Goggins, Albert, December 11, 2008

Albert Goggins recalls his early life in Charleston, South Carolina. He speaks of his parents, siblings and grandparents. He went to Avery from the fifth grade until it closed in 1954 and spent his last year at Burke. During his early childhood, homes had no electricity or in-door plumbing. In 1949 their home was remodeled and both were added. He attended college at South Carolina State and Benedict Colleges and majored in History. He participated in sit-ins and marches in the Civil Rights movement, in Orangeburg and Columbia and helped to register about 5,000 Black people to vote. After college he enlisted in the United States Air Force for three years.

He taught social studies for 20 years at Charles E. Brown High School where he became chairman of the Department of History. He received his Masters in History from Temple University and the Citadel. In 1978 he pioneered the first in-school suspension program in Charleston County. Now every school in Charleston has some form of in-school suspension program. He subsequently taught for 10 years at Burke High School and retired. After retiring he put his energies to different programs helping poor people.

Born in Greenwood, SC, his father became an orphan at ten when both of his parents died and was sent to Jenkins Orphange where he lived for 10 years. He met his wife who was the bookkeeper there. They married when he left in 1923. He apprenticed himself to an Italian immigrant in the shoe repair business, and bought him out. He had the business for 46 or 47 years and worked 17-18 hours a day. All of the boys had to work in his shop from 12 until they graduated from high school. During World War II from 1943-1945, Fort Jackson contracted him to repair Army military boots, which were sent to him by the truckloads. He also made belts, sandals, small pocket books and wallets. He made doctor ordered shoes and was very successful.

Albert’s mother and aunt worked for 6-7 years at the, Black-owned, Lincoln Theatre. Mr. Goggins spoke of the live performances of notable Black entertainers of the time who came there as well as cowboy stars. The Lincoln Theatre seated about 600-800, was very prosperous and had all kinds of movies. All of the other theaters that operated during that time were segregated.

He met his wife after she graduated from Burke. They married in 1965 and had two children. She worked at Bell Telephone Company, worked her way up to supervisor and retired after about 33 years. His son is a chemist and his daughter is a school principle in Atlanta, GA.

In 1996 he signed on with Central Texas College where he taught for the military for five years. He taught US History courses to Navy personnel during nine trips on board seven different ships in five years. Each tour of duty was 60 days. The mission of the ships was drug interdiction. He traveled to most of the countries in Central and South America and about 15 islands. On one of the trips to Haiti, they repaired and painted an orphanage.

The oral history is conducted by Leila Potts-Campbell.