Summary:
Alice Johnson was interviewed by Georgi McLain in 2008. Alice moved to Lafayette in 1959 and almost immediately she began looking for ways to make a contribution to the city’s cultural organizations and to local government. She was active as a member of the Walkways and Trails Commission and the local chapters of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. In 1976 she ran for the City Council. Because she felt the need for a central place for community events and meetings she became involved very early in the process that led to the creation of the new Lafayette Library and Learning Center. She was honored as Lafayette’s Citizen of the Year.
Oral History:
Georgi McLain: What are your first and best childhood memories of libraries?
Alice Johnson: This is interesting because we had a Carnegie Library in Stillwater, Minnesota. And so available to children was the downstairs, the basement of the library. And because I think we could only go there on Saturdays, which doesn’t make sense. But I think that’s what we did. I’m talking about, I was born in 1932, so I couldn’t have been about eight when I started using the library. And it was the Carnegie Library. We lost track of all the WPA money that went into building libraries.
GM: I didn’t know that.
AJ: And we’re talking about the terrible depression. You’re about my age anyway.
GM: Yes, of course.
AJ: So what are your first reflections of libraries?
GM: I remember, because I grew up in, and it was hot in the summer. And there was a library van that would come to a church close by my house. And I would walk, and it would be hot, and I’d walk, and go over there and get out books, and come home and we’d read them all day. And they were only there like three days to read something. But I remember that.
AJ: So it was a mobile?
GM: Yes. Yes.
AJ: That was pretty sophisticated for the time, wasn’t it?
GM: Yes. Well, I thought so. But the big library was way down town, so that was my access to books.
AJ: Well, that was significant. Yes.
GM: Yes. How important was reading to you growing up?
AJ: I’m not sure. I have some books from that time. Mm-hmm.And so my maiden name is in there.
GM: Yeah. The family knows for sure.
AJ: Right. That it’s still me.
GM: Yeah. Yeah. Right.
AJ: She talks to the cat. The cat talks back to the cat.
GM: Well, okay. Okay. And you have your favorite childhood books? Oh, that’s when you’re growing up.
AJ: Child’s Garden of Verses. One of those. Still with me after all these years.
GM: Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. Then you told me you grew up in Minnesota. What awareness of the community do you have growing up? Growing up?
AJ: Well, the town that I grew up. Stillwater, Minnesota.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Okay. There was a terrible Indian War that had occurred right after 1850. Yeah. Minnesota became a state in 1850.
GM: And here comes my husband.
AJ: You want to talk to him? No. I’ve been trying not to talk. I know. You’ve got one at home all the time, too.
GM: Uh-huh.
AJ: My husband has been retired now from Campolindo High School and the Acalanes High School District for a long time, 10 or 12 or 20, I don’t know. So we’re education people for a long time. I’ve been on school boards.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: For about 10 years. And I haven’t been on the school board now. We’ve got a new superintendent.
GM: I’ve read that in the paper today. Fred Brill.
AJ: What? Say that again?
GM: Fred Brill is the new superintendent. I’ve been, I’m not on the school board anymore, so I didn’t.
AJ: I know.
GM: You know, he used to work for, I think he was the Principal at Stanley, about eight years ago.
AJ: Okay.
GM: Sorry. Community. Growing up, we started out with your awareness of the community. And you said that in 1850, it’s been the state. So you, you were aware of this.
AJ: You see, and then here in California, we became a state in 1850. Right. Right. And most of it happened down here in Santa Cruz. Oh, there we go.
Richard Johnson: I’m Richard. Hi.Thank you.
AJ: She went to school with, with our son, Carl. Okay. Education.
GM: What is your education background?
AJ: I graduated from high school. Went to several universities. I don’t ever talk that way on the front of me. No. Okay. I had the math major and I went, the last education I had was at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
GM: Okay. Did you work outside the home?
AJ: I have not been gainfully employed since I’ve been married.
GM: Okay. We can do that.
