oral interview - i. k. boltz

7/30/2019 Oral Interview - I. K. Boltz

1/23

Interview October 10, 1980

Interview with I.K. Boltz Born: June 8, 1905

Wife: Harriett Boltz (Maiden name Hyink) Born: April 3, 1905

Married June 12, 1929


2/23

Tresner: This is October 10, 1980. And interview with I. K.Boltz, 1205 Newsom. This is Charlene Tresner. Well,Mr. Boltz, shall we start with your birth?

Boltz: I was born in Williamsberg, Iowa, June 8, 1905. We

lived there for a while. I was the oldest child in thefamily. My father was a YMCA Physical Director and thenlater a YMCA Secretary. We moved from Williamsburg toCedar Falls, Iowa, where my father was in school for awhile. I started kindergarten there. Then we moved toMinneapolis, Minnesota, where my father was PhysicalDirector for the YMCA. Then in 1912 we moved toLawrence, Kansas where he was in YWCA work. Then in1919 we moved to Pittsburg, Kansas where I went to highschool.

Tresner: Was your father still with YMCA?

Boltz: YMCA, and we all moved there. And my first year in highschool in Pittsburg, I met my wife. And we bothfinished high school there and she left to teach and Ifinished college at Pittsburg, and we were married thesummer of 1929 and moved to Colorado -- moved toDeBeque, Colorado. Then we moved from DeBeque, Coloradoto Grand Junction and from Grand Junction to FortCollins in 1940 and moved from Fort Collins to GrandJunction again in 1943 and we came back here in 1962.

Tresner: That was when you retired, was it?

Boltz: No.

Tresner: You were -- gone from here, didn't you.

Boltz: Yeah. I should have identified some job positions, Iguess. When we were here in Fort -- in Grand Junction -- this is identified in this material, I was AssistantPrincipal to the Junior and Senior High School and leftthat position to become principal of Fort Collins HighSchool. And left that position to return to GrandJunction as Superintendent of Schools. In 1962 I came -- we came back here as the Superintendent of Schools andretired in 1971. And I accepted a part-time position

with the Colorado Federal Relations Commission forEducation, as a Director. For one year. I'm stillthere. (laughter)

Tresner: And how many years is that?

Boltz: Well, it was l9 -- nine years.

Tresner: Nine years.


3/23

Boltz: Practically, in fact it is nine years. And I enjoy thework very much. I work with the Federal legislativeprocess through our congressional people. I represent acommission of fourteen people in Colorado. Seven schoolmembers and seven school administrators. This is our

job, to keep contact with our federal rules andregulations.

Tresner: Um hum. Now who do you report back to actually?Boltz: I report to a chairman of the Commission. And this is

sponsored by the Colorado Association of School Boards,Colorado Association of School Executives. And thiscommission elects a chairman for a two year term and italternates between a school board member and a schoolExecutive member. And we report directly to thechairman of the commission.

Tresner: Oh, I see.

Boltz: Whoever it is -- who is serving in the capacity at thetime.

Tresner: Do they have a publication -- or a memo or somethingthat is sent out all over the state?

Boltz: We have perhaps two -- three procedures. One of them isthrough the Colorado Association of School Boardsbulletin, where I have freedom of a column now and thenif I want it. The CASE -- the Executive's Organizationthe same way. And then periodically I will send out a

bulletin directly from my office to all members of bothassociations.

Tresner: And how many people would that -- include, probably whenyou send out a mailing -- what would be your number onthat?

Boltz: Colorado Association of School Boards is about athousand -- just a few under a thousand. And CASE abouttwenty-five hundred. Most of it is just informationabout what is happening, and in most cases, they don'trespond to me, but they respond to the Commission memberin their own area -- the congressional districts. And

then that comes back to me when we have a meeting or thecommission member sends it on to me. Then, what happensafter that is my decision to make. So --usually itmeans corresponding with some of our congressionalpeople. Or their aides. The aides are very important inthe process. The chief aide in Jim Johnson's office,for instance, is Bill Cleary. I don't bother Jim. If Ithink Bill can carry it on from there, or maybe the nextday I'll get a call back from Jim -- so what? This


4/23

works with all people --Colorado Delegation ofCongressional People are very, very cooperative. I just-- I just can't believe it sometimes. They go out oftheir way so many times just to be sure they have thefacts.

Tresner: Well, that's great --

Boltz: They don't always agree with us.

Tresner: -- nice compliment to Colorado, isn't it.:

Boltz: Yes. Yes. I know many fellows in other states who justcan't get any response. But --

Tresner: Why do you think we get better response than somestates?

Boltz: Oh, I think one of the reasons is that our delegation is

small enough that, I do, and most of our commissionmembers know them personally. And have over the years.That helps.

Tresner: Oh, yes, a great deal, doesn't it.:

Boltz: First name basis, in almost every case. And when thereis a new person going in at the Congress, one of ourobjectives is to get acquainted, if we don't alreadyknow them, but we do in most cases -- know who they arebefore they're elected.

Tresner: Surely a lot of that is your own effort, though, too,ah, ah, being on that long, is a help, is it not?

Boltz: Yes, it is. It is. I don't know that that's anyspecial tribute to me, but because

Tresner: Well, but it is, really.

Boltz: I try to follow every reasonable path to get theirconfidence and that's important.

Tresner: It is.

Boltz: If I go way off on a tangent someplace, they can -

Tresner: You can alienate those people very fast.:

Boltz: -- very fast, very rapidly.

Tresner: Um hum. About how much of your time does this take?


5/23

Boltz: Depends on the time of the year. Ah, when a newcongress goes in the next session, it -- depending onhow many new people are there -- ah, we'll spend I willspend quite a bit of time in Washington, and probably mychairman will be there with me. All the group will goback the first of February to a National School Boards

Association Federal Relations Network Meeting. This isa once a year thing. At which time we visit everyoffice, talk to the new people. Not so much aboutwhat's going to happen, but mostly about how do we worktogether. Oh, we mention things that we're interestedin, yes. But, then that will come a little later --most of that effort. I'll tell you, it's one of themost interesting jobs anyone could have.

Tresner: I'm sure for you, it is. I think an educator

Boltz: I've worked --

Tresner: -- would just eat that up.

Boltz: I've worked with both state and federal legislationprograms for as long as I can remember -- since I'vebeen in the school business. And there's a processthere that just intrigues me, so much. I can almostpredict what Congress is going to do. (laughter) Aboutevery issue, not because I'm influencing it, but I knowwhat little by-plays are going on. (laughter). And somevery subtle comment someone will make, that kind of saysto me, this is the way it will be. We're notpredicting, but it will happen this way . We've had real

good relationships. I had the same experience with --in working, you know, Colorado. The ColoradoLegislative Process, I was a member of and chaired theCEA Legislative Committee for a good many years andlater on the School Administrator's group. It's kind ofa carry-on from that. And all the time I could see therelationship between my on-the-job responsibilities andwhat's going on there. There'll be some benefits flowback this way, and I knew -- just appreciated it. Whatwas happening.

Tresner: What do you feel are some of your major accomplishments?Through these nine years?

Boltz: Well, I think -- I believe that one of the mostgratifying to me is the good rapport that has beendeveloped between our Colorado delegation and Coloradoschool people both board members and administrators andprincipals. Others. They have -- our people all feelthat they have a -- not just a right to talk to ourCongressional people, but it's a privilege -- it's aresponsibility. If you don't tell them what you think,


6/23

they'll never know. And every time a message goesthrough from Wayne Linton, or Perk Schmelzer or PoudreR-l District, or people like that, it means somethingpersonal.

Tresner: Who was the last person you mentioned?

Boltz: Perk Schmelzer. Percy.

Tresner: Yes.

Boltz: He's with the Administration of Instruction. Or anybodythat's in the school district. It isn't just a one-shotdeal. It's a continuing operation.

Tresner: Is this a paid position?

Boltz: Yes, I work on a small salary -- cost me more, really,more than I can get out of it. I have my office in

Denver, and I have to drive back and forth. You askedme how much time I spent on it, and said "it depends."Ah, there will be times when I'll drive down three orfour days a week and work in the office. There will betimes -- very rarely, but occasionally for over a week.I was there yesterday. I do a lot of telephone contactsfrom home. I've learned to do that more.and we havecontact with my office there every day, by telephone.The secretarial services are paid or furnished by theColorado Association of School Boards and I'm in theiroffice building.

Tresner: Oh, yes, and that is where?

Boltz: That's 1330 Logan. Do you know where the Molly BrownHouse is?

Tresner: Um hum.

Boltz: It's right straight -- right straight across from it,facing on Logan Street.:

Tresner: Oh, yes.

Boltz: I usually park in the Molly Brown parking lot.

(laughter). So -

Tresner: Have they been housed there a long time?

Boltz: No. Let's see, I think about ten years I guess, orsomething like that. Maybe eleven. Eleven.

Tresner: Does your staff just consist of a secretary then?


7/23

Boltz: I have a part-time secretary, that's all. Well, thereare three girls there who help me with mailings andletters, mailgrams (unintelligible) like that. But theyare paid by the Colorado Association of School Boards.It doesn't come out of our small budget.:

Tresner: Does your budget consist of fees, member's fees.

