OH234 Frederick Bohannon Oral History
Collection Title
Jackson Purchase Oral History Project - Schools and Education
Series Number
OH234
Interviewee
Bohannon, Frederick
Interviewer
Bates, Mary F.
Date Interviewed
August 6th, 1979
Processed By
O'Daniel, Hannah
Date Processed
January 23rd, 2014
Description
1 sound disc (24 minutes)
Abstract
Frederick Bohannon describes the conditions of segregated public schools in Paducah in the early half of the 20th century. He compares the Paducah schools to integrated schools in Fort Waye, Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio. He recalled his family's experiences during the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois and the evacuation of citizens during the Paducah Flood of 1937.
Biographical/Historical Note
Frederick Bohannon was born on April 29, 1913 in Paducah, Kentucky to George Bohannon and Marie Lovett. His family moved frequently. His first move was at age five to East St. Louis, Illinois, which led to his family being caught in the vicious race riots of 1917. Before he turned six, his family returned to Paducah where he entered Lincoln Elementary, the only public school which African Americans were allowed to attend. He later relocated to Fort Wayne, Indiana and then Cleveland, Ohio. He attended integrated schools in both cities. His family again returned to Paducah, where Bohannon finished junior high and high school and later attended West Kentucky Industrial College. In 1935, he married and moved to South Bend, Indiana. In 1960, he entered the real estate business in South Bend and in 1979 was the only African American in the city who owned a real estate company. He died in Peoria, Illinois on May 15, 1998 at the age of 85.
General Information
No user access to original recordings. Use audio user copies, digital derivatives, transcripts, and/or tape indexes. This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Permission for reproduction must be requested from Murray State University.
Subject Headings/Descriptors
Bohannon, Frederick, 1913-1998.
Segregation in education – Kentucky.
Education – Kentucky -- Paducah – History.
African Americans – Kentucky – History – 20th century.
Kentucky – Race relations.
Paducah (Ky.) – Flood, 1937.
McCracken County (Ky.)
East Saint Louis Race Riot, East Saint Louis, Ill., 1917.
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Recommended Citation
Bates, Mary F., "OH234 Frederick Bohannon Oral History" (2025). Education and Desegregation. 4.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/oh-education/4
Audio Transcript