AJ: Right. Or, or you could become a secretary or you could become a teacher or a nurse. A nurse.
GM: That was what you did.
AJ: Right.
GM: So, what… And then as a math major. That we’re not beginning to do that.
AJ: Oh, oh, no. But I had the best of all jobs because I, I was hired to teach mathematics at Rochester, Minnesota.
GM: Oh.
AJ: Which was very significant because at that time there was a junior college in Rochester as well as, and so one of the people that I knew back then is still living in the Bay Area. In fact, a woman who probably, you know, lives in Burton Valley and she was an algebra student all of many years ago.
GM: Oh, God. Oh, God. And she moved here and you moved here.
AJ: Oh, sorry. There’s nothing.
GM: Yeah. Now this, this one is, as an adult, what were your early community experiences? And you didn’t follow all kinds of things.
AJ: That’s right.
GM: So, we’ll copy that. Okay. When did you move here?
AJ: 1959?
GM: How long have you been here? 1972.
AJ: So, your son went to, to Burton Valley.
GM: He went, Burton Valley wasn’t Burton Valley. Yeah. When we moved here. So, he was married. Oh. Okay. Now, I remember you saying that. Sorry.
AJ: Community, community, I think he ran, I think that was, I ran for city council in 1976. Okay. Okay. Okay. And, it’s in one of these summaries. Right here. Right here. Okay. And, uh, I’ve been at every walkways, trails, commission, you know what.
GM: Yes.
AJ: And, I, I, I, I measured, I measured every sidewalk that doesn’t exist here.
GM: Yes.
AJ: Because there’s something strange. I, I, I say this and I, I really mean it. Lafayette is on the way to everywhere, going nowhere. Now, when I see it in the library downtown, I can’t say that anymore, huh?
GM: No. That’s a good idea.
AJ: And, so, part of that was, at, at the time, I, I really did get to know Glenn Seaborg and his wife. She’s, she’s dead for the last couple of years, so, we’re, we’re all has-beens.
GM: No. No. That’s, that’s, that’s why we’re doing this oral history with so much.
AJ: Um, my real concern though is, now that everybody has a computer, my husband says, who needs a library?
GM: I have, I have a, I have a, the head librarian, I think that, but they’re using it more and more than, the library, to, all the time. Use the computer.
AJ: No, but my, my husband, it, all these years of retirement, I don’t think he ever leaves his fingers off the computer.
GM: Oh, oh.
AJ: Did your husband do that?
GM: No.
AJ: Have you ever done that? Oh, sometimes I just tell him to leave home.
GM: Well, if you, if you’ve got one of those batteries, you can walk around the house, you know, there’s a big difference.
AJ: Yeah.
GM: So, anybody. Um. Okay, what attracted you to Lafayette? Why did you move to Lafayette ?
AJ: Because it’s cheap housing. You wouldn’t believe it.
GM: Oh, my God.
AJ: We, we bought one for about $18,000.
GM: Oh, my God.
AJ: Several houses.
GM: Oh, my God.
AJ: Left one of them, we, we, we’re on the hills over there. And then we decided to move downtown because our, our kids couldn’t even ride a bike. It’s the, and the hills.
GM: Oh.
AJ: But I, that was my life.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Hawthorne Drive. I can, I can almost see the houses over that hill. Bruzzone owns all of that land now.
GM: Yep.
AJ: But I, I have, I have some four letter words for them.
GM: Um, okay. Defining the goals of a community as a place of mutual support, shared values, acceptance and difference. How do you see Lafayette? Mutual support, shared values? What does that mean?
AJ: Well, let me tell you what, what, when my kids first started school, I became very active in the PTA.
GM: Yeah. That I remember.
AJ: And, okay, and, and, and so, uh, when, when that happened, I had all kinds of new interests and, and new energies.
GM: Mm-hmm.
AJ: And one of the things I was able to accomplish is the trail.
GM: Oh.