Boltz: The Colorado Association of School Boards puts in somuch money a year, and the Colorado Association ofSchool Executives puts in so much. We work on a about atwenty-four thousand dollar a year budget. And they putquarterly payments in. That takes care of all thetravel, what I am paid, the bulletin, costs of postage,telephone calls, so it's a low budget operationconsidering all --

Tresner: Um hum.

Boltz: I told Harriett that I'm glad to get a little bit out ofit, but I'd almost do it for nothing. (laughter) Keepsme busy.

Tresner: Yes, I can see that that would be true.

Boltz: So many years I've been involved in that kind of thing -- to be able to carry on, and, as I say, I claim nocredit for it, because it's -- so many people involved,but I just happen to be the focal point at a top pointin time.

Tresner: Yes, but then a good deal of credit is due you, too, youknow that is -- is true.

Boltz: So -- well --

Tresner: You mentioned your wife, Harriett, what was her maidenname.

Boltz: Hyink -- H-y-i-n-k.

Tresner: And she was from --

Boltz: Well, she was also born in Iowa, at Alton, Iowa.

Tresner: Could you give her birthdate on here.

Boltz: April 3, 1905. (whisper) -- she's older than Iam.(laughter). It make's her mad. And we were marriedJune 12th, 1929.

Tresner: You mentioned to me, that was Depression days.


8/23

Boltz: Yes, it was. T

Tresner: And did you have a job at the time?

Boltz: I hadn't -- I had dropped out of school for a year --well, almost two years, back -- well two years before

1929, because I came back to school. Went to work in adeep copper mine out in Utah as a miner. And I got tobe an electrician, finally (laughter). Went back toschool and finished my pre-med work and was admitted tothe School of Medicine, at the University of Missouri.But, didn't have any money. Nor a job. And I wrote tothe teachers aide, you see, and got a contact atDeBeque, Colorado. No idea where it was or what it was(laughter). And we -- we came out there on ourhoneymoon, actually. (laughter)

Tresner: Now, did they accept you sight and unseen?

Boltz: Right. And then I --

Tresner: And what did you teach that year?

Boltz: Oh, I was -- science, and social sciences and I was anathletic coach (laughter) and then -- small school, onlyeight teachers, and then --

Tresner: Um hum. Consolidation there, is it?

Boltz: No, it is now, but at that time it was just a littlepart of Mesa County -- one little corner on the ColoradoRiver. The community was divided equally between sheep

families and cattle families. Oh.

Tresner: Oh.

Boltz: And that was in the heyday, or the second heyday of thecattle/sheep war And here we had these kids in class.We did -- my superintendent came from from Col --Nebraska. Neither one of us had ever been involved in asituation like that (laughter). But they were some ofthe finest people we've ever known -- lived in thelittle time -- real fine.

Tresner: Well, were they obviously at odds?

Boltz: It's interesting -- the families were, but the childrenwere not.

Tresner: Did it seem not to make any difference to them?

Boltz: No, it didnt make any difference to them. But thefamilies were really --


9/23

Tresner: Well, how bad was the feud between the families then?

Boltz: Well, like they wouldn't speak to each other. Orsomebody would be -- you know -- at a house -- a cowfamily would be there and a sheep family would come, thecow family would leave. Just things like that.

Tresner: Oh, they probably wouldn't belong to the same church.

Boltz: Oh -- well, there was just a community church there. On(unintelligible) was just non-denominational, but theydidn't go, any of them.

Tresner: Oh. Who supported it?

Boltz: Ah, well, I said, no one went there -- a few familiesdid support it and they had an itinerant preacher whocovered the Platto {Platte?} valley and up to Eagle --in Eagle County and hit little small towns. But, we

still hear from some of those young people. They stopto see us. We've had some -- we've had several familiesstop. And ah -- they went all out for us -- to help us.They really did. And Harriett taught there for a while.

Tresner: What was her -- subjects?

Boltz: She was in -- she was an elementary teacher before wewere married for a number of years, she taught in theelementary schools. (unintelligible) and Ossawatomie,Kansas. And then, when we came out to Colorado, she gota Colorado certificate and taught. Elementary school --

elementary grades -- the upper elementary grades --sewing, homemaking course, which they'd never had before-

Tresner: Was she a Home Economics person?

Boltz: No, she was elementary education, but she's a very fineseamstress -- sewer -- maker of things.

Tresner: What did the community think about married womenteachers at that time?

Boltz: Well, it was not the right thing. But we had a

situation where we were entitled to eight teachers andthe school district didn't have enough money to payeight teachers, but the state would pay seventy-fivedollars for every teacher -- seventy-five dollars amonth. So she taught for seventy-five dollars a month.And that helped us and helped them. And then when Ibecame superintendent, she had to quit. That was"taboo." And then we moved to Grand Junction --it wasstill "taboo" for a husband and wife to teach in the


10/23

same school district. Though, she's been more importantwith our family, anyway, and she knows that.

