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Interview Transcription
Interviewee: Suzie Humphreys
Interviewers: Garret Randle and Annie Wood
Transcription: Katy Hartwick
Date of Interview: March 15, 2012
Randle: Let's start by discussing your early years in San Antonio, Texas. Can you tell us a little
about your childhood and growing up?
Humphreys: I had a great, normal childhood. I grew up with single mom, because my parents
were divorced. We lived in small apartments, and I had a slew of friends. I was a latchkey kid, and
I was fiercely independent, since there was nobody to greet me when I got home. I cooked my
own food and I walked to school on my own (you could do that sort of thing back then).
I had an amazing mother, who didn't really have a lot of skills as a mother, but she was an
incredible role model for any woman (or man) who wanted to make it in this world. She woke up
in a happy mood every morning and put her feet on the floor, and do you know what she said? She
said, "I get to go to work!" At the time, women were secretaries, school teachers, nurses, and
housewives...that kind of thing. My mother sold insurance during the '40s at an agency with 16
men.
To tell you how male-dominated that industry was at the time, when she went into business, the
reward trip for the "Top 5 Producers" was a bear hunt in Montana, which my mother won. She
could sell insurance, and she had a great personality. She believed in the product, and if you
believe in what you're selling you're good at it. If you're just doing it for the money, you're not
going to be very good at it. You can play the game for a while, but if there's not something more
that's driving you then you're going to burn out.
She was a tough mother, but she always made sure that I had nice clothes. I went to Alamo
Heights high school in San Antonio, which is similar to what Highland Park is in Dallas, but just on
a smaller scale. So I had a great childhood, although, I was a terrible student.
Wood: How would you describe yourself in high school?
Humphreys: I was funny, and kids laughed at me, which just empowered me to keep going. I was
quick on my feet. I don't know where it would come from, but I could always come back with a
line. I never aspired to what the rest of my girlfriends did - they were all going to college (and
did), but I never aspired to do that. Although, I did end up going to TCU (Texas Christian
University) for one semester.