Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use.
Description
Key Words: Chester (Chet) G. Jaeger, Pomona College, City Council, Mayor, Vaudeville, Mathematics Claremont’s Director of Human Services, Ron Hagen, introduced a panel of speakers at the dedication ceremony for Chester G. Jaeger Park. The speakers included Mayor Bertye Smith, Dr. Harold Witherbee, Stanley Larson, and Chester E. Jaeger (Chester G. Jaeger’s son). Mayor Bertye Smith describes the development plan for the new park. Jaeger served as a city councilman and mayor of Claremont. She recalls him saying that “the basic ingredient of a successful and effective councilman is the fundamental love of his community with all its faults and problems.” Dr. Harold Witherbee spoke of Jaeger’s membership of the Rotary Club. Jaeger served as the president of the Claremont Rotary Club from 1946 to 1947. He was the recipient of a Pall Harris Fellowship for his service to the club and the Claremont community. Stanley Larson, representing the Claremont Kiwanis Club, spoke about why he loves the City of Claremont. He praises Jaeger not only for his dedication to higher education, but for his dedication to serving the Claremont community. He tells several humorous stories of Jaeger going above and beyond what is in “the fine print on the mayor’s duties and responsibilities.” Chester E. Jaeger thanks the community members for considering and choosing to name the park after his father. Since his father used to be part of a vaudeville act, he asked him to sing “A Good Man is Hard to Find” for the audience. After the song has ended, Ron Hagen concludes the dedication ceremony with a round of applause for Jaeger. The last thirteen minutes of the recording is a separate oral history interview of Chester G. Jaeger and his wife, Elfreida, by Caroline Beatty. Jaeger was born to a poor family in St. Louis. As a young man, his interests included mathematics and vaudeville. He served in the army during World War I and was stationed in France for a year. After earning a PhD in mathematics, he came to Pomona College and served as the head of the mathematics department.
Type
sound
Format
Master Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Oral histories
Extent
1 Tape of 1
Identifier
caclah_000009
Language
English
Subject
City council members Education, Higher--California Local history Mayors Parks Universities and colleges Universities and colleges--California, Southern Vaudeville
Time Period
1900~/1978
Place
Claremont (Calif.) Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.) California, Southern
Provenance
Claremont Heritage California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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