Tresner: Tell me about your family and where were they born?

Boltz: Ah, our oldest son -- Bill -- was born in 1931 -- no

1936 (laughter). In a little hospital at Collbran,Colorado. We didn't have a doctor in our town. I wasit. (laughter) I had the community first aid kit and didall the calls for injuries and things like that. Thehospital at Collbran --

Tresner: That's C-o-l-b-u-r-n?

Boltz: C-o-l-l-b-o-r-n (sic). Collbran.

Tresner: Oh, is that somewhere near DeBeque?

Boltz: It's fifty miles. Nearest hospital. Right in the

middle of winter. (laughter) December.

Tresner: You managed to get there all right.

Boltz: Yeah. Just a little dirt road. Back to Collbran --wayback in the hills. From Grand Mesa from DeBeque.Didn't think anything about it.

Tresner: No, not really.

Boltz: Here were people that lived farther away than we did.Why up in the mountains beyond us, did the same thing.

Tresner: I worked on that western slope -- I know too.

Boltz: Then our --

Tresner: Tell me, what's his occupation now. Did you say hisname was --

Boltz: William.

Tresner: William, yes.

Boltz: William Doyle. Bill is with -- is a graduate of CSU,

electrical engineering. He went to -- from here toCalifornia with -- he was with the Lockheed out thereone year and then he went with Philco Company,electrical engineering. Then he went with -- then thatbecame Philco Ford and is now Ford. And it's a Ford --well, it's a communications satellite division in PaloAlto. And he is the Senior Quality Control Officer forparts. For the satellites. Many of the communication


11/23

satellites are products of his division and they use theparts a guy sets over here.

Tresner: That's interesting.

Boltz: He likes it. Oh, the satellite pictures we saw of Saint

Helen's were taken by one of their satellites. Andthey're doing a bunch for India now, I think. Six oreight for India. And there's an international groupincluding Russia and the United States, and six othernations are setting up constant series -- well -- youknow, -- I mean, there's constant observation bycommunications around the world and there -- this is agovernment group, combination of governments. So they -- I think they've already put up three and there will befive more.

Tresner: Humm.

Boltz: And they'll have this big band and they'll just keeprotating.

Tresner: Yes. That's interesting.

Boltz: They'll stand still and the earth will rotate, that's --(laughter). Then our youngest son, Roger, was bornhere. Fort Collins. '41. I have to figure --(laughter). Yeah, in '41. And I was principal of thehigh school and Miner Morrill was our doctor at thattime. The one over here -- at the hospital. He wasborn the first day of school right in the middle of a

teacher's meeting. (laughter) Do you know Faye Epley?

Tresner: Yes.

Boltz: Faye was my secretary. Remember having her. Meeting inone of the rooms up there on that side of the highschool building, and they had glass windowpanes, andMiner was to call Faye and tell her. So Faye came tothe door (unintelligible) (laughter) and everybody knewwhat was happening. It was quite an experience, too.

Tresner: Faye spent most of her life in the schools, didn't she.I think she went in right out of high school, didn't

she?

Boltz: Yep. She started in this office up here as secretary toa principal in 1929. I believe that's right.:

Tresner: She ah -- wasn't she in the old building before theymoved? I was thinking I saw her in an annual one timethere -- maybe a year before the move, but I'm not quitesure about that.


12/23

Boltz: I don't know. I thought she started up here. I knowshe started --

Tresner: I know she started up here all right, that would be in1925.

Boltz: I just thought -- '25 -- '25 - '24 --

Tresner: The high school opened up here -- in the fall of '25 itopened for classes. But anyway, she's been with them --or had been with them, I guess, her entire career.

Boltz: That's right. Always. Yeah. You know there were somegreat teachers in that high school; I'm not downplayingany -- our present teachers. But you look that groupover, I don't know whether you'd be interested in thisor not.

Tresner: Yes, I am.

Boltz: But, ah, Mary Tyre, Mabel Johnson, Katharyn Bauder, OtieReese, Cy {Cyrus W.} Vest, Ray French was in there atthat time. Dan Beattie, Phil {Philip} Rule, to name afew of them. Offhand. Very dedicated people.

Tresner: They were. They were in teaching when I went to highschool here. I know what a fine faculty we had.

Boltz: It was great, yeah. There's more I should think of, Ican't think of them right now, but they were just as

important, anyway as any of the others.

Tresner: Yes. Was Ted B1evins still with you then?

Boltz: Ah, no. Ted had just been demoted to Lincoln JuniorHigh and Bill Hinkley -- and I think a man by the nameof Compton -- there was one -- Bill Compton,

Tresner: Yes. Um hum.

