Education | Mill Valley Public Library

Oral History of Anne Layzer - Oral History

In this oral history, longtime League of Women Voters member and activist Anne Layzer recounts her community and political involvement over the course of five decades of living in Mill Valley. The great-great-granddaughter of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, Anne was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Anne recalls getting political in high school, and then going on to major in American Government at Radcliffe. She recounts moving with her husband...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Bob Greenwood - Oral History

In this oral history, longtime director of the Tamalpais High School music program Bob Greenwood recounts a life devoted to music and music education within the context of some of the major historical events of the 20th century and against the backdrop of a changing Mill Valley. Born in 1928 in Charles City, Iowa, Bob moved out to California in 1943 when his father got a job working in the Bechtel shipyards, settling originally in Marin City. Bob...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Elizabeth Cooper Terwilliger - Oral History

The legendary "Mrs. Terwilliger", who taught generations of Mill Valley kids about local ecology and inspired the appreciation and protection of nature, was born Sept. 13, 1909 in Honolulu. She went to the prestigious Punahou School and earned her B.S. at the University of Hawaii. She received an M.A. from Columbia and an R.N. from Stanford University. She married Calvin Terwilliger, M.D. and they had two children, Lynn Ellen (1947) and John (194...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of George Omi - Oral History

In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident, retired landscape architect, and memoirist George Omi shares the story of his life. George begins with the immigration story of his Japanese parents who came to America in the early 20th century and subsequently became naturalized citizens. George himself was born in San Francisco in 1930, a second-generation Japanese American. George describes his experience growing up in two languages - two d...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Greg Sarris - Oral History

In this oral history, author, scholar, and chairmen of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Greg Sarris tells the story of his life as a journey of self-discovery and social commitment. Raised in adoptive family in Santa Rosa, Greg did not know about his Coast Miwok/Pomo ancestry until adulthood. Greg recounts how he recovered his tribal identity and, in the process, became a successful author and academic. Greg explains that the historical ...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Joe Angiulo - Oral History

In this oral history, Mill Valley music man Joe Angiulo discusses his nearly four decade-long career as a music teacher in Mill Valley’s public schools, his family life, his community involvement, and his abiding love of music. Born in Ohio in 1941 to Italian immigrant parents, Joe recounts moving to California after graduating from high school, originally touching down in Sacramento where an elder brother of his was living. A trumpeter since the...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of John and Virginia George - Oral History

John George, born in August 1905 in Lake City, Colorado, was a resident of Mill Valley since 1930. Virginia Glahn Cameron George, born in May 1913 in Petaluma, California, was a resident of Mill Valley since 1913. After moving west from Colorado and finishing college, John became the principal of high school with 14 students in Astoria, Oregon. He moved to California in 1929 and pursued graduate work at Stanford University. John eventually took a...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Lynda Chittenden - Oral History

In this oral history, beloved school teacher Lynda Chittenden recounts her 30-year teaching career in the Mill Valley School District. Lynda was originally hired by superintendent Jim Collins to teach at Old Mill School in 1967, a time, she recalls, when public education in Mill Valley was in the process of radical transformation. Lynda describes various pedagogical initiatives in which she was involved over the years as well as the ways in which...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Margaret "Kett" Zegart - Oral History

In this oral history, longtime Mill Valley resident, artist, and retired teacher Margaret "Kett" Zegart recounts the story of her life. Born in Michigan, Margaret grew up in East Lansing in a family with Scandinavian roots. She attended Cranbrook Academy of Art and Michigan State University. After college, she moved to New York City, where she worked for magazines and made art. Margaret recounts living as a young artist in New York City and the p...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Shirley Hasley - Oral History

In this oral history interview, beloved elementary school teacher Shirley Hasley discusses not only her 38-year career in Mill Valley, but the people, experiences and attitudes that helped shape her steadfast convictions. Shirley (nee Andrews) moved with her family from Oklahoma to California in 1943. Growing up in a farm-like environment on the edge of Bakersfield, Shirley learned to work hard and take pride in what she did. Shirley tells how, e...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Shirley Larkins - Oral History

Shirley Claire Dias was born on November 8, 1931 in San Rafael and spent her early childhood on her father's dairy farm in Petaluma. When her family moved to Mill Valley in 1942, Shirley enrolled in Old Mill School and later, Park School. She went on to attend Tamalpais High School, working part-time as a waitress at the Mountain Home Inn. In 1951, Shirley graduated from College of Marin and went to work at the American Trust Company Bank in San ...

Record Type: Archive

Oral History of Susan Reynolds - Oral History

In this oral history, retired teacher and gardening enthusiast Susan Reynolds recounts her life in Mill Valley. Born in Richmond in 1940, Susan grew up in Kensington and attended school in El Cerrito. Susan describes how she and her family would often come over to Marin for hiking and picnics on Mt. Tam when she was growing up. Susan attended San Jose State University, where she developed her child-centered approach to teaching. In 1964, Susan an...

Record Type: Archive