FIT Talks: Alfred V. Sloan interview

DATE INTERVIEWED: January 30, 2017SUMMARY: Karen Trivette, Associate Professor-Librarian, Head of Special Collections and College Archives, interviews Professor Alfred V. Sloan who taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology for 58 years.BIOGRAPHY: Alfred V. Sloan, Jr. was born in New York City in 1921, and grew up in the Bronx in the same building where his father practiced medicine. After graduating from Townsend Harris High School in 1937 at age 15, he obtained his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in both History and English. In 1941, he joined the Air Force, and served overseas for several years during World War Two as a signalman. Around 1946, he returned to the United States, and found a job working for the well-established Strawbridge & Clothier in their New York offices. Simultaneously, he attended New York University on a part-time basis, earning a Master's of Science in Retailing in 1950, and a PhD in education in 1956, also from NYU. He then began a teaching job at SUNY Orange (Orange County Community College). After two years, he was recruited by FIT, and taught various business courses there for an impressive 58 years, until his retirement in December, 2016. Professor Sloan passed away on Friday, July 27, 2018.DISCUSSED: In this interview, Sloan talks about his early life and education, his time spent serving the United States Air Force during World War II, and his advanced education in retailing. He also talks about his ten years working for Strawbridge & Clothier, and his entry into teaching for the SUNY school system