Interview with Saundra Alldredge (born July 26, 1949)
Date of Interview: December 29, 2007; Lafayette, Indiana
Interviewer: Benjamin Alldredge
Transcriber: Benjamin Alldredge
Transcription of a video taped interview
Benjamin A.: Okay, just to begin, um…this is, well, the person you’re seeing is Saundra Alldredge, my mom. This is uh…Ben Alldredge performing the interview. We’re in the home of Josh and Tiffany Smith at 1515 Adams Street, Lafayette, Indiana 47905. Um…my…let’s see actually, the date is Saturday, the 29th of December, 2007. Okay, just to begin for general information, so you know exactly what we are going to be talking about, um…I’m just interviewing you about your memories about your use of the media; growing up and throughout your life and that sort of thing. Um…feel free to say anything you like. As always there is no right or wrong answer in this particular type of interview. So, anything you have to say will be very much appreciated. And also, It’ll give us, including my children and everyone else’s children a unique insight into your world growing up, so thank you very much…
Saundra A.: You’re welcome
Benjamin A.: …for doing that. Um…first off, what kind of a role did the media have in your life growing up? In other words, how did you use the media growing up? And when I’m talking about media, I mean like TV, radio, all those sorts of things.
Saundra A.: Uh…I don’t remember as a child using very much media. We didn’t have TV for a long time and when we did it was black and white. And the first color TV I ever saw was in my Uncle Arch’s office. And he was the…I think at the time he was President of Bonneville Incorporated.
Benjamin A.: He started that corporation. Is that right?
Saundra A.: I don’t know if he started it, but he um…No, he was president of KSL, and yes, I think he was very instrumental in starting Bonneville. But I think he was President of KSL at the time.
Benjamin A.: Cool.
Saundra A.: And I remember being just fascinated with the color TV.
Benjamin A.: How big was it?
Saundra A.: I…can’t remember the dimensions…maybe a foot by foot square?
Benjamin A.: A foot by foot?
Saundra A.: It may have been bigger, but I just remember that it was really…It was an unusual thing. It was when they were just very first invented.
Benjamin A.: Awesome. Okay, cool. Now, which media did you use primarily when you were growing up; radio or TV?
Saundra A.: I think it was radio. I remember my dad listening to BYU games. And I just remember him faithfully listening to the games. They would always say “And BYU fumbled again!!” I remember that one really well. And then we’d listen to conference on the radio. I remember that in Denver.
Benjamin A.: Okay, great. Um, let’s see. Now, um…were there any specific radio programs you listened to?
Saundra A.: I don’t remember any programs, but I really listened to the music when I was a teenager.
Benjamin A.: What kind of music?
Saundra A.: Rock and Roll. It was the Beatles, I remember them really well. I can’t remember any of the groups. But, I definitely listened to the Rock and Roll. I remember dancing the twist, and my mother thinking that was horrible.
Benjamin A.: Around what year was that?
Saundra A.: Let’s see…It was around…Well I graduated around ’69, so it must have been like ’65, ’66.
Benjamin A.: You mean the year you graduated high school?
Saundra A.: I graduated around ’69. I’m pretty sure. It may have been around ’67. I’m not too good with the dates. But it was when I was a freshman…sophomore; freshman or sophomore in Salt Lake…when we lived there.
Benjamin A.: You lived in Salt Lake?
Saundra A.: Mm Hm. That’s when my dad tried to open a business.
Benjamin A.: Oh, okay.
Saundra A.: And I believe…Yeah it had to be around my freshman, sophomore year because junior and senior year I spent in Wichita, Kansas.
Benjamin A.: Oh, okay. Wow, didn’t know that. So, did you go straight from Salt Lake to Provo to go to BYU?
Saundra A.: No…my parents dropped me off on their way to California from Kansas at Dixie College for two years. And then I was kind of heartbroken because this guy that I had fallen in love with broke it off with me and so I stayed home for about a semester and then I went to BYU and was about to graduate, didn’t have any marriage prospects, so I thought “Well, I’d better graduate in something.” So I was actually working on graduating in, um, teaching homemaking in junior high, which I would have hated; teaching cooking and sewing and those things. I had an excellent sewing teacher when I was in junior high, and she really inspired me. I did a lot of sewing. I was very meticulous and didn’t get a lot of things done, but what I got done was very beautiful inside and out.
Benjamin A.: Cool
Saundra A.: I made a coat in 9th grade.
Benjamin A.: Wow. Okay, perfect. Alright. Now, I already asked you that. You don’t have any…a specific favorite radio program that you remember from back then.
Saundra A.: No
Benjamin A.: Okay, um, what’s your favorite memory of listening to the radio? I’m sorry, not your favorite, your first memory, if you can recall.
Saundra A.: I don’t remember a lot until I was about 10 years old. And then I remember listening to conference, and my dad listening to BYU games. He was sooo faithful. They just did not do well ‘till after I graduated college, and then they started doing really well.
Benjamin A.: They waited until you were gone and then they started doing well.
Saundra A.: Mm Hm
Benjamin A.: Were you a football fan?
Saundra A.: Not a whole lot. Not a whole lot. But ah, I remember going to the games with your dad and my husband, Gary. He was definitely a fan.
Benjamin A.: Awesome. Oh, oh the agony. Of going to BYU and…
Saundra A.: Always losing.
Benjamin A.: Yeah. Let’s see. I think I’ve already asked you this. Were there any specific occasions when you would listen to the radio growing up? And you already said conference.
Saundra A.: Yeah. I remember conference and hearing my dad watch the football games…listening to the football and basketball games.
Benjamin A.: Very cool. Let’s see. Um, what do you remember about the first time you watched TV or purchased a TV?
