Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- November 14, 1978 (Creation)
Extent
Name of creator
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:7393#/kaltura_audio
Biographical Information: MacGregor was born on October 8, 1890 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. His father was of Scottish descent, while his mother was of Irish descent. He graduated from Union High School in 1909, and went immediately to the St. Cloud State. MacGregor graduated in June 1911. He did his practice teaching in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, which is near St. Cloud, and accepted his first job teaching at an all-boys school in Spokane, Washington. MacGregor taught in Spokane for a year before health problems caused him to return to Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota in 1912 with hopes of becoming an architect. He did serve in the army during World War I, spending some time in Sussex, England, but did not see combat.
Transcript Summary:MacGregor discussed how his family came to be in Minnesota from Scotland and Ireland. He described his elementary and high school education, both of which took place in St. Cloud. MacGregor stated his decision to attend St. Cloud Normal School was easy, since it was very close and allowed him to live at home while pursuing his studies.
MacGregor chronicled his time at the St. Cloud State, mentioning his practice teaching in Sauk Rapids, where he taught manual training. He discussed how he obtained a job in Spokane, Washington, and the health problems that forced him to leave that job behind. MacGregor also explained how he was drawn to architecture, and why he decided to pursue that as a career.
MacGregor recalled some of the teachers he remembers from St. Cloud State, including Clara Stiles, Elsa Dopp, and George Lynch. He told an interesting anecdote about how George Lynch convinced him to play basketball and then kicked him out. MacGregor also discussed the backgrounds of the students who attended the university when he did. He claimed that many of them came from farming families, and many of them did not come from families with large amounts of money. MacGregor touched on his reasons for joining the Army during World War I.