Code,990042
Subject,Diana Woodbridge
Date,7/15/2013
Interviewer,Timothy Klypchak
Abstract,"Diana Woodbridge grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and Shaker Heights, attended college at Miami University, and taught school for a short time in Painesville, Ohio.  She discusses the struggle for fair housing in the Heights in the 1960s-70s and the formation of two key organizations:  Forest Hill Housing Corporation and Heights Community Congress."
Tags,"Shaker Square, Miami University, Painesville, JFK assassination, Operation Bridge, Cleveland Heights, blockbusting, bombing, racial violence, racial integration, Doris Allen, Bernice Lott, Forest Hill neighborhood, Charles Alta, Forest Hill Housing Corporation, Home Repair Resource Center, Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, Ned Edwards, Heights Community Congress, Heights Housing Service, fair housing, St. Ann Audit, Reaching Heights, Heights United, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Severance Estate, Glenallen, Heights Rockefeller Building, predatory lending, National City Bank, John Lentz, St. Ann's Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church"
Special Notes,"birds chirping, law work and loud audio, phone rings twice in interview"
minutes:,
0,"Introduction, born in Cleveland, grew up in Tucson, Arizona and Shaker Heights, Lomond area; talks about walking to school and banking in school"
1,"parents split, moved with mother to Tucson, moved to Shaker after, grandmother was wife of Episcopalian Reverend E. G. Mapes, Christ Episcopal Church"
2,"Mother was a secretary, Worked for Dr. Earle B. Kay; did a lot of travelling, when he showed the heart-lung machine in South America"
3,"1950, the Big Snow, Lomond neighborhood; remembers looking up at the snow banks; graduated from Shaker Heights"
4,"Shaker Heights was not particularly integrated; friends were preppy; uncle would take brother fishing and would occasionally go to Canada, intergenerational family"
5,"talks about never being without something to do, field hockey, basketball, student council, girl's leader, Y-teens"
6,"would hang out in Shaker Square; record store in Shaker Square, Bowling Alley; Colony Movies; rapid ride to movies"
7,"Miami University, took education to be a teacher; Miami was more affordable, got through in three years; 50th Class Reunion"
8,"Georgian architecture, Sororities, Delta Gammas; counselor in dorm room called Wells, Students for Democratic Society Bernardine Dohrn (Radical, was on FBI most wanted list)"
9,"shared some of the same views, would sit on the swings and talk together; college was life shaping"
10,"graduated college in 1962, moved to Painesville, was a teacher for two years; story about third graders parents' telling them they are glad Kennedy was killed"
11,"$4800 for an annual teachers salary, husband worked for Sherwood Refactories; steering when finding a house"
12,"looked in Shakerwood in Cleveland, south of Shaker Heights; the area was integrating, would go to Cleveland Heights; cheaper than Shaker"
13,standard 3 bedroom home on Cambridge in Oxford neighborhood; Operation Bridge nuns out of St. Margret Mary helped push integration
14,"led to block parties, street meetings and neighborhood meetings; Chip Bromley"
15,"Grew up Episcopalian, 1960s were shaping times, Forest Hill Church, Adult education committee, Board of Church and Society; encouraged fair and open housing"
16,"positive roles for street clubs; tired of educating wanted to do something, Charles Alta was church treasurer and attorney; formed Forest Hill Housing Corporation, September 1971"
17,"Before Heights Community Congress got together, talks about East Cleveland and flipping the whole city"
18,using black children to blockbust; story of family on Northampton with a fire bombed garage
19,Bernice Lott could not get financed for her home because she was African American; Doris Allen one of the first black families in Cleveland Heights
20,"Adult education with Bernice Lott,  Diana checked real estate practices on rental properties;"
21,Forest Hill Housing Corporation first purchase and rennovation; talks about 235 program
22,restrictive convenance in Forest Hill neighborhood
23,"Church started funding with $5000; spent it all on first project, painting was done by volunteers"
24,the challenge fund for residents who can not afford conventional bank funds; sat down with Cleveland Trust
25,talks about agreement with Cleveland Trust Company
26,"talks about losing first loan; bought out loan, then began small; most clients African Americans who only financed with household credit; talks about Dell Duncan said high risk loans had a better track record then conventional loan"
27,got the ability to give people hope; when Diana retired five loans went under and those individuals came back and paid in full
28,talks about additional programs like project repair; home how to for women
29,started talking about bad mortgages in 1995; involvement in NOAH (Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope)
30,ten-15 different seminars
31,Church put out a Statement on open housing; responsibility to be a part of the community; Heights Area project non-profit was provided by Jewish Federation to keep young Jewish couples in the area
32,talks about Bernice Lott being President of School Board; Integrative Educative Committee
33,recommended magnet schools and Diana suggested pairing schools together; four people on pannel presenting to community
34,"talks about back ended community, school board did not price out the project; liked how the school pushed integrative school"
35,talks about son playing hockey in Erie Pennsylvania and game getting cancelled because of a racial slur
36,other son worked for a corporation downtown and reception desk did not send African American students up to his office
37,"National Church supported Angela Davis, and loss of membership"
38,Home Repair Resource Center was available to residents not just members of the church congregation
39,white flight caused house deterioration; story about white home owner not properly repairing the home
40,worked with Heights Community Congress; mentions the suit with Hill Top law suit
41,"Reverend Ned Edwards, was at the protest of Stephen Howe school when Bruce Klunder was killed"
42,Ned Edwards becoming senior pastor was a division in the church
43,Ned was second president of Heights Community Congress board of Trustees; Dick Oberman and Diana tried to get other congregations involved
44,teachers were not prepared for African American shift in student population; Heights Interfaith Council ad in Plain Dealer
45,Congregations from East like South Euclid and Shaker responded to ad
46,9 point plan from city Council; Heights Housing Service
47,"talks about block grant funds; operated out of Diana's house, free office space from Heights Community Congress,"
48,"moved to Rockefeller building, now have a paid for place to exist"
49,"Operation Open Mind in 1968, democratic and republican Congressmen talking"
50,invited to be on adult education committee;
51,Heights Interfaith Council is more or less email
52,talks about incumbency and how young people need leadership training; people are busier
53,"community is strong because of involvement; the hunger center, at Euclid Ave Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ"
54,Forest Hill church helped propel the Hunger Center; talks about Heights Heritage Tour with Heights Community Congess
55,racism and realestate practices became suddle; St Ann Audit
56,"talks about Reaching Heights; Heights United, now the boys and girls Club"
57,talks about walk to Cain park for celebration for integration; Civility (no specific details)
58,"circle discussions at tables; T-shirts, bumperstickers and club at Heights with kids being more civil with eachother"
59,Forest Hill working against homelessness and hunger; Abundance gardens; produce goes to Hunger centers
60,group that meets with salvation army truck and other community
61,Greater Cleveland Congregations
62,"meeting with Charter One bank about fair practices, discussions stopped because Charter One was sold; Dave Daberico at National City bank"
63,talks about how National City was taking predatory loan; John Lentz and NPR Reporter on elevator that was shut down
64,talks about meeting at Trinity Cathedral
65,Fountain from Severance's Estate; Wall along mayfield was part of the Glenn Ellen Estate
66,
67,talks about Milliken Estate; historic Heigts Rockefeller building
68,"St. Ann Church, St. Paul's Church's; welcoming of non-profits in the community"
69,End of Interview