| Summary: | In this interview, William Lemons discusses his opinions about several topics related to the Depression, including what he thinks of Herbert Hoover and FDR. He also talks about race relations. Lemons recounts how his family came from Georgia when he was young, and he explains what he sees as the difference in attitude between Georgia blacks and those from Alabama. He talks about being a cook in the Navy, a job he says he got because of his disposition. He explains that he's in general a positive person, and it gets him far in life, makes him lucky. Lemons describes his experience of living through the Depression. He says his family fared well because he had a relatively steady job for those times. In fact, he was often in the position to help others, especially by giving them food. He claims he had a nice boss, and it made his life easier. Lemons also explains his opinions about the country's leaders during that time. He says that Hoover, as well as the entire Republican party, was distanced from the plight of the common man. On the other hand, FDR was a rich man, but he "had poor people at heart." He also discusses his opinions of Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Regan. Lemons talks about segregation and says he didn't have a lot of conflicts during that time. He claims he had several white friends, and he got along with them: "'Cause I had a place, and I stayed in my place." He says he "never bucked the law."The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.
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