Kotler, Alvin

Materials include: Xerox copy of typed oral transcript; handwritten note by Gloria Bein; Printed copy of Kotler's accunt of surviving the Hartford Cirucs Fire; release form; black-and-white copy of newspaper article summarizing Kotler's account; black-and-white copy of newspaper article about Kotler teaching creative writing; black and white copy of Bristol Press article about Kotler teaching an ESL class; black and white copy of photo of wedding, "Emanuel Syn. 1951 Greenfield Street".

Subjects include: Kotler's early life; attendance of Weaver High School; ethnic religious make-up of school; holiday observance; lasting friendships made with marvin Kramer, Bobby Hoff, Sammy Siegel; membership in AZA and Phi Beta; religious observance at home; lack of attendance of synagogue; mother's dedication fo Judaism; following father into carpented trade; building houses in West Hartford; previous wooded state of Mountain Road; change of ethnic makeup of North End from Jewish to Black; work as usher; Survival of hartford circus fire; old shops in the north end including Crown Market and Millers Dry Clenaing; peddlers; ice-men to fill ice boxes; listening to court cases; making trouble in library on Barber Street; military service that almost shipped him off to Korea but sent him to Germany; new career in teaching; teaching ESL at St. Joseph's college and Macnhester Community College to Chinese students; teaching English to wounded Taliban fighters at UCONN medical center; family with three children, Leah, David, and Elaine.