Boltz: Bill Compton. And after I'd been here one year, I askedMr. Greg Mynere, who was the superintendent, I said,"I'd surely like to have two of those guys back." And

Greg said, "Well, one." It really was the schoolboard's decision. They were really mad about something-- I don't know, anyway. I got Bill Hinkley.

Tresner: Oh, yes. Did you take over the problems from WardMiller and their feud at that time?

Boltz: Walter Tatum was there before I was.


13/23

Tresner: Yes. Right there.

Boltz: And before I was administration officer,Superintendent.Greg Mynere came as a Superintendent andthen I -- he was -- he selected me to come in as highschool principal. I was scared to death. I was

teaching at the University of Colorado that summer.Working on my doctorate.

Tresner: What were you teaching?

Boltz: Well, school law and school finance, and I was takingcourses -- related courses from the Graduate School atthe same time. And changing at jobs and everything --pretty rugged.

Tresner: Well, I'd think so.

Boltz: Harriett was Bill, and we had a very limited budget. We

lived on a dollar a day -- plus -- that was food.

Tresner: Yes.

Boltz: A dollar a day, the three of us.Tresner: It's hard to believe now, but we did, didn't we.

Boltz: Yeah.

Tresner: Well, did you really inherit quite a few problems,though, at that time? Or was there very much tostraighten out, actually?

Boltz: Really not. That staff was ready to get together and dosomething about it All they wanted was an opportunityto do it. And not have any feuding. And I didn't --there wasn't any big problem. (End of Side 1, Tape 1).I don't really remember any others except the three whowere told not to be there, I wouldn't have known themanyway. But, they just really got it together. We hada few students who couldn't understand for a while, butit worked it -- didn't take long to handle that.

Tresner: Did you ever hear them talk about the sneak day that theclass of 37 took? That is supposed to have really been

the start of the problems, between the school board andMr. Tatum. Did you ever hear that discussed.

Boltz: I don't think. I don't recall, if I did. I must have --

Tresner: I was in the class of '37.

Boltz: (laughter). I must have know something about it.:


14/23

Tresner: They'd always given us a sneak day. They decided not togive it to us that year, but we decided to take itanyway. And there was quite a little feuding and fussinggoing on, and they weren't going to let any of usgraduate. But of course, that went by the wayside, but

it started a big thing. You know how a little fire iskindled with a match sometimes, and becomes a really bigthing. And that's what I had heard.

Boltz: It could well be, but I just don't recall that.

Tresner: Probably you weren't aware of that at all.

Boltz: As I told you, I was scared to death. I was trying tofind out a way to get -- get that school going, and Iwasn't interested in their past problems.

Tresner: Yes, well you had plenty at the present.

Boltz: And I -- (chuckle). So I -- it worked out fine.

Tresner: Well, we didn't finish about Roger, what he does now.

Boltz: Well, Roger is a dentist. He has his practice inWindsor. Recent -- fairly recently moved from FortCollins and lives down at Boyd Lake Shores now.

Tresner: Oh, yes. Um hum.

Boltz: He went to Northwestern. Its something rather

interesting happened to him -- about him, anyway. Hewas a student at Grand Junction Junior College, itscalled Mesa College -- Mesa Junior College at that time.And he was in his sophomore year, president of hisclass, and Northwestern University decided they wouldtake two junior college graduates into their dentalschool. Other than that, it was a Bachelors degree.And he applied and got it. And I think there were maybethree other dental schools in the United States tried itfirst that year. And then they were getting so many,they dropped them in about three years, I think. Notbecause of the students, but because of the complaintsof the graduate students who couldn't get in.

(laughter). There were some of them standing on theback burner, and all of a sudden, a junior collegeyoungster would come in. So then he joined the NavyReserve while he was in school and he served, after hegraduated, he served two years in the Philippines,during the Korean Conflict. Then he served a year and ahalf in California, still in the Navy Reserve Training -- Naval Officers to go across -- what their duties wouldbe. Then he came back here and Woodward Governor was


15/23

just starting their -- organizing their dental clinicand I guess Dr. Fred Humphrey and two or three otherpeople talked to Roger and then Roger went there for ayear and a half, almost two years and set up theirdental clinic practice, and then he decided he wanted togo out on his own, so went to Windsor. It was about the

time Kodak was starting to move in there, and he figuredthere would be some pretty fine -- And he lives at BoydLake Shores and they have two children.

Tresner: Did they build a new home?

Boltz: No, they bought one -- from somebody.

Tresner: Did he marry somebody from here?

Boltz: No. He was -- she was in school at Northwestern innursing and he met her. She's from Illinois --Lincoln,Illinois. And then they were married a year ahead of

their graduation -- her graduation and his -- shegraduated from Nursing Education. Roger in Dentistry --they were married the year before they graduated, as Isaid.

Tresner: Does she follow her profession at all, or --?

