusses his early education at Princeton High and later attending University of Kentucky.

Keywords: Butler High School; Murray State University; Princeton High School; University of Kentucky; Western Kentucky University

Subjects: Education, Higher--Kentucky Education, Secondary--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When you went into administration, was that in Princeton?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker became Director of People Personnel and then later appointed by the board for principal of elementary school for eleven years. He also discusses leaving the Princeton area and moving to Danville.

Keywords: Danville Kentucky; Eastern Kentucky University

Subjects: Kentucky. State Board of Education Principals--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When you were in Princeton were the schools segregated? Any blacks in the county?

Segment Synopsis: While Goodaker was in Princeton, Caldwell County, the schools were segregated. Upon arriving in Danville, Boyle County, Goodaker discusses voluntary integration at the high school level only.

Keywords: Toliver Elementary School; Voluntary Integration

Subjects: Segregation in Education--Boyle County (Ky.) Segregation in Education--Caldwell County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: In 1963 was a year that full integration took place, by then you were in the central office?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker reflects on the schools integrating in the Danville area. To the best of his memory the schools integrated slowly and by the Fall of 1966 completely integrated.

Keywords: Bates High School; integration; Mr. Rawlings; Mr. Summers

Subjects: School integration Teacher Integration--Danville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Mr. Summers, Bates Principal, he moved to Central Office?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker discusses Mr. Summers, leaving the principal position and going to the Central Office. Goodaker reflects on changes that were made but no one lost their job. He discusses money provided to the school board for some black teachers to go to Peabody College to prepare for teaching remedial reading.

Keywords: Integration; Peabody College

Subjects: Faculty Integration--Danville (Ky.) School Integration--Danville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did you get any feedback in Central Office, how the high school handled students the first year...

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker reflects on the smooth transition of integration. He states having problems but not that he can recall being race related.

Keywords:

Subjects: Race relations--Danville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Who was the principal after Mr. Summers left?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker discusses teachers that were part of the staff at Bates School, as well the opening of the new middle school.

Keywords:

Subjects: Faculty (education)--Danville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: As an observer, not board member, not member of Central Office staff, just community observer, looking back on integration at Danville Schools anything else you could think of?

Segment Synopsis: Goodaker expresses how smoothly Danville schools integrated. He also states board minutes might be helpful for the interviewer research. A closing remark about Leonard Taylor, the Danville Superintendent.

Keywords: Leonard Taylor

Subjects: Race relations--Danville (Ky.)