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P: As I recall, Ed Price had his office in the basement of
Language Hall and that the NYA program, the National Youth
Administration program, was under the supervision of
Dean Beatty. Beatty had moved in to take over after Tolbert's
demise or retirement; I've forgotten which happened.
L: Yes, I think he died.
P: He died. Mrs. Tolbert, who had been his secretary, was also
working over there.
L: Yes.
P: I remember that many of the students on the campus worked for
the NYA.
L: Yes.
P: Did you have one assigned to you?
L: No. Incidentally, I knew about the International Relations clubs
in Denver, and I knew of Alger Hiss. He was the national leader
of the International Relations clubs. It was considered a Communist
organization on the campus at the University of Denver, and many
of that group on the campus at the University of Florida were in
the International Relations club. I had a boy named Pikula,
never did show me his Communist card, but I always felt he was
a Communist. He was very attractive in the International Relations
club. So the story about Alger Hiss didn't surprise me at all.
P: Who were the campus leaders in '37, '38? Steve O'Connell was
on campus at the time.
L: Yes.
P: Smathers was still there in law school, if I'm not mistaken.
L: Yes, he was elected president of the student body, either in.
P: In '35 or '36.
L: It seems to me he was elected in spring of 1938, but I'm not
positive. Seems to me I was there when he campaigned on the
campus, and 1938 was the earliest time that it could have been.
P: I was there too it seems; I came in September of '37, but I'm