Boltz: Not very much. She does some at McKee Medical. Justgeneral duty and special duty. She's just been raisinga family -- I say "just" that's pretty hard to do.

Tresner: That's right. (laughter)

Boltz: So.

Tresner: I wanted to mention Boltz Junior High and the naming andso on -- will you relate the sad accident that happenedto it before they got open.

Boltz: I don't recall the date involved.

Tresner: Well, let's see, the school board bulletin here says in1972 it was being built. And burnt to the ground there.

Boltz: You remember at that time -- just prior to that -- maybetwo months or maybe three months apart, first there was

a big fire up on Horsetooth. A big eating place. Thenone on South College~

Tresner: Yes.

Boltz: And then Boltz Junior High school, which I supposed, wasninety percent completed at that time. Just those threefires, just so many months apart. And right down inthat area.


16/23

Tresner: Did they ever connect them at all, then?

Boltz: Not to my knowledge.

Tresner: They did feel it was arson, didn't they.

Boltz: Oh yes, in all three cases it was strong suspicion ofarson. One of the fellows told me -- about the juniorhigh. It was man-made and man-assisted. It spread sorapidly, it had to have -- had to have somebody. But Ithought that the naming of the school was something.And I begin -- you know that story --I suppose.

Tresner: Perhaps I do, but let's put it on tape.

Boltz: Okay. I'm a little bit vague about this. The story --someplace in mythology the story of the phoenix bird wasburned and rose from the ashes to live again.

Tresner: Yes.

Boltz: And, to the best of my knowledge, the idea of thephoenix bird came from the students. Not from an adult.

Tresner: That's interesting.

Boltz: Although that -- I don't -- I was told that. And Ithought that showed some pretty good thinking on thepart of some children.

Tresner: I think so too.

Boltz: They -- shortly after that happened, I was in Washingtonattending an aerospace meeting and a man who was withthe Federal Aviation Agency took me over to the KennedyCenter for lunch. And showed me the new -- new giftthat had been given to the Kennedy Center, and I believeit was from the Italian Government, of the Phoenix Bird.And the art teacher out here, who was trying to find out-- excuse me -- (tape turned off) -- Don't put this partof it in. (laughter).

Tresner: Well, it's going.

Boltz: Somebody had figured out what a phoenix bird would looklike and the art teacher at Boltz Junior High Schooldidn't know either, and he was trying to get a design ofsome kind, so this is his concept, so I saw this thingback there which I couldn't understand at all, and whenI came back, the young man asked me, "Now, does thislook like something like the phoenix bird back there?"And I didn't have the heart to tell him I -- "I think sopretty much." This was a tremendous futuristic type


17/23

thing and I couldn't see any design on it really. Thismeans more to me.

Tresner: Well, since it's a mythical bird, it is a little hard topicture. Isn't it?

Boltz: Yes.

Tresner: I wonder, is there a statue in Europe somewhere that anartist conception of the way it really did look?

Boltz: As I -- I understand it, the man was commissioned by thegovernment to design the phoenix bird and --

Tresner: Oh, yes.

Boltz: And the idea behind it was here was a great man that wasburned to the ground, and his memory has come back --visibly. That was the idea. Well, so I guess that's as

good as any, don't you think.

Tresner: Yes, I think that story is very interesting of that cameto -- I notice that the man who designed this ismentioned here. I believe he was on the -- in theschools.

Boltz: He -- he was the art teacher there in that building.And I don't remember his name.

Tresner: Well, anyway lets talk a little bit about thisBellringer Award that you received in 1971 from National

Congress Aerospace Education. Would you tell us alittle about that.

Boltz: Well, our oldest boy was in high school. He had a --well he got interested in aviation and joined the CivilAir Patrol. And he was all wrapped up in it. Andaviation had never been an interest of mine, except assoon as he got interested, I just had to believe that itwas necessary for us to be a part of what he was doing.So I got interested. And he went through the Civil AirPatrol. And I got interested in the National AviationEducation Council -- dealing with schools andinstruction in aviation interests -- including the Civil

Air Patrol. And finally, Bill was flying and he had acommercial pilot's license and I was appointed to theboard of directors for the National Aviation Council.Strictly an Aviation Education Group. All states arerepresented.

