Description: Frank W. Hatten studied electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, and was a childhood friend of Ralph Allen, Jr. On this tape, he is interviewed by Allen at his home in Delavan, IL. He discusses working his way through college, his apprenticeship with the Westinghouse Company, his work on the Panama Canal, and escorting President Taft through part of the canal. Other notable figures he mentions are Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Robert Byrd, William Jennings Bryan, and Roald Amundsen. The tape concludes with a recording of Hatten’s funeral service in Delavan.
Series Description: Ralph Allen Jr. was a student at the University of Illinois, class of 1912. These interviews and audio recordings were made by Ralph Allen Jr., and others at his request, from 1949 to 1967. The digitized audio includes interviews, speeches, and panels discussing research, experimentation and achievements in the fields of agricultural studies, crop sciences and horticulture, mainly regarding corn and soil treatment; agricultural associations in Illinois, specifically the Farm Bureau and the Illinois Agricultural Association; preservation of knowledge and history in agriculture; and personal memories concerning migration to US and student life during the University early years. Notable speakers include Professor Joseph Blair, Paschal and Edith Hatch Allen, James L Reid’s great grandson, Dave Thompson, and Frank W Hatten.
Interviewer: Ralph Allen, Jr.
Related Resources: Allen Family Papers