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Guadalupe Valley Electrical Cooperative

The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was created by Congress in the 1930s, offering loans to encourage power suppliers to provide rural America with inexpensive electric lighting and power.  When commercial power companies failed to make use of these loans, locally-owned cooperatives took charge.

The Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) was founded on December 2, 1938, by a group of rural residents who needed electricity for their farms.  GVEC serves 13 Texas counties, including parts of Hays, Guadalupe, Comal, and Caldwell. 

In 1986, the board of directors of the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative requested assistance from the history department of Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) to record the history of their organization. 

Students in Dr. Ron Brown's oral history courses conducted a series of twenty-seven interviews from November 1986 through December 1987. The majority of the interviews were conducted by graduate student Karen Yancy, who used the interviews in her master's thesis, And Then There was Light: A History of Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative 1963-1988

Many of the interviewees were charter customers and employees of GVEC and remembered a time before electricity was available to the residents of the Guadalupe River Valley.

GVEC oral history interviews

At this time, these interviews exist only as transcripts (the original audio recordings are not available). Links to the full transcript follows each abstract; each transcript is available in PDF and HTML (web) formats. 

All oral histories are protected by copyright; see the Copyright Statements.

University Archives strives to make our historical and digital resources openly available to faculty, staff, students, alumni, researchers, and the general public. Please see our Historical Context Statement for more information.

Borgfeld, Lewis
Mr. Lewis Borgfeld talks about how he came to be a director of GVEC, the responsibilities that come with his position, and what he thinks GVEC will be like in the future.  Transcript: PDF or HMTL

Bosanko, Dan and Marie
Mr. & Mrs. Bosanko talk about how they feel about the service GVEC provides. They compare their lives before and after electrical service and discuss why they depend on GVEC. Transcript: PDF or HTML

Bozka, Tommy 
Tommy Bozka discusses his duties as a director of GVEC, why he thinks the company is so successful, and his long-term aspirations for the company.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Coor, Thomas
Thomas Coor talks about how he acquired his current position as Manager of the Seguin district of GVEC, the responsibilities that come with that position, and the general responsibilities of the company.   Transcript: PDF or HTML

Davis, Oran W.
Oran Davis, general manager of GVEC at Gonzales from 1947 to 1972, talks about the politics, co-op growth, public relations, power use, member services, and administration of GVEC during his time with the company.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Dennis, David R.
David Dennis talks about his responsibilities as a director of GVEC at Gonzales and the company's responsibilities as a whole. He also describes what he believes sets GVEC apart from other co-ops.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Eckols, Lewis B.
Lewis Eckols began working for GVEC in 1947 and was manager of the electric operations division at Gonzales.  He talks about how he worked his way up the career ladder at GVEC to his current position of manager of the electric operations division, what he and his branch's responsibilities are, and what he believes makes GVEC unique.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Fritz, John
John Fritz, manager of member services division, talks about how GVEC runs efficiently in order to keep their prices low for their customers. He also talks about he came to have his current job as manager of member services division.   Transcript: PDF or HTML

Harborth, Millard
Millard Harborth talks about his role as director of GVEC, his and the company's responsibilities, and why he believes the company is so successful.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Hines, Milton D.
Milton Hines, general manager at Gonzales, sheds some light on how the GVEC operates, its strengths and weaknesses, and some of the obstacles the company faces on a regular basis.  Began working at GVEC in 1958.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Janak, Joseph and Mildred
Mr. & Mrs. Janak, long-time customers from Halletsville, talk about the benefits of doing business with a customer service based co-op like GVEC and the extra programs and services they offer to their customers.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Klimitchek, Richard and Joyce
Mr. & Mrs. Klimitchek, long-time customers from Halletsville, talk about how they feel about the customer service that GVEC provides.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Lester, Mr. and Mrs. Pal
Mr. & Mrs. Lester talk about their satisfaction with the service they receive from GVEC. They also discuss the importance of electricity and why they rely on it.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Logan, Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae Logan, retired employee at Gonzales, talks about how she ended up working at GVEC and the experiences she had there.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Lorenz, J.P. Jr.
J.P. Lorenz discusses his responsibilities as a director of GVEC and why he believes the cooperative is so successful. He also talks about problems that face the company on a regular basis.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Lott, William August (W.A.)
W.A. Lott discusses how he became a director, his responsibilities as a director, and the long-term aspirations of GVEC.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

McArthur, Mr. and Mrs. W.L.
Mr. & Mrs. McArthur talk about their feelings on the services GVEC provides to them and how having electricity in rural areas has changed their lives.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Netardus, Leon
Leon Netardus talks about some of his responsibilities as manager of the business division, advances the company has made since he has been there, and some of the advance he hopes to see the company make in the future.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Nollkamper, G.D.
G.D. Nollkamper talks about why he became a director, GVEC's aspirations for the future, and issues and problems that GVEC faces on a regular basis.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Powers, Garland and Mildred
Mr. & Mrs. Powers, ranchers raised in Seguin, talk about the benefits and conveniences that GVEC's service provides them and their association with "Crystal Clear". Transcript: PDF or HTML

Pridgeon, Marcos
Marcus Pridgeon, manager of the administrative services division, talks about his responsibilities at GVEC, his personal accomplishments with the cooperative, and what he sees in GVEC's future.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Siepmann, Theodore
Theodore Siepman talks about the establishment and the early years of GVEC and his responsibilities as a director and charter board member.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Slaughter, Steve
Steve Slaughter talks about his responsibilities as a manager and those of the divisions he oversees at GVEC. He also discusses some of GVEC's accomplishments and what he sees in the co-op's future.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Strey, Elton and Mary
Mr. & Mrs. Strey talk about the good experience they've had as long-time GVEC customers and how GVEC's service has provided them with the luxury of having reliable electricity in a rural area.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Strey, Melvin
Melvin Strey talks about his responsibilities as a director for GVEC, his aspirations for the co-op, and the co-op's reputation for good customer service.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Willman, Grace
Grace Willman, GVEC employee from 1951-1972, talks about how she came to work for GVEC, her job responsibilities, and some memorable experiences she had at the co-op.  Transcript: PDF or HTML

Young, Robert A.
Robert Young, director at Gonzales, talks about how he became involved with GVEC, his responsibilities as a director, and the personal satisfaction he gets from being a part of the co-op.  Transcript: PDF or HTML