Then, oh, about the time he became the commercial pilot,a little after that, about a year or two, I was electedto the Presidency of the National Aviation Council out


18/23

of Washington. And then, while I was president, wechanged to the National Aerospace Education Council.And then I served in that capacity and represented theUnited States for a couple of years and a couple ofmeeting times and then the Federation International --Aeronautic International -- Federation Aeronautic

Internationale -- which is a group composed of all theaerospace and aviation education groups around theworld. And the meetings were held in Paris. Irepresented our group. It was a combination of theAeronautic Association -- represented even -- andFederal Aviation Agency and National AviationAssociation, and government group at this meeting. Weexchanged ideas on aviation and aerospace education inthe schools. There were about forty people at eachmeeting plus all the interpreters. Which made a lot ofnoise (laughter). Well, I sat at one end of aconference table, about forty feet long -- a big oldconference table and the Russian General at the other

end -- these were the two figures. See. Everythingelse was built around that. Not me, but the UnitedStates and Russia. And we had opportunities to discussour own programs and I had a little conflict with ourfriend from Russia over some issues (laughter). And theword got back to our own group about it, and it wasn'tanything bad, we just disagreed, that's all. And herewere all these people sitting around with theirinterpreters and some of the interpreters were doingwhat they called "simultaneous" and other interpreters,"periodic". They were new terms to me. And I didn'thave an interpreter with me, because most of the people

from these other countries were bilingual -- ormultilingual, or something. So, they just tried to givea thirty minute report or an hour report and it wouldtake a long time, because some of these people wereinterpreting all the time. Just word by word andothers, every minute or so the hand would go up andyou'd have to stop. And I was asked to go back thesecond year and do the same thing, but Russian Generalhad changed -- a new one (chuckle) . They were having alot of fun over that -- "Did you run him off," orsomething like that. And I sat beside this guy -- eachof them at lunch that day, one day -- and he spokeEnglish as well as I do, or better, probably. The first

one. The second one was not quite so good at it. But,he would -- they would stop me when I would talk so hisinterpreter could tell him what I was saying. What hewas doing, I decided afterwards, was that he was --wanted to think over before he talked. He wanted tothink about it, so he'd ask his interpreter to --(laughter).


19/23

So we had -- that was quite an experience, because I'vehad opportunities from all over the United States and --Europe -- for instance, the Apollo VIII flight -- FrankBorman was the CO on that flight. And I had a chance tointroduce Frank Borman in -- to a meet -- to a meetingin Washington when he was still a captain in the Air

Force and no one have any idea that he'd go where he is.So by gosh, when he got ready to go up on that date, hesent me an invitation to go -- I was right out in theVIP area. Just pure luck -- absolute luck. So that wasquite an experience. That kind of it -- that part ofit.

Tresner: Yes, could you explain just exactly what the BellringerAward was -- was a particular presentation now?

Boltz: Let's see if I've got a date on it in here any place.

Tresner: Well, '71 is the date they give here. Is that correct?

Boltz: Yeah. Okay. That was service. Long time service tothe organization and an outgoing officer and boardmember, at which time all these other visits andrecognitions were mentioned.

Tresner: Did you get a plaque?

Boltz: Yes, un hum.

Tresner: A statue?

Boltz: Well, it's a plaque, I think.

Tresner: While we are talking about awards here, we might mentionthis Colorado Vocational Education Hall of Fame, August7th, 1980. And ah, where was that presentation?

Boltz: Here at CSU, at the annual Colorado VocationalAssociation Meeting. One each summer. And that's abouta four or five day meeting, and they have variousdivisions of the Vocational Association here -- it'sautomechanics, and agriculture people, and so on. It was(chuckle) a real surprise. I want to show you somethinginteresting to me. This fellow, Herb Benson -- well, the

two of us graduated in college in the same class, thesame year.

Tresner: Is that right?

Boltz: Two of us --

Tresner: From different institutions?


20/23

Boltz: No, the same school. We were classmates.

Tresner: Same school. Oh.

Boltz: Pittsburg, Kansas.

Tresner: Well, that is quite interesting.

Boltz: Unusual.

Tresner: You were saying that this was a surprise to you?

Boltz: Well, Pauline McKean told me -- she called me and askedme if you could talk about background one day, and I wasgetting ready to go to Colorado Springs for a meetingand she -- we talked awhile, and she said in thebeginning what this is for, do you? I said, "No." Andshe said, Its the Colorado Vocational Association Hallof Fame." And that didn't mean anything to me. I didn't

know what it was. Well, that's all I knew. But, whenwe got over there that day, we found out it was a fiftyyear period, and so on -- And the Colorado VocationalAssociation -- they give awards every year at themeeting -- like to CEA members. But this is significantto me -- I know or knew every one of these peoplepersonally, except Emily Griffith. But I'd worked alongwith these people.

Tresner: This was my supervisor the year I taught.:

Boltz: Yeah. I remember the first visit she made from the State

Department. To our school in DeBeque. And we talkedabout it -- that night, over here. We were establishinga new Home Ec. Department and she came over to help us.

Tresner: Were you vocational from the very first?

Boltz: No. Just believe in it. Always have. But mybackground was science and --

Tresner: Yes, but what I meant was, was your program underVocational Education from the start?

Boltz: No. We got some help, some supervisory help, mostly.

