Philip Korth received a BS of philosophy from the University of Minnesota in 1961 and a PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1967. He came to MSU in 1967, teaching American Thought and Language (ATL) and helping create the University College Symposium Committee in 1968 which brought in well-known figures to discuss particular topics. Korth was elected to the Department Advisory Council in 1969 and also began discussing the unionization of MSU faculty. In 1970 he moved to James Madison College and during 1973 and 1974 he received grants from Rockefeller to research the Auto Light Strike in Toledo and the Minneapolis Teamsters strike, both oral history-based projects. Korth served as president of the Faculty Association from 1975 to 1976 and was instrumental in one of the early movements to unionize MSU faculty, which was unsuccessful. He produced an oral history for retired union carpenters which focused on the union and how it impacted the way people lived and did their jobs as well as the impact of changing technologies in their work. Korth worked with various MSU professors to create the graduate seminar program in ATL in 1987 and served as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters for a time. He retired in 1999. Topics/people covered in the interview include: AAUP; Walter Adams; Agricultural Workers Organization; Saul Alinsky; American National Red Cross; Reid Baird; Bob & Jenny Banks; Jack Bass; Meg Beagle; Gladys Beckwith; Loren Beeber; Hy Berman; Bessey, Demonstration, Morrill Hall; Maria Blaine; Lawrence Boger; John Bruff; John Cantlon; Ed Carlin; Lee Carr; Justin Castlemount; CMU; Dick Chapin; Civil Rights Commission; Bruce Curtis; Bill Durman; John Edie; Bernard Engel; William Ewens; John Ferris; Bill Fishman; Bob Fogerty; Zolten Farency; Perry Ganakas; Keith Groty; Jim Hamilton; John Hannah; Mike Harrison; Al Hollingsworth; Elizabeth Howe; John Hutzig; Industrial Workers of the World; James Madison College; Kellogg Center; Kent State University; Labor History Journal; Maise Laselle; Arthur Lesueur; Cecil Mackey; Manly Miles; Roy Matthews; Jim McClintock; Pat McConahey; Eric McKittrick; M Peter McPherson; MEA; Ron Means; collective bargaining; common syllabus; curriculum issues; Department Advisory Council; Faculty Affairs Committee; Faculty Associates; life insurance program; orange horse; salary issues; student protests; student strike; unionization; University College; Minneapolis Teamsters; Collette Moser; NEA; Nonpartisan League of North Dakota; Douglas Noverr; Pat Paulson; Norman Pollack; Milton Powell; Bob Repas; Rockefeller grant; Kathleen Rout; John Royal; Glen Ruggles; John Seare; Henry Silverman; John Smollens; Mike Steinberg; Gary Stollick; Ben Strandness; Dick & Sherry Thomas; Al Thurman; TIAA-CREF; Mary Tompkins; Bill Turner; Mary Turpey; University College Symposium Committee; University of Minnesota; USIA; Clarence Winder; Bob Wright; Claude Zansky; Janet Zepolsky
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