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00:00:00 - Introductory matter and Hilb's background.

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Partial Transcript: This is Friday, March 8th, 2019, and we are in the DCS Studio, 7427 at 21 North Park Street interviewing James Hilb

Segment Synopsis: Introductory material. Hilb discusses where he grew up and his family's German origins. He had a good childhood in a middle class Jewish family.

Keywords: Childhood; Germany; Immigrate; Judaism; Middle class; Ohio

00:03:07 - A passion for history and choosing UW-Madison.

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Partial Transcript: Great. Could you talk about any family members or teachers who encouraged you in your early life. What made you decide to go to university? Which universities were in the cards?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb talks about his education, more specifically his interest in history. While searching for universities, he was recommended to UW-Madison to talk classes with Mosse. He started in '64 and graduated '68.

Subjects: Education; History; Mosse; University; Wisconsin

00:06:31 - Hilb's connection between politics and history.

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Partial Transcript: Yeah. It’s a very, very interesting time. Did you see coming into the university a connection between politics and history?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses his early connection between politics and history. It was a tumultuous time on campus, as he discusses a variety of protests that occurred while he was a student.

Keywords: Activism; Dow Chemical; History; Madison; Politics; Tumultuos; Vietnam War

00:09:09 - Student activism and anti-war sentiment.

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Partial Transcript: Yeah. Did you get involved in student activism?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb talks about his involvement in student activism on campus. He avoided violence whenever possible. There was a general campus mood shift at this time, as many things became politicized.

Keywords: Activism; Anti-war; Campaign; Campus; Madison; Movement; Protest

00:12:56 - Courses taken while at UW-Madison.

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Partial Transcript: I don’t have a particular order if there is, if there are any moments from non-Mosse classes that sort of stand out or experiences with the department, we could go into some of those.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses some of the classes that stuck out while at UW. He took courses in Russian and American history, as well as political science. He did not have much of an interest in science. History classes definitely stood out to him most.

Keywords: French; History; Mosse; Political science; Science

00:14:57 - Comparing Mosse to other professors and his interest in European history.

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Partial Transcript: Did you have any sense of competition for students among the professors or anything like that?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses the sense of competition that sometimes existed within the history department. Mosse ended up serving as his advisor, due to shared interests and background. Mosse was proudly German and was a great presenter.

Keywords: Competition; Europe; Germany; Goldberg; Heritage; History; Mosse; Williams

00:18:38 - German heritage and classes with Mosse.

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Partial Transcript: She was told my father, I think, instructed her if I can use that term to not really talk about it that much because he wanted, as I said, he wanted his children, they wanted their children to be as American as possible.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses more of his German background, mostly how his parents abandoned some assets of their German culture. Hilb switches gears to discuss classes he took with Mosse, five in total.

Keywords: 120; America; Course; Family; German; History; Mosse

00:21:05 - Personal connections to his coursework.

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Partial Transcript: So I, I took pretty much, as I said, the four or five courses that covered European history from you know, age of [Klemens von] Metternich and moving forward to through World War I to World War II, I believe at that time most of his courses and into the close of World War II and so on.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares how these classes helped him better understand his family's background and dig deeper into historical material. He kept up connections with Mosse after graduating also.

Keywords: Cincinnati; Critical thinking; Liberal; Mosse; Parents; Perspective

00:24:03 - Hilb's first time meeting Mosse.

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Partial Transcript: You mentioned that you had a story about when he first met. The first time you met him?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses his first time he met Mosse, through a speaker event of Henry Kissinger's. There was some family drama at the event, but he definitely made an impression.

Keywords: Family; Impression; Kissinger; Mosse; Presentation; University of Wisconsin

00:27:24 - Hilb and Mosse's relationship.

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Partial Transcript: So I want to talk just a little bit, then, about your relationship with Mosse and how it developed throughout the course of your undergrad career.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb touches briefly on him and Mosse's relationship. Mosse discusses his story of being a German Jewish émigré and his family's background.

Keywords: Berlin; Emigre; German; Germany; Heritage; Jewish; Nazis

00:30:09 - Visits to Berlin and Mosse's evolving role in Hilb's life.

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Partial Transcript: Yeah, that’ll be one of the things we do in Berlin is to go look at the Mosse buildings.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb and Doney elaborate on visits to Berlin and the important role Mosse played in Hilb's life. Mosse helped Hilb choose courses throughout his undergraduate career also.

Keywords: Advisor; Berlin; Buildings; Education; Family; Important; Nazis; Non-profit; Propoganda

00:33:57 - Mosse's teaching style.

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Partial Transcript: And certainly one of the things that impressed me most about him was the succinctness of how he spoke

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses the way Mosse taught his classes and the type of exams that we often administered. Hilb enjoyed the critical thinking that the class engaged him in.