Saundra A.: I don’t remember a whole lot about the TV. I do remember that it was black and white and I don’t think we got one until I was probably a junior or senior in high school. We didn’t have one for a long, long time. We didn’t have one when other people did.
Benjamin A.: So no memories at all come to you?
Saundra A.: Well, I remember watching Sherry Lewis and Lambie Pie, or whatever. It was a puppet show. Sherry Lewis was the voice of the lamb.
Benjamin A.: Oh!
Saundra A.: I remember Howdy Doodie.
Benjamin A.: Oh, Howdy Doodie?
Saundra A.: Mm Hm. And he was a puppet on strings.
Benjamin A.: Yeah, I’ve heard of that.
Saundra A.: But I can’t tell you how old I was or anything, but I remember them.
Benjamin A.: Okay, anything in particular about them?
Saundra A.: I just remember seeing re-runs of people going back and viewing those things again and how silly they are compared to what the programming…how the programming is now. You know these Howdy Doodie and these other things. They had obvious strings and…the puppets.
Benjamin A.: Do you remember what brand your TV was?
Saundra A.: Magnavox comes to mind, but I’m not, I don’t know.
Benjamin A.: You’re not really sure?
Saundra A.: I’m not sure.
Benjamin A.: Okay. Um, did your daily routine change at all when you bought your TV that you recall?
Saundra A.: I think it did. I think we spent a lot more time in front of the TV than we did playing outside or playing with each other.
Benjamin A.: Okay, um so like, ah, I was going to ask you what TV shows were your favorites, like what kind of TV shows did you watch and what kind were your favorites.
Saundra A.: It’s hard for me to think about that, but the ones I talked to you about I remember really well. I don’t know if they were my favorites. Um, I remember watching Andy Williams but I don’t know how old I was.
Benjamin A.: Who was Andy Williams?
Saundra A.: He’s a singer. And I remember, I’m pretty sure I remember the Osmond’s coming on his show.
Benjamin A.: Oh yeah. So he was a talk show.
Saundra A.: No, it was a musical show. Andy Williams was a singer himself. And then he brought the Osmonds on, and they were such a hit that he had them on quite a bit. The Osmonds brothers, and Donnie and Marie, I remember.
Benjamin A.: Yeah, they still come up all…they’ve been in the news. People are still aware of them.
Saundra A.: Yeah, I was shocked to find out that Donnie was 50.
Benjamin A.: Oh, really?
Saundra A.: Yeah. Amazing.
Benjamin A.: His age just kind of stood still in your mind?
Saundra A.: Yeah, I remember girls going crazy over him, and I never did that, or going to concerts. I never went to a concert.
Benjamin A.: Oh really?
Saundra A.: No. Never did.
Benjamin A.: Oh. Can’t say I’ve really beat you. I’ve only been to one, I think. No, two. Including actually, the first one, well no, the second one was Donny Osmond with you. At, ah, what was it? The…where did we go?
Saundra A.: I’m not sure.
Benjamin A.: That was at like, the Bellagio, or Treasure Island?
Saundra A.: I don’t even remember.
Benjamin A.: Hm. I can’t remember.
Saundra A.: David gave us the tickets or we wouldn’t have gone.
Benjamin A.: Yeah. And the women were still pretty excited about him then. But anyway, that was interesting. Um, let’s see. Now what big news events do you remember during your lifetime? And this could be any period of time in your life.
Saundra A.: The two big things I remember are the first astronaut to be on the moon. We saw that in school, and then John F. Kennedy being assassinated. I can remember exactly where I was. I was in the girls’ bathroom at ah, what high school? I can’t remember the high school in Salt Lake. The Cottonwood? I can’t remember. But I was a, pretty sure I was a sophomore when that happened.
Benjamin A.: What was your reaction?
Saundra A.: I was extremely sad.
Benjamin A.: You liked him?
Saundra A.: Well, I didn’t particularly like his politics, but ah, I was just very, very sad that anybody would shoot the President of the United States. And I knew that he had a young family. It just made me really sad. And him walking on the…Armstrong wasn’t it, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon? That was just fascinating. It was just fascinating.
Benjamin A.: So where exactly were you when, can you remember?
Saundra A.: I was in class. And I’m not exactly what grade or even exactly where. They just had TVs all over the school. ‘Course they were just the black and white. Same thing with John F. Kennedy’s assassination; I don’t think I actually saw it at school, but I heard about it. But I saw Neil Armstrong go on the moon.
Benjamin A.: So the moon landing was through the TV?
Saundra A.: Mm Hm.
Benjamin A.: Do you remember how you found out about JFK? Was it through the radio, through ah, the newspaper maybe even…
Saundra A.: I just remember there was an announcement telling us in school. They made an announcement.
Benjamin A.: What was the first place where you heard about it outside of school, like when you got home?
Saundra A.: I don’t actually remember.
Benjamin A.: Can’t remember?
Saundra A.: Mm Mm. It may have been the TV. ‘Cause I…it may have been the TV.
Benjamin A.: Okay. Did you have a TV at that time?
Saundra A.: When I was a teenager.
Benjamin A.: Okay. Um, is there anything else besides that, any other event—and this isn’t simply early life—but are there any other events that come to mind?
Saundra A.: I seem to remember Martin Luther King being killed.
Benjamin A.: Okay
Saundra A.: But I’m not sure if it was TV or radio; think it was TV.
Benjamin A.: Alright, perfect. Um, alright. I think actually, that’s actually everything. Thank you very, very, very much.
Saundra A.: You’re welcome very, very, very much.
Benjamin A.: And I’m going to um, I’m going to transcribe all of this word for word and I’m going to have you look over it and make sure that you are okay with the transcription and then we’re going to post it on a blog. So…
Saundra A.: Alrighty then.
Benjamin A.: Alright. Thanks mom.
Saundra A.: You’re welcome son.
