Bill Veeder
section: Interviews
Mr. Bill Veeder served as Charlotte City Manager during the 1960s, and worked closely with the Charlotte city council, Mr. Vernon Sawyer and the urban renewal committees, and Mayor Stanford Brookshire. Due to the fact that his testimony derives from the city of Charlotte’s point of view, Mr. Veeder describes Brooklyn and city politics from a unique and under-represented side of the Brooklyn urban renewal project story. After serving in the United States Army in the Pacific theatre during World War II, Mr. Veeder graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Political Science in 1946.
Part I
Part II
Tape Log
Tape Log: Oral History Interview with Bill Veeder
Interviewed by Ryan Johnson
| Time | Description of Interview Contents |
|---|---|
| Tape 1, Side 1 [Track 1 on CD] | |
| 0.0 | Beginning of Interview |
| 1.0 | Early years, growing up and serving in WWII, college experience, early political career |
| 3.0 | Getting the City Manger job, impressions of city council |
| 5.0 | Impressions of Mayor Brookshire |
| 6.0 | Impressions of Brooklyn, the people of Brooklyn |
| 8.0 | factors and problems in the project |
| 10.0 | How Brooklyn was notified, citizens speaking out? |
| 11.0 | Why poorest areas moved last |
| 13.0 | City’s help for the citizens, Reasons and motives for the urban renewal project |
| 15.0 | How city acquired land, property, where the residents went and his sympathies for the people |
| 17.0 | Housing codes or beautification considered? Description of Brooklyn structures |
| 19.0 | Avery Hood? Going into the neighborhoods, what he would talk about with the residents |
| 21.0 | Vernon Sawyer, plans after Brooklyn was removed, where the land went, distribution |
| 25.0 | Role of the City Manager. John Thrower’s personality |
| 27.0 | Satisfied with the project? |
| 28.0 | How the project could have been improved |
| 30.0 | After leaving city council, Carowinds, still keep contact w/ city politicians? |
| Tape 1, Side 2 [Track 2 on CD] | |
| 32.0 | Overall impressions of the project, Mr. Veeder interviews Mr. Johnson |
| 35.0 | University connection to city commerce, university contributors to Brooklyn project? Doug Orr, mystery congressman |
| 37.0 | Ending thoughts [call waiting beeping], last question humor |
| 38.0 | End of interview |