Keywords: Critical thinking; Dramatic; Presentation; Written exams

00:36:02 - Hilb's involvement on campus.

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Partial Transcript: And the notebook that I’ve left with you there, there’s something in there about Charles de Gaulle.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb talks about what his non-academic life was like. He was in a fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, and even had Mosse visit them at one point. He was also a big atheltics fan and communicated well with alumni.

Keywords: Alumni Club; Humorology; Mosse; Non-academic; Sports; Zeta Beta Tau

00:39:30 - Mosse's view of the Vietnam War and its impact on campus.

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Partial Transcript: I think he was aware of what was going on in the campus life. I don’t necessarily recall speaking directly with him about it

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares Mosse's viewpoints surrounding the Vietnam War. Student deferments were a big part of the university culture at the time, so students had to be prepared if they wanted to avoid the draft.

Keywords: Deferments; Graduation; Plans; Selective Service; Student; Vietnam War

00:42:42 - Declining law school, teaching, and the decision to get an MBA.

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Partial Transcript: Well, then let’s talk then, so you went to law school?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses how he was accepted to law school, but ended up not going. He taught middle school history for a while and eventually got his MBA.

Keywords: Cincinnati; Law school; MBA; Teaching; Vietnam War

00:45:19 - Hilb's experience teaching and his voluntary enlistment.

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Partial Transcript: And then from that point on, I, I went into business rather than law school.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares his teaching experience at a school in the inner city. He hoped to make a difference in his short time teaching. He never got drafted, but volunteered to be a personnel member.

Keywords: Active duty; Cincinnati; Classroom; Draft; Enlistment; Finance; Inner city; Lottery; Personnel; Voluntary

00:48:03 - Hilb's family business and run-ins with Mosse.

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Partial Transcript: But there was probably a very, very slim chance of my ever getting drafted, but I just wasn’t willing to take that chance

Segment Synopsis: Hilb talks about his involvement with his family business and his own business venture. His legal knowledge proved to be useful in sports marketing. He later ran into Mosse in Cincinnati.

Keywords: 70s; 80s; Business; Cincinnati; Intellectual property; Licensing; Mosse; Sports marketing

00:51:05 - Mosse's view of current European politics.

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Partial Transcript: Did you get a chance to talk to him about your teaching experience? And life choices?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares his conversations that occurred once he ran into Mosse. As the conversation continues, Doney and Hilb discuss what Mosse's views would have been of US and European politics. Mosse would likely want to hear all sides of the story.

Keywords: Change; Germany; Leaders; Politics; Steady; US

00:54:10 - Mosse's approach and pride in his heritage.

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Partial Transcript: Did you get a chance to talk to him about your teaching experience? And life choices?

Segment Synopsis: Hilb discusses further how Mosse would have wanted to have good communications with people. He was also very proud of his heritage. Hilb remarks that Mosse would have been proud of the state that Germany is at now with its history.

Keywords: Architecture; Efficiency; Memorials; Pride; Symbolism; Technology; Transparency

01:00:00 - Hilb reflects on the current state of Germany.

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Partial Transcript: So that, I mean, many people don’t want to go back to Germany.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb continues to remark on the current state of Germany, reflecting a lot on its troubled history.

Keywords: Background; Berlin; Dachau; Germany; Munich; Olympic; Symbolism

01:03:57 - The importance of symbols and taking opportunities.

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Partial Transcript: I guess so, one of my final questions is, why do you think, do you have a sense of why Mosse’s work continues to resonate today?

Segment Synopsis: Doney asks Hilb about Mosse's legacy. Hilb remarks that Mosse taught him the importance of symbols and taking opportunities, like the conference he is going to soon attend. He thinks UW made him a better person. They talk a little about Mosse's relationship with sports and his sexuality.

Keywords: Heritage; Mosse; Reason; Symbols; Teachers

01:12:43 - Hilb's thoughts on Mosse's sexuality.

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Partial Transcript: It was not, it was not a surprise. It was suspect. And that is not to be taken, you know, positively or negatively.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares that not many students were surprised that Mosse was gay and it didn't really impact any part of his experience with him.

Keywords: 1960s; Gay; Homosexuality; Tolerance

01:15:11 - Concluding remarks.

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Partial Transcript: It’s great. I really enjoyed hearing you story, especially your parents as émigrés and with your interest in history and history as, as a means of self-discovery, which I think is often underestimated.

Segment Synopsis: Hilb shares his gratitude for being able to dig through the past like this and the interview ends.

Keywords: Emigre; Excavation; Oppurtunity; Self-discovery

01:15:59 - End of interview.