Interview: Vickery, Kenneth N.
Item
Identifier
Mss-0325, Cassette 33
Title
Interview: Vickery, Kenneth N.
Type
Sound
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Source
Joseph C. Ellers Collection
Rights
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Date
1980s
Description
Kenneth N. Vickery served as the registrar and as a dean of Clemson University. Vickery also served as the President of the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1976-1977.
Side 1
1:14 Vickery was on a College Board panel for the retention of athletes. He talks about the College Board exam and the fact that not all colleges currently had it.
3:00 He discusses the establishment and evolution of the college testing program. In the fall of 1961, the ACC set the SAT minimum at 800 (it was previously 750).
3:53 The Big 10 started academic standards/regulations in 1961. They had a program that awarded grants and aids based on scores and rank, but that had nothing to do with admissions. The students also needed a 1.7 grade point.
5:26 When the new requirements were adopted, institutions had 3 options. They could do an institutional test, use a conference table, or use a national table. The ACC went to the national table, but not many institutions went to that table because it was the highest standard. The NCAA was lenient at first about the options, but it later became stricter.
7:37 Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Florida all had College Boards, but the rest of the conference did not have much experience.
8:38 The 1.6 requirement was adopted in 1965, and it went into effect on January 1, 1966. It only governed NCAA post season events.
11:05 Vickery is asked how Clemson compared to other schools. Clemson is part of a conference with the highest standards. Clemson had a limitation on scholarships that the NCAA did not yet have. Athletes always had to meet the highest minimum standard at Clemson.
14:30 He comments on the situation at the University of Georgia where a teacher was accused of giving athletes grades. This type of situation never existed at Clemson because Clemson did not have classes like that. Students select a major from the beginning and take classes in that major immediately. There is not special group of athletic courses at Clemson.
19:58 What was Clemson's involvement in helping to establish the standards for the ACC? Clemson had the 750 on the SAT requirement in 1961, and the NCAA adopted it in 1965.
22:50 Vickery discusses the aspects of increasing minimum standards. The increase improved the ability to predict achievement based on scores and rank.
23:40 Clemson started requiring test, which was a big step for a state institution.
25:02 Clemson worked with USC, Wofford, Winthrop, and later the Citadel to form their own testing program. It consisted of about four different tests. They eventually gave that up and joined the College Board because they needed more than four test scores.
26:58 1958 was the year when the four schools got together and decided to put the minimum standards on admissions. This is when Clemson achieved national recognition.
28:56 The ACT was organized and gave its first test in 1958.
29:28 Before 1958, most students that graduated from a state high school were automatically accepted into state institutions.
30:10 Clemson was a leader with testing in both the state of South Carolina and in the nation.
30:35 Audio ends.
Side 2
1:31 By 1959, Clemson was already known for their academic requirements. Vickery would travel to conferences around the country to discuss them.
2:15 In 1965, the NCAA passed the 1.6 grade point requirement.
4:03 A permanent spot was created on the Committee of Academic Test and Requirements of the NCAA for a representative of the American Registrar Association.
5:53 Vickery discusses aspects of "residual tests" which were taken on campus. These were used at institutions where other testing was not available.
7:38 Even though athletes had to take the same tests as everyone else and meet NCAA/ ACC standards, there were some exceptions made at ACC schools.
10:02 In 1961-1962, ACT and SAT officials guaranteed that students would not have to drive over 75 miles to get to a test center.
11:03 Vickery feels that the passing of academic requirements could be one of the most important factors in assisting some institutions in their attempt to improve academic standards.
11:57 In 1970, the ACT tested 1 million people. The growth of the amount of people testes was in many ways stimulated by the 1.6 requirement.
12:38 Institutions want integrity and were trying to do a better job in selecting students.
13:37 Clemson had been using the placement test for quite a while.
14:09 He discusses the College Board advanced placement program. Vickery used this program as a recruitment device since students could earn college credit. It was started in the early 1970s.
16:35 The testing paid off because it attracted better students to Clemson. Clemson was recognized through the southeast as being a leader with the AP program.
17:55 Clemson's reputation for testing let to Vickery's personal involvement with the NCAA and the American Registrar Association. He makes comment on how the NCAA and American Registrar Association worked together.
