Rising sophomore Larry C. Marxer details his first year experience at The Johns Hopkins University, from the September 10 arrival of new students to the June 12 commencement on the quad. Key people introduced include Dr. Wendell R. Garner, head of the Psychology Dept.; Dr. G. Wilson Shaffer, dean of the Homewood schools; Dr. Robert H. Roy, dean of the engineering school; Irene M. Davis, registrar; William F. Logan, director of administration; P. Stewart Macaulay, provost; Dr. Carl B. Swisher, international law and political science scholar; and three religious advisors. Mergenthaler, Remsen, Gilman, and Shriver Halls and Homewood House are pictured on the 120-acre campus. The freshman orientation week includes an "eye to toe" physical exam and a weekend of recreation at the Baltimore YMCA Camp where alumni relations director Osmar P. Steinwald leads the students in a songfest. Of the 400+ Hopkins professors, the following are identified by name: Thomas F. Hubbard, Alsoph H. Corwin, Walter S. Koski, Kemp Malone, Abel Wolman, Alphonse Chapanis, James C. McLaren, and William L. Straus, Jr.

Dr. James Cross is an engineer and professor who graduated from Hopkins in 1960 with a degree in electrical engineering. Cross details his experiences as one of the first Black students at Hopkins. He mentions befriending one Black student who was also living on campus at the time, Ernie Bates, and attending a sit-in at a local restaurant with another Black student, Victor Dates. During his undergraduate years, Cross was a member of ROTC, he ran track, and strongly committed to his studies and education as a form of civil rights activism. In the interview, Cross touches on his early life growing up in rural Virginia, his experiences abroad while in the Army, and the various educational and professional paths his life took in his post-Hopkins years. He remains an active member of his community and speaks fondly of his family's endeavors and accomplishments. Dr. Cross was nominated for the Indispensable Role of Blacks at Hopkins Exhibit and has spoken about his life and career at the Fred Scott Brigade Annual Dinner. This oral history is part of the Hopkins Retrospective oral history series.

William C. Richardson was president of Johns Hopkins University and professor of health policy and management from 1990-1995. He holds an MBA and PhD in business from the University of Chicago, where he specialized in health care delivery. He also served as graduate dean at the University of Washington and as provost at Pennsylvania State University before being recruited to Johns Hopkins University. Following his presidency, Richardson became the head of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In this oral history, Richardson discusses his tenure as president, including the state of the university's finances and departments at the time of his arrival and throughout his time at the institution. He touches on his first impressions of the university and the strategic decisions he made during his tenure as the university's president. The interview took place over two sessions, both of which are available to access. This oral history is a part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Morris Offit earned his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1957, going on to receive an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1959. In his career, Offit became an executive at both Offit Hill Capital Management, LLC and Offitbank, both of which were purchased by Wachovia in 1999. He has since taken the position of chairman, managing member and co-founder of Offit Capital Advisors, LLC. Outside of his work in finance, Offit has held Board positions at American International Group, Inc. (AIG), United Jewish Appeal – Federation of New York, The Jewish Museum, Columbia Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, American Museum of Natural History, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. In this history, Offit discusses his tenure and contributions as a member of the Johns Hopkins Board of Trustees. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Richard Macksey was born in 1931. He received his B.A from Johns Hopkins in 1953 and earned his Ph.D. from the University in 1957. Macksey went on to work for the university as a professor teaching critical theory, comparative literature and film studies. He also served as the co-founder and director of the Johns Hopkins University Humanities Center. Macksey is also known for his extensive private library, which is home to more than 70,000 books and manuscripts. In this interview, Macksey recounts Hopkins' early history and those who were instrumental in shaping it. This oral history is a part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Dr. Abel Wolman describes the purpose of a university as a place to search for truth without interference. When research is in its initial stages, the information generated does not appear to have any useful application. By using case studies, the show demonstrates that basic research can have profound implications. Dr. Wolman provides some examples of how seemingly insignificant research can lead to important discoveries: Josiah Willard Gibbs, professor of theoretical physics; Henry A. Rowland, builder of the engine for ruling diffraction gratings; and Ira Remsen, developer of saccharine. Next, Dr. Francis Schwenkter describes recent medical inventions, instruments, and investigations that revolutionized the world: the circulation of spinal fluid, the properties of folic acid, and the treatment of blue babies, cancer, and rickets.

Filmed in his Homewood House office, Dr. Milton S. Eisenhower, president of the Johns Hopkins University, discusses current quantitative and qualitative problems in education. Charts of various aged school populations in 1900, 1958, and 1970 show that the number of students in higher education will double by the early 1970s. This increase in quantity threatens to reduce the quality of education. Public institutions will find it easier to receive funds than will private institutions because endowment incomes have not kept pace with rising costs nor does tuition meet all needs. Dr. Eisenhower compares the Russian system of education to that of the United States and suggests that our national security is at risk. Solutions to U. S. education problems include increasing teacher salaries, building more and better facilities, requiring more rigorous training in fundamental courses, providing more challenging programs for the more talented students, and increasing the tempo at universities for students ably prepared in high school.