Dorothy Gleason Oral History Interview, 1982

Dorothy Gleason discusses her 32.5-year career as a music and theater teacher at National Mine school in the early twentieth century. Topics include her own childhood and education in Ishpeming schools, getting her teaching life certificate at Northern in 1925, why she became a teacher, her other work history, and paying for her college tuition via her family's orchestra gigs and the help of her uncle, the famous artist Will Bradley. She also speaks about her career in National Mine schools as a kindergarten, art, music, and French teacher. She tells second-hand stories of the 1923 fire at National Mine school and describes the programs and operettas she directed, changes in education over the course of her career, how the community supported the school, extracurricular activities, and why she enjoyed her career. She also describes the career of her husband Pat Gleason, an industrial arts teacher and basketball coach at National Mine school.