Mulugeta Wodajo: Recent Episodes
Felasfa M. Wodajo
These are a series of roughly 1 hour long conversations between myself and my father retelling stories from his childhood, his education in Ethiopia and the US, and the founding of Haile Selassie University (now Addis Ababa Univ). It was recorded in 2010. http://www.mulugetawodajo.com/
- University education as service to the country
- Students demonstrating, police involvement
(poor audio towards end)
- Laboratory school
- Ethiopian University Service
- Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate Exam
- "I was gratified that no leaks were even rumored much less were confirmed while I was director"
Detailed notes here.
- Ethiopia, "phase 1" of the university 1962-1968
- development and consolidation of the university
- Involvement of many nationalities
- "I feel gratified that the school we created served the people"
Detailed notes here.
- First year in Ethiopia (1963-1964)
- Met Emperor Haile Selassie
- Development and consolidation of the university
- Married to mom (Yeshi)
Detailed notes here.
- 2 years at Columbia
- 3 years of teaching
- arrival, initial impressions
- schools attended
- Civil Rights movement in the US, meeting Malcom X & others
- daily life
- news from home
Detailed notes here.
Travel to America, impressions of Cairo & Europe, time at Harvard, traveling within the US in the 1960s
Detailed notes here.
In this episode, we continue Dad’s experiences as an undergraduate student at University College of Addis Ababa (UCAA)
Detailed notes here.
Dad discusses his experiences entering the University College of Addis Ababa in the second ever class.
- 1951 GCE exam, given by British Council
- 5 exams, 1 week
- 2nd class at UCAA, 100 students total, 1 building
- some faculty and administration were Jesuits (again)
- the teachers "gently guided" us toward our majors
- emperor visited frequently
Check out other modern day photos here
- Return of mother from Italy
- Restoration of Emperor Haile Selassie
- Going to church school
- Household life
- French Canadian Jesuits
- Boarding school life
- Visits to the school by the emperor
- Happy memories