AJ: At that time, a good friend lived on, on a street just over. And she, honestly, she followed up and finally the East Bay Regional Park took over the, and they, they maintained that trail now.
GM: Okay. But she said prior to that?
AJ: It was just, everything was mud. So, so was the library. The, the last big thing, with, with the help of, uh, not the junior, television, is redo the entry to the library. At one time, it was just nothing but mud.
GM: Oh God.
AJ: No, no, no, no nothing. It wasn’t paved.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: And, and so, some nice things that happened while I was active, is Marchant, Esther Marchant, uh, the wife of the builder, gave us some money, and the county did the rest.
GM: Oh.
AJ: The County Library.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: It, it, it was unbelievable.
GM: Now, is the location the same place on, um, Moraga Road? That was the library you’re talking about?
AJ: No.
GM: Or is it a different one?
AJ: Yeah, no, no, no, the one on, on Moraga Road.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: That’s the one. Okay. And then, there was a, a man, a superintendent at the County.
GM: James Martin?
AJ: Mm-mm. No.
GM: What, this one?
AJ: Yeah. And he, and his, and his wife, she was very active, uh, gave me the, uh, gave me the money so we could redo the entrance for the Lafayette Library.
GM: Oh my word.
AJ: And so, now there’s a canopy out there.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: And some furniture out there. We, we were able to handle all of that.
GM: Oh.
AJ: Isn’t that them?
GM: Yeah.
AJ: But, but some of the people that I’ve known here for so many years, my, my memories, it’s so, so good about that. And I won’t, I won’t forget those people. Good working with them.
GM: So, and you had similar goals.
AJ: Well, when, when I became active in the PTA, honest enough, there was, kids had to walk in mud.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Along the trail.
GM: Oh. Okay.
AJ: It, it was, and then, of course, I became very excited about it. And the next thing you know, we made sure that there was a, a walkway along the Moraga Road.
GM: Yeah. Right. And, and then, behind, that was a gift, very much.
AJ: No, the, the, the, the, the City has taken over and I, I’m so pleased to see the plants blooming.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Can you, can you believe that?
GM: Yeah. Right.
AJ: And, and there’s still too many accidents on Moraga Road, way too many.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: So, when East Bay Mud gets through, you don’t, you don’t have to go home that way. You go into St. Mary’s, so.
GM: I go into St. Mary’s, but I, there, there’s no, there’s nothing to get in there. So, I’m asking what they’re doing, but I think there was just a telephone thing.
AJ: On top of all these?
GM: Yeah.
AJ: See, on the way to everywhere, going nowhere. Some of that is still there, huh?
GM: Yeah.
AJ: But the biggest thing really was to, to get the trail going, and that happened in 1976.
GM: Okay. Okay. It seems like it was in here for the longest time, but not since 1976.
AJ: And that’s a few years ago now.
GM: Yeah. Okay. You told me your earliest memories, memories of the Lafayette Library, about working on it. Was the Friends of the Library always, did that happen right away, the Friends of the Library?
AJ: The, the, the best recollection of, the first County Superintendent of, of the library was, have you done any of that work? Oh, man. We’ve had, we’ve had a number of librarians locally, and some of them have been very good, and some of them have been just terrible. And the, the most terrible one, she’s probably still in the system. It could be, you know.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Well, old librarians don’t tell you, do they?
GM: They just go on.
AJ: Yeah. It’s got a nice set. See, now I don’t use the library very much. That’s, that’s, that’s, that’s my, my little thing. Because I, I, I am handicapped.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: It’s difficult to do that. It’s just to get in and out of the library. Well, to get your car in and out of the library. What’s going to happen there? The traffic problem is just going to move.
GM: Okay. It’s got all kinds of problems.
AJ: Anne Grodin is still involved in the library.
GM: Yes. Very much so. That’s very, very important.
AJ: Have, have they, have you done a, a talk with her?