19:56 Audio ends.
Side 1
1:14 Vickery was on a College Board panel for the retention of athletes. He talks about the College Board exam and the fact that not all colleges currently had it.
3:00 He discusses the establishment and evolution of the college testing program. In the fall of 1961, the ACC set the SAT minimum at 800 (it was previously 750).
3:53 The Big 10 started academic standards/regulations in 1961. They had a program that awarded grants and aids based on scores and rank, but that had nothing to do with admissions. The students also needed a 1.7 grade point.
5:26 When the new requirements were adopted, institutions had 3 options. They could do an institutional test, use a conference table, or use a national table. The ACC went to the national table, but not many institutions went to that table because it was the highest standard. The NCAA was lenient at first about the options, but it later became stricter.
7:37 Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Florida all had College Boards, but the rest of the conference did not have much experience.
8:38 The 1.6 requirement was adopted in 1965, and it went into effect on January 1, 1966. It only governed NCAA post season events.
11:05 Vickery is asked how Clemson compared to other schools. Clemson is part of a conference with the highest standards. Clemson had a limitation on scholarships that the NCAA did not yet have. Athletes always had to meet the highest minimum standard at Clemson.
14:30 He comments on the situation at the University of Georgia where a teacher was accused of giving athletes grades. This type of situation never existed at Clemson because Clemson did not have classes like that. Students select a major from the beginning and take classes in that major immediately. There is not special group of athletic courses at Clemson.
19:58 What was Clemson's involvement in helping to establish the standards for the ACC? Clemson had the 750 on the SAT requirement in 1961, and the NCAA adopted it in 1965.
22:50 Vickery discusses the aspects of increasing minimum standards. The increase improved the ability to predict achievement based on scores and rank.
23:40 Clemson started requiring test, which was a big step for a state institution.
25:02 Clemson worked with USC, Wofford, Winthrop, and later the Citadel to form their own testing program. It consisted of about four different tests. They eventually gave that up and joined the College Board because they needed more than four test scores.
26:58 1958 was the year when the four schools got together and decided to put the minimum standards on admissions. This is when Clemson achieved national recognition.
28:56 The ACT was organized and gave its first test in 1958.
29:28 Before 1958, most students that graduated from a state high school were automatically accepted into state institutions.
30:10 Clemson was a leader with testing in both the state of South Carolina and in the nation.
30:35 Audio ends.
Side 2
1:31 By 1959, Clemson was already known for their academic requirements. Vickery would travel to conferences around the country to discuss them.
2:15 In 1965, the NCAA passed the 1.6 grade point requirement.
4:03 A permanent spot was created on the Committee of Academic Test and Requirements of the NCAA for a representative of the American Registrar Association.
5:53 Vickery discusses aspects of "residual tests" which were taken on campus. These were used at institutions where other testing was not available.
7:38 Even though athletes had to take the same tests as everyone else and meet NCAA/ ACC standards, there were some exceptions made at ACC schools.
10:02 In 1961-1962, ACT and SAT officials guaranteed that students would not have to drive over 75 miles to get to a test center.
11:03 Vickery feels that the passing of academic requirements could be one of the most important factors in assisting some institutions in their attempt to improve academic standards.
11:57 In 1970, the ACT tested 1 million people. The growth of the amount of people testes was in many ways stimulated by the 1.6 requirement.
12:38 Institutions want integrity and were trying to do a better job in selecting students.
13:37 Clemson had been using the placement test for quite a while.
14:09 He discusses the College Board advanced placement program. Vickery used this program as a recruitment device since students could earn college credit. It was started in the early 1970s.
16:35 The testing paid off because it attracted better students to Clemson. Clemson was recognized through the southeast as being a leader with the AP program.
17:55 Clemson's reputation for testing let to Vickery's personal involvement with the NCAA and the American Registrar Association. He makes comment on how the NCAA and American Registrar Association worked together.
19:56 Audio ends.
Subject
South Carolina -- Pickens County
Interviewer
Ellers, Joseph C.
Interviewee
Vickery, Kenneth N.
Publisher
Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository
