Oral Histories

Interview of Benedict Rich

Headmaster of the Midland School in Los Olivos, California.
Subtitle:
Midland's Second Headmaster
Series:
College Preparatory Schools of Southern California
Topic:
Education
Biographical Note:
Headmaster of the Midland School in Los Olivos, California.
Interviewer:
Mink, James V.
Interviewee:
Rich, Benedict
Persons Present:
Rich and Mink.
Place Conducted:
Rich's office at the Midland School in Los Olivos, California.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for ORal History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by James V. Mink, University Archivist and Director, UCLA Oral History Program. B.A., M.A.,History, UCLA; B.L.S., UC Berkeley; Certificate in Archival Administration and Preservation, American University, Washington, D.C.
Processing of Interview:
Editing was done by the interviewer. The verbatim transcript of the interview was checked against the original tape recordings and edited for punctuation, paragraphing, correct spelling, and verification of proper and place names. The final manuscript remains in the same order as the original taped material.Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed.Mr. Rich reviewed and approved the edited transcript of the interview. He made a number of corrections and deletions; he supplied spellings of names that had not been verified previously.The index was compiled by Joel Gardner, Editor, UCLA Oral History Program, who also prepared front matter and reviewed the manuscript before it was typed in final form. The introduction was written by Henry Neugass, a doctoral student at UCLA who is an alumnus of Midland School.
Length:
5 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Series Statement:
This series includes interviews who founded or served on the staff of college preparatory schools in Southern California in the middle decades of the twentieth century.
Abstract:
Family background and early interest in tutorial education; education at Kent School, Connecticut, and St. Lawrence College, New York; invited to teach at Midland School, 1932; work with Paul Squibb, founder and first headmaster; duties as secretary of faculty; development of educational theories and standards; service as headmaster after Squibb's retirement, 1952-69; grading systems, discipline, and admissions policies; prob-lems of independent schools; involvement with California Association of Independent Schools.