From the State Department -- Vocational Department. Idon't think the first few years we ever got any moneyfrom the State. For that.

Tresner: There were certain standards there that had to be met.Physical, I think, mostly, weren't they?


21/23

Boltz: Yes. We didn't have -- we just didn't have physicalfacilities for our -- but with their help -- with herhelp and then Lucille Fies, later on, we got going.

Tresner: We didn't mention that theres a street named for you,too. Ah -- did that happen before the school or

afterward? (laughter)

Boltz: You know, Les {Leslie G.} Everitt is responsible forthat.

Tresner: Oh, un huh.

Boltz: Well, that subdivision, really. They bought the landfrom her -- Spencer, and the School Board -- when wewere over at the banquet -- the Retirement Banquet, thepresident of the Board, Ward Fischer, announced thatthere would be a Boltz Junior High, which we didn't knowanything about. We were just floored. And in two or

three days, Les Everitt called me and said, "Now we'regoing to name that street in front of the building,'Boltz Drive,' if it's all right." (laughter) I thinkthe original plan was that was to be Herb SpencerStreet. But that was before the school was named, sothey did some changing, plotting, and put the Spencername another place which was all right with Herb.

Tresner: Yes. Um hum.

Boltz: Kind of makes sense to me . The street to have the samename as the school. Really.

Tresner: Yes, yes, I think that is a good idea.

Boltz: Then we went out to the dedication -- ground breakingceremony. We waited awhile. Les didn't show up. Untilit was all over.

Tresner: Now, that was Les who?

Boltz: Les Everitt.

Tresner: Yeah.


22/23

Boltz: He blamed it on to Gary Haxton. He said Gary gave himthe wrong time. (laughter)

Tresner: Then there was a dedication after the --

Boltz: After the building was opened.

Tresner: After the second school was built, wasn't it.

Boltz: Right, right.

Tresner: Was that in the fall of that year? That was '74 whenthey finally got that finished?

Boltz: It was over -- it was after -- it wasn't during thefirst year of the operation of the building.

Tresner: Let's see. "Had ceremony and tours of the new building

on Sunday, December 2, 1973." But they opened in '72.

Boltz: Right.

Tresner: It took them less than a year, did it, to get that builtagain.

Boltz: No. It took a year I'm sure. The dedication must havebeen open in '73, then -- the Dedication. Then in themiddle -- later in the year.

Tresner: Did they have a picture of you to install in the

building at that time.

Boltz: Yes. Un huh.

Tresner: Um huh. Do you think of any other points that we haveleft out?

Boltz: No. I don't think of anything I -- I think really oneof the most gratifying areas of operation I've had hasbeen Occupational Education and Vocational Education.Just seem to have seen so many youngsters who were atabsolutely loose ends, all of a sudden find something.This town is full of young people -- and other places --

now you hear of statewide, of young people who had --they didn't know what to do when they finally picked upsome skills. I'm proud of the academic students, too.But some of these other youngsters who didnt have a wayto go anyplace. And then to see some of them -- comingback -- just like coming to Graduate School -- CSU --when they've gone out to Voc. Tech Center, or one of theTech Centers in the State of Colorado. Way back in theearly days, in 19 -- in the 1940's we had a man in the


23/23

state department, Vocational Department of Education, bythe name of Harry Tieman. His picture's in here. Andwe were living in Grand Junction at that time -- I wassuperintendent. And we had one legislator with us, aman by the name of Cheever, from Colorado Springs, whosebrother was mayor, City Manager here at one time. We

presented to the Legislature a proposition for Coloradoarea vocational schools. And Senator Cheever washelping us get someplace with it, and he passed away.And then Harry Tieman got into difficulty with hisboard, and it kind of dropped by the wayside. But wehad plans for area vocational trade schools based onpopulation count and so on, like -- a SenatorialDistrict, or Congressional District, LegislativeDistrict.

Tresner: Did you mention the date about then when you were --your first plans?

Boltz: Well, this particular study was done in 19 -- must havebeen 1947. It could have been six or eight. But thatwas --

Tresner: Right around there, um hum.

Boltz: Yeah. There was a statewide committee. I wasn't theonly one. I just happened to be appointed chairman ofit. But we had a statewide group of schooladministrators who had the same dedication to getsomething to happen.

Tresner: But how long was that before it finally came tofruition?

Boltz: Well, it's only been within about the last fifteen yearsthat there's been a real statewide coverage. There havebeen sporadic operations -- but there's been a growthall the time, since that time. Local School District atGrand Junction -- at least we had one. Worked it out incombination with Mesa College and it is as much theircredit as it is ours. But we got together and gotsomething going. And there was -- the difficulty withthat was that high school students from Delta andMontrose and other places couldn't come to it because it

was financed by a local school

oral interview - i. k. boltz

Documents