Audio interview with Allen Tate, 1994 Feb 24
Scope and Contents
This audio interview with Allen Tate, conducted by Martica Sawin, primarily concerns the evolution of the Interior Design Department of Parsons School of Design into the Environmental Design Department. Tate discusses his recruitment by William Katavolos, how he became department chair in 1969, the personalities involved in the contentious debates surrounding the department's direction, and his eventual termination in 1981. Tate's animosity toward faculty member Stanley Barrows (also interviewed for this project) is a reoccurring theme throughout the interview. Also covered is the merger between Parsons School of Design and the New School for Social Research in 1970. Unlike other interviews conducted for this project, alumni are not discussed, although Tate shares his assessment of former faculty members and school administrators.
Dates
- 1994 Feb 24
Participant Biography
Allen Tate (born Joseph Allen Tate) studied at Auburn University from 1947 until 1952, and taught at the school before working as a professional designer. At the suggestion of William Katavolos, Tate applied for and was hired to teach in the Interior Design Department of Parsons School of Design. Following the resignation of James Howell, Tate assumed the departmental chairmanship, and guided the department into its incarnation as Environmental Design until his termination in 1981. Tate is the author of a textbook, Interior Design in the Twentieth Century.
Container Summary
01:01:38 duration; Includes PDF transcript