GM: I, I have not, no. But there are several people doing the talks. And, um, we have a list of names. That’s where I’ve got names. That’s where I’ve been talking to people. But, um, there’s one of some history of, like, Friends of the Library. Of the Library. Because that is a community service. Friends of the Library. And so, that’s why the questions about the community. You know, the, how you felt about the community. And, you know, really remember the work with the library. That’s why we’re, we’re doing there. Because it says, um, have you been involved in the library over the years? You have. So.
AJ: But, I, I recently have not been. And I, I feel very guilty about that.
GM: But, but your other experiences, you were one of the people, I think, that kept that whole thing going.
AJ: Well, that’s who kept it going is my backyard here, Joan Merryman’s house.
GM: Ah.
AJ: That’s for sale now. And it’s sold.
GM: Ah.
AJ: And they claim there are three lots over there. And the best thing that could happen is the house was torn down. And then we put in three nice houses.
GM: Mm-hmm.
AJ: Because there are three lots.
GM: Ah.
AJ: And Joan and I, well, we didn’t, we had nothing to say to each other.
GM: Ah, ah. But you weren’t together. No?
AJ: No.
GM: Oh.
AJ: And that, it was, it was, it was, it was all petty politics.
GM: Oh! I understand.
AJ: And it’s, now she’s gone too.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: But she’s a good person.
GM: Yeah. Yeah. We’re talking about on Topper Lane.
AJ: And Stanley School is just that way from there, huh?
GM: Yeah. Um, what other community events or projects or organizations have you been involved in?
AJ: Well, I became involved very early with the League of Women Voters.
GM: Ah.
AJ: And most of the things, in fact, the write-up there was done by a woman who’s still on the board now of the League of Women Voters in Diablo Valley. Okay. And their office is just out by your house, you know. It’s at, uh, 500 St. Mary’s Road.
GM: Oh. I didn’t know that. Over in the community center?
AJ: Mm-hmm.
GM: Okay.
AJ: Well, the crazy thing is a lot’s going on there now. The woman who heads up the senior citizens?
GM: Yeah.
AJ: No. The senior program.
GM: Mm-hmm.
AJ: Uh, is, is competing heavily with the League of Women Voters.
GM: You see?
AJ: It sounds, sounds a little bit weird. But, tomorrow, there’s a special meeting at the Senior Citizens Office at 500 St. Mary’s Road. And, the, the woman who’s in charge now, a Chinese woman. Have you met her?
GM: No.
AJ: Well, she doesn’t have time for very many people.
GM: No.
AJ: But, somebody has to knock on the door and see who’s there.
GM: Uh-huh.
AJ: But, uh, I, I, I don’t use the bus service.
GM: No. Well. That’s it.
AJ: Well, you, you, you, I mean, there are, I, I, I get served better than you. About parking, I have a parking.
GM: Good. You were involved in the League of Women Voters.
AJ: AAUW. Because my friend who belongs to the AAUW, I said, I’ll join the AAUW if you’ll join the League of Women Voters. Well, she did. In fact, she was my campaign manager when I ran for city council. Isn’t that crazy? So we all hold hands about that. And that hold hand thing is really important. Those talks that the librarian gave every month were catered, and everybody brought some nice little things to eat.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: And some of those women I still am in touch with.
GM: I didn’t know that the librarians gave a talk.
AJ: Under the auspices of the Friends.
GM: Oh, oh.
AJ: And she was so, she was just, uh, uh, uh, no.
GM: Uh-uh.
AJ: These are your questions.
GM: Yeah, so wait a minute. Just go off. I’ll put it on you.
AJ: Oh, no.
GM: That’s okay. That’s okay.
AJ: So what do you do in your spare time?
GM: Um, this is about you. I’ll tell you later. Okay.
AJ: All right.
GM: Okay. You don’t remember the 1940 library because you weren’t here. But you talked about the WPA when you were growing up. Or the library that was- The 1962 Library. Is that different from the library that’s the one they’re talking about?
AJ: Mm-hmm.
GM: Um, and you talked about how it was surrounded by mud. And how was the money raised. Um, and you talked about how it was surrounded by mud. Okay. And how was the money raised? You talked about-
AJ: Well, I tell you, the County picks up a lot of that.
GM: Do they?
AJ: And the crazy thing is, something that we were all very proud of. We collected enough money to carpet the library.
GM: Oh.
AJ: And so I had a campaign going that said, spend $10 and buy a yard of carpet-
GM: Carpet.
AJ: Yeah. And we got enough money, honest to God.
GM: That’s pretty good. For building that library at that time. That’s a lot more money than it is now.
AJ: Mm-hmm. So about that same time though, then, it was possible for people to volunteer to teach reading through the library.
GM: Oh.
AJ: And so I was assigned a man who graduated from high school in Southern California, and he couldn’t read and write. And the two bad parts about that is, I did it for a long, long time. And the state sent us materials, you know.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: They wanted us to do that.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: So, um.
GM: I think there still is a program to help through the library. But I think it’s county-wide.
AJ: Well. It could, it could, it should, it should be.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: But now you have a new County Librarian, too.
GM: Yeah. I don’t know who it is.
AJ: Well, the, the crazy thing is, um, she’s very, very talented. I’m sure I think her name, her husband who works for the State of California now.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: California politics is just terrible.
GM: Now, the Governor said he’s not going to sign any bill until they have a budget.
AJ: I understand.
GM: Why did they change the name from the Library Association to Friends of the Library?
AJ: I don’t know anything about that.
GM: Burning a mortgage? Anyone think about that? The new library. What do you think about the idea of a Learning Center Consortium as well as a Library?
AJ: They needed to do something like that to get state money.
GM: Yeah.
AJ: Isn’t that true?
GM: I don’t know.
AJ: Because we were passed over for a long time for state money. Now, Walnut Creek has got the money. But see, Lafayette was competing with Walnut Creek at the same time.
GM: Ah, yes. Because Orinda had done it.
AJ: But see, they own their library.
GM: Oh, oh.
AJ: And there’s something different about the financing of libraries.
GM: Oh. Oh. Because the space, we didn’t… Well, they wait so much next. So this is what I’m going to say.
AJ: Mm-hmm. And I try hard to keep up. But I don’t think I’m doing a great job. But i’m still active in the League and in case in case you want to know how to vote on the propositions pros and cons on the ballot and people are invited to go and listen to these women talk about the meaning of the ballot and what what what other propositions and that’s what you’ve got in your hand.
GM: I think that’s important now is that where does that help?
AJ: well the crazy thing is that the nice thing the County televises all the candidate forms and they do televise the pros and cons. You got to watch watch for the newspapers.
AJ: It’ll tell you when. So we all need to know that much.
GM: I agree
AJ: Scary
GM: Um. What do you think the most exciting thing about the new Lafayette Library
AJ: I’m just hoping that in the new library there will be places for their Historical Society. That stupid fire engine thing I don’t know they’re going to put that in the library. I don’t know if that’s somebody’s idea of a good time. I don’t know. You’ve got too many questions. I know. I know. I gotta stop.
GM: Oh it’s okay, I know. Now let’s see the library’s future…. It was said the internet would kill the printed word. And libraries would become obsolete. How will our new library avoid such a fate?
AJ: Make sure the library is used. Invite all the organizations. You see years ago when I was doing the PTA thing. One of the nice things they let me do was I would try to do a community calendar. Well now we see that all the time but this this was back way back and so in the PTA newsletter what’s going on in the community and so now we have a new newspaper and they do a pretty good job. They do a pretty good job so you have to read that then you can go to Border Service thing and it’s pretty hard to stay on top of it.
GM: I think so. There’s a lot going on.
AJ: But make sure you take advantage of the television program and make a loud enough noiseHow are we doing now.
GM: I’m on the third page unless there’s anything? Oh I know! There’s one question: who have you observed making a real impact on the library? Are there any particular personalities
AJ: Well Maeve Pessis. Maeve Pessis. Maeve Pessis. Her first name M-A-E-V-E and now Maeve is heading up the homeowners group so where you live. I’m sure you have a homeowners group. What street are you on
GM: I’m on Burnt Oak Circle. We might have it but I’ve never even known.
AJ: oh my
GM: Yeah that’s and I have heard some things come up but I think there’s a lot of money
AJ: We’ll see now, now that the City of Lafayette has this newsletter they send out. Gotta take advantage of that to make sure if there’s any discussion due on any of this stuff
GM: Yeah, yeah
AJ: And I don’t know where that’s gonna happen. Let’s hope that it happens in the meeting room in the library
GM: Right
AJ: Let’s let’s just hope that’s the case.
GM: That’s a good idea.
AJ: But I don’t know how we can’t we have to figure out how to to use the Comcast and all this television. We need to know how to really use it. Now I’ve taken classes honest to god and I am still computer illiterate. Isn’t that terrible?
GM: No
AJ: I drove the teachers crazy. I’m not kidding. I always have to go back and start on page one.
GM: Yes
AJ: My husband tries. He can’t….he hates me too.
GM: Before I get into the discussion.
AJ: We got a lot to say to each other.
GM: I know. Do you have any other thoughts about the library? About your work in the library? Or about the community of Lafayette? Anything that you want to talk about?
AJ: The City of Lafayette is now 40 years old. We went to a birthday party out at the City Hall.
GM: Yes
AJ: It was it was interesting because some of the early people who were on the on the City Council came and I couldn’t believe what an exciting thing it was to try to remember. That’s why the Historical Society is so important, much more than the stupid fire engine.
GM: That’s what’s cool. What are we gonna find in the library?
AJ: Okay. We need to know more about groups of people that will get something out of the library. My husband says no he can do everything on the computer. Who needs it you know? I keep looking to see if there isn’t a shortcut way to get to use the computer. Years ago a young man came here to show us how to do all this and he he wrote for me a step-by-step how to get on the computer.
GM: Good
AJ: Then we get a new computer….
GM: Yes
AJ: Those old rules they don’t work.
.
GM: They won’t work anymore. No.
AJ: I know. So the world is changing so fast.
GM: Yes
AJ: And I don’t know what to do about it.
GM: Do you think it’s leaving out some people?
AJ: Pardon me.
GM: Do you think it’s leaving out some people? It’s leaving so fast.
AJ: That it’s leaving out for the first time. The League of Women Voters has a pamphlet called How to Quit Quickly. Just the voter pamphlet that comes from the state. Just the voter parts that comes from the state. And so now there’s an attempt to do a new explanation and to watch for it. The League Office is so close to where we live, and they’re in room 14 at 500 St. Mary’s Road. You wouldn’t believe, it’s quick and easy, and the State of California is making some sense out of all of it. It’s called the Easy Reader, I think.
GM: Good
AJ: Right now, I just talked to a friend from the League, and she is going to work with the different high schools in this whole Bay Area to bring those materials into the classroom, you see. We don’t do anything like that. And so this person is making contact with all the superintendents everywhere. And some of the teachers don’t even want to go to the extra. Just start with the elected school board members and make sure they understand. And some of them belong to the League of Women Voters, and so everybody should join. And so, then one woman took the time to do that. So that’s, sorry, that’s…
GM: This is your…
AJ: Yeah.
GM: Now, do you need to keep this?
AJ: No.
GM: Because I can make a copy and send it back to you.
AJ: Okay.
GM: Why don’t you do that? I’m going to take a copy and send it back to you.
AJ: Thank you. Have you got a copy machine at home?
GM: I can go to the Library and make a copy.
AJ: That’s the same mentality that I have, too.
GM: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for your time and talking to me.
AJ: You’re a fine person. You’ve just got stuff at the League office and…
GM: All right.
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