USF Oral History Projects

James Anthony Schnur oral history interview

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Download James Anthony Schnur oral history interview Legislative Investigation Committee (Johns Committee) transcript (339 KB)

Interviewer

Huse, Andrew; University of South Florida Libraries -- Florida Studies -- Oral History Program; University of South Florida -- Library.|Special & Digital Collections.|Oral History Program

Publication Date

2-1-2016

Date

2015-04-09

Abstract

James Anthony Schnur is a native and lifelong resident of Pinellas County in Florida. Schnur has an MA in history and an MA in library science from the University of South Florida (USF). He is currently president of the Pinellas County Historical Society and a special collections librarian at the USF St. Petersburg campus. Schnur has published several books on local history, including St. Petersburg through Time, Images of America: Madeira Beach, Historical Pinellas County: A Centennial History, and Images of America: Largo. In this oral history interview, Schnur discusses the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, more commonly known as the Johns Committee, and his role in obtaining its legislative records. Schnur explains the purpose of the committee and its actions in persecuting suspected communists, civil rights activists, and LGBT individuals. He also recounts the role local figures such as congressman Charles William “Bill” Young (1930-2013) and Sumter Lowry (1893-1985) played in supporting the committee’s objectives. Throughout the interview, Schnur emphasizes the effects of the Johns Committee on academic freedom and how USF and then-president John Allen defended the university from its investigations.

Keywords

Oral history, Online audio, Communism, Florida, History, Gay rights, Legislature, Legislative Investigation Committee, Charley Johns, James Anthony Schnur

Holding Location

University of South Florida

Language

English

Media Type

Oral history.; Online audio.

Format

audio/mp3

Identifier

J15-00001

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