Interview with Clinton Fillenger, April 14, 2021

Partial Transcript: I was born...I had to stop and think, December 26 of 1943 up in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger breifly describes his childhood in Marinette, WI.

Keywords: Childhood; Family; School; Winter

Subjects: 1940s; Family; Marinette WI; World War II

Partial Transcript: What happened is, I worked at a greenhouse when I was fifteen years old.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes how he came to his current profession, from getting laid off from a greenhouse, to a coincidental meeting at a camera store, leading to him being involved with photography for decades. He went to school in Milwaukee for photography, where he began his career.

Keywords: Agricultural work; Layton School of Art; Milwaukee, WI; Minimum Wage; News Photography; Photography

Subjects: 1940s-1050s; Education; Profession

Partial Transcript: [John]: What about photography excited you? What, like, made you tick? [Clinton]: Being there.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger answers the question of what makes him excited about photography, and through that details his transition from Marinette to Milwaukee.

Keywords: Milwaukee, WI; News photography

Subjects: 1960s; Milwaukee, WI; Photography; Profession

Partial Transcript: [John]: So, let's get back to your-So, you started at channel 6? [Clinton]: Yep.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger details his career working at Channel 6 Milwaukee for the "rest of my career" as a cameraman for nearly fifty years. He details what a day in the life of a cameraman at that time was, including the hours and the dress code.

Keywords: Channel 6 Milwaukee; News Phtography

Subjects: 1960s; 2010s; Photography; Profession

Partial Transcript: [John]: What are some of the more unique experiences you had during that time?

Segment Synopsis: Filenger begins describing the unique Milwaukee experiences he had during his decades-long tenure as a Channel 6 cameraman. He talks about the racial uprising of 1967 and the Open Housing Marches of 1968, reflecting on how that changed the city of Milwaukee for the better.

Keywords: History; Milwaukee; Milwaukee Housing Marches 1968; Redlining; SS Edmund Fitzgerald; Three Mile Island

Subjects: 1960s; Discrimination; Milwaukee, WI; Racial Issues

Partial Transcript: [John]: So what were some of the other more unique experiences?

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes more stories from his tenure at Channel 6, from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, to Three Mile Island, to his experience during the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Keywords: History; Iran Hostage Crisis; News Photography; SS Edmund Fitzgerald; Three Mile Island; Travel

Subjects: 1970s; Milwaukee, WI; Photography

Partial Transcript: ...then I ended up going to, um, Thailand. [The] Medical College of Wisconsin was going to order-open a um, refugee center.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes his experience as a Milwaukee Channel 6 cameraman in Thailand, where the Medical College of Wisconsin was opening up a refugee medical center.

Keywords: Documentary Filmmaking; Medical College of Wisconsin; News Photography; Refugee; Travel

Subjects: Photography; Thailand

Partial Transcript: [John]: Who were some of the, um, over the years you must have met...

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes his work photographing/interviewing past Presidents

Keywords: Bill Clinton; Jimmy Carter; News Photography; POTUS; President; Richard Nixon

Subjects: Photography

Partial Transcript: [John]: I mean, Milwaukee is a big sports town. [Clinton]: Yep.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes his coverage of Milwaukee sports from Brewers spring training to the Milwaukee Bucks, even hanging out with them at Major Goolsby's, a local bar.

Keywords: Major Goolsby's; Milwaukee Brewers; Milwaukee Bucks; News Photography; Sports Photography

Subjects: Photography

Partial Transcript: My biggest challenge ended up being in the later years, of, everything went electronic.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes his biggest challenge as a news photographer, which he claims to be the transition from film to more electronic mediums, and the speed at which the evolution came. He also talks about the changes in the news industry, which he believes to have become more "creative" in their storytelling as an industry, which he claims sells better to an audience steeped in bias.

Keywords: Camera; Challenges; Commentator; Film; News Photography; Technology; Video

Subjects: Bias; Photography

Partial Transcript: Oh, another story I covered was Jeffery Dahmer.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes his coverage of the trial of Jeffery Dahmer, operating the courtroom camera and the family's reaction.

Keywords: Camera; Jeffery Dahmer; News Photography; Trial News

Subjects: 1990s; Photography

Partial Transcript: A couple of years ago, years ago, I got a Silver Circle Award from the uh, uh, Emmy things.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger looks back on his Emmy Silver Circle Award, prompting a reflection onto his time as a news photographer.

Keywords: Emmys; NATAS Chicago/Midwest Silver Circle; News Photography; Reporter; Retirement; Speech

Subjects: Award; Learning; Mentorship; Photography

Partial Transcript: Uh, you asked about, what about downtown Milwaukee?

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger goes through his life in downtown Milwaukee and its changes, through his experiences at the bank (now the MCHS), partying in apartments, and what buildings/areas he has seen change.

Keywords: Bank; Downtown; Riverfront; Wisconsin Center

Subjects: History; Milwaukee, WI

Partial Transcript: [John]: Did your family ever worry about you doing this job, when you had to go into these, y'know, sites... [Clinton]: Yeah, my wife, my wife worried about me.

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger describes the "hardest part" of his job.

Keywords: Children; Fire; News Photography

Subjects: Family; Photography

Partial Transcript: Uh, the, the Milwaukee River. Reminded me when I was talking to, