Summary: Dorothy’s family moved to Lafayette from San Rafael in 1956. Her father wanted to be closer to his work at the Lawrence Lab in Berkeley. Their home was located on Yorkshire Court bordering what is now known as the Trail Area. At that time the railroad was still running and Dorothy remembers walking to […]
Oral History: Sheldon Cook — May 16th, 2014
Sheldon Cook was a pediatrician in Lafayette for 28 years. He made house calls from 1953-1981. He loved to make house calls and enjoyed the different households. He treated all conditions including newborns, dressings, measles, polio, and spinal taps. One of the major innovations during his years was the development of antibiotics–working and schools–A.D.D., abuse. […]
Oral History: Mary McCosker — August 20th, 2015
Summary: Mary McCosker looks back upon growing up in Lafayette at a time when she and her brothers could pretty much roam free—riding horses, swimming, and playing outdoors (there was no TV in the home) when they were not in school. Her great grandfather, a Berkeley Professor, had purchased land in Lafayette, and Mary’s parents […]
Oral History: Paul Melmed — April 17th, 2015
Summary: Paul Melmed moved to Lafayette and established the Melmed Learning Clinic when he completed his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Berkeley in 1970. He soon established close ties with local pediatricians and began helping students overcome reading and other learning disorders by “making kids feel good about themselves, and making parents feel good about […]
Oral History: Barbara Tilton — August 3rd, 2015
Barbara spent her early years in Berkeley and many summers in Yosemite where her father was with the National Park Service (1920-1930). At 15 months old, Barbara backpacked with her family from Tahoe to Yosemite sitting in a saddlebag. She lived in Washington D.C. when her father was Assistant Director of the Interior Department. She […]
Oral History: Bruce Wodhams — August 3rd, 2015
Bruce Wodhams was principal of Springhill School for 24 years. His first impression of Springhill was very high after his previous experience in areas with less parental involvement and high academic standing. He was involved in the inclusion of several community organizations who met at the school (ie. scouts and LMYA sports). He supervised and […]
Oral History: Edwin Quenzel — September 24th, 2015
Summary: Born in 1917, Edwin Quenzel was 98 when he gave this interview. He was raised in Berkeley and served on U.S. Navy battleships in World War II. After the war he moved to Lafayette and began a 50-year career as a licensed building contractor. Mr. Quenzel also built sets for the Dramateurs for many […]
Oral History: Irene Bunker — October 20th, 1976
Summary: Mrs. Bunker is a long time resident of Lafayette. She has lived on the same property in Happy Valley for 63 years. This property is the site of the Widow Bernal’s adobe and lies approximately a mile up Happy Valley Road. Mrs. Bunker was interviewed in her home on October 20th, 1976 at the […]
Oral History: Don Tatzin — August 5th, 2009
Don Tatzin settled in Lafayette at the age of 27, when a job with a consulting firm brought him to the Bay Area. After serving on two city commissions (Parks and Recreation and Planning), he was elected to the City Council in 1985 and has served there ever since.
Oral History: Ann Skram — January 26th, 2015
Summary: Ann’s family moved to Lafayette in 1946/47. Her parents built a home with a swimming pool on a one acre lot on Redwood Lane in Happy Valley. At that time Happy Valley Road was lined with huge walnut trees all the way into town and was mostly agrarian. Her father was an entrepreneur and […]
