Code,913049
Subject,Carolyn N. Peskin
Date,10/25/16
Interviewer,Molly Schnoke
Abstract,"Carolyn Peskin grew up in Cleveland Heights and was a dedicated student. She holds numerous graduate degrees ranging from chemistry to music therapy. She describes the integration of Shaker Heights. She briefly discusses how the role women played in society changed and developed. After having a short career as a teacher, Peskin devoted much of her adult life to the care of her children and traveling with her enviornmentalist husband. She touches on some of the environmental issues the Great Lakes Region faced. "
Tags,"downtown department stores, gender segregation, women in higher education, Hathaway Brown School, Western Reserve, Shaker Heights, neighborhood integration, Clark Freeway, Shaker Lakes freeway fight, Clark Freeway, American Recorders Society, Cleveland Indians, 1948 World Series, Jewish community in Cleveland, housewifery, Judson Park"
Special Notes,The sound quality is excellent. 
minutes:,
0,Introductions are made. Peskin grew up in Cleveland Heights and went to Taylor Rd. Elementary.
1,She also went to Roosevelt Jr. High and Heights High School. Peskin reminisces about her time in the Cleveland Heights school system. There was a lack of racial integration in Cleveland Heights while she was growing up. 
2,Peskin says she loved to go downtown and frequented Higbee's and the May Company. Also she remembers the Sterling Lindner Davis Christmas tree.
3,The stores were bustling and customers were well attended in downtown Cleveland. First she took the street car and then the bus to go downtown. She describes her experience on the street car. 
4,"After high school Peskin went to Radcliffe College. Many of Peskins peers, including women went to college. She also mentions that because she was Jewish she was expected to go to college. "
5,"While in college Peskin studied chemistry, which was an unusual field for women to enter. Peskin describes her time in college and notes that the school practiced gender segregation. "
6,"Peskin explains what drew her to the field of chemistry. After completing her undergraduate degree, Peskin continued on complete her Masters. Graduate work in chemistry had even fewer women. "
7,"After leaving Harvard, Peskin returned to Cleveland and obtained her teaching certificate at Western Reserve and taught high school chemistry at Hathaway Brown School. The headmistress at Hathaway Brown was prejudiced and Peskin notes the lack of racial diversity at the school. "
8,"A discussion ensues between Schnoke and Peskin about the lack of diversity in the high school. Peskin describes the atmosphere at the school as WASPish, wealthy, very few scholarship people, and all the students looked alike with long blonde straight hair. "
9,Peskin taught at Hathaway Brown for 7 years and left because of the birth of her daughter in 1967. Peskin mentions that most women put a hold on or ended their careers when they started to have children. Peskin after 1967 fully embraced being a suburban mother and became active in PTA. 
10,"Although Peskin grew up in the Cleveland Heights area, her parents had moved to Beachwood after she had went to college. Once Peskin returned from Harvard she found her own apartment on Cornell Rd. right before Unversity Hospitals bought the land."
11,"After Peskin was married, she and her husband moved to Euclid Heights Blvd. in Cleveland Heights and then the young family moved to Shaker Heights. Peskin and family moved to one of the first integrated sections of Shaker Heights. "
12,The racial integration of Shaker Heights went smoothly in Peskin's estimation. 
13,Peskin remained in Shaker for 46 years until she and her husband moved into Judson. Their daughter now lives in the home. Peskin also mentions that Shaker Heights in the 1960s was quite different from what the neighborhood originally looked like. 
14,"Peksin mentions her daughter wrote a book on the nature conservatory and her husband was very active in the controversy, specifically he was adamantly opposed to Clark Freeway. "
15,Residents closer to the planned construction site were actively opposed. Peskin mentions her husband was an environmentalist and even has written a book on plant conservation titled The Search for Lost Habitats. 
16,Peskin continues to describe her husband's research and publications regarding plant conservation in the Great Lakes regions. 
17,"She and her husband traveled all over the United States, Canada and to parts in South and Central America to collect plant specimens. She also describes her involvement those expeditions. "
18,Schnoke inquires as to what kept the family in the Cleveland area.  
19,"Peskin responds that in Cleveland the family had family ties, friendships, organizations and the schools were good. Peskin lists some of the places they traveled.  "
20,Peskin continues to list all the places she and her husband traveled. Peskin mentions that due to personal problems she liked to stay at home. Peskin mentions she did become interested in music and played the recorder. 
21,She continues that because of interest in music she returned to graduate school and received a second Masters in Music Theory and History. She ended up becoming the National Vice President of the American Recorders Society. 
22,"Although Peskin mentions she is not an active member in American Recorders Society, she still continues to play the recorder at Judson in a music therapy program. "
23,Peskin notes that over the years the American Recorders Society has lost members.
24,Peskin mentions when the Indians won the World Series in 1948. 
25,Peksin continues that the Indians game was on the radio. Peskin explains how she ended up in Judson. 
26,Her appreciation of diversity stems from her early childhood and her encounters with the family's black maid. 
27,After asking a probing question as a young child she became aware of racial prejudice. Also Peskin mentions at Radcliffe blacks were treated as equals. 
28,Peksin expresses the joy and happiness she has living at Judson. She also mentions that growing up she went to a reform temple under the direction of Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver. In Peskin's estimation Rabbi Silver was not interested in the traditions that much and thus she did not have a bat mitzvah until she came to Judson. 
29,"Rabbi Silver, Peskin concludes, was more interested in assimilation. Peskin was just confirmed rather than having a bat mitzvah. She also believes bat mitzvahs did not exist yet when she was growing up. "
30,"Schnoke asks Peskin what she knew about the restrictive covenants. Peskin responds that restrictive covenants no longer existed when she and her family lived in Shaker Heights. Peskin notes that Jews were not allowed to live in certain areas at one time, but she did not come across that. Schnoke thanks Peskin and the interview ends. "
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