StoryCorps: Robert Stover and Valerie Anderson

From: StoryCorps
Length: 02:18

Robert Stover tells his daughter, Valerie Anderson about growing up in the 1930's. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps: Robert Stover and Valerie Anderson
From: StoryCorps

Stover_small Robert Stover grew up in the 1930s. His father was a traveling salesman, so his family moved often.

Here, Robert tells his daughter, Valerie Anderson, how he grew up without a hometown.

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Piece Description

Robert Stover grew up in the 1930s. His father was a traveling salesman, so his family moved often.

Here, Robert tells his daughter, Valerie Anderson, how he grew up without a hometown.

Broadcast History

NPR Morning Edition 9/2/11

Transcript

Robert Stover (RS): My father was a salesman with the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company. He could move into a city and sell out its potential fairly rapidly. So you know, I lived all over.

Valerie Anderson (VA): Was it easy for you to make friends when you went to different schools?

RS: Uh, it wasn't a hell of a lot of fun. Because when I would get to a new town, everybody had to see who could whip the new boy. I was willing to stipulate that they all could—including the females. But, uh, it had to be proven. If you're born puny but born bright, teachers tend to like you and they call on you a lot. And, I was so stupid as to volunteer the answer when one of the other kids couldn't.

Buffalo Kowalski, he didn't care for that. And he was very sturdy. Very big for that age. That's how he got the name Buffalo; he was built like a damn buffalo. He used to beat me up going to school, at recess,...
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