Lavelle, Robert R., March 26, 1973, tape 1, side 1

March 26, 1973

View this item

Order Reproduction
Title
Lavelle, Robert R., March 26, 1973, tape 1, side 1
Contributor
University of Pittsburgh (depositor)
Lavelle, Robert R., 1915-2010 (interviewee)
Howard, Lawrence (interviewer)
Walters, Gary (interviewer)
Date
March 26, 1973
Identifier
31735073021952-01
Source Identifier
31735073021952
Description
Robert Lavelle discusses growing up the son of a traveling Church of God minister, leading to his family living in various cities and states. His father's death in 1925 shaped their final move to Pittsburgh. Even though he dropped out of school after his father's death, he sought out work opportunities including a job at the Pittsburgh Courier. Lavelle credits his variety of jobs to his understanding of societal issues and injustices. He joined the military during World War II, noting that his lack of education at that time didn't deter him from rising quickly through the ranks. Lavelle highlights encounters with racial discrimination, including facing the Ku Klux Klan in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and discriminatory treatment while serving in the military. When he returned from military service he pursued education through the GI Bill, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in real estate and insurance. He faced discrimination when seeking employment, experiencing the frustration of being overqualified but overlooked for jobs in his field, eventually leading him to start his own real estate office in 1956.
Extent
45:16 minutes
Type
sound recording-nonmusical
Genre
oral histories (literary genre)
Source
Pittsburgh Renaissance Project: The Stanton Belfour Oral History Collection, 1971-1973
Language
eng
Collection
Pittsburgh Renaissance Project: The Stanton Belfour Oral History Collection
Contributor
University of Pittsburgh
Rights Information
In Copyright. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Primary tabs

Lavelle, Robert R., March 26, 1973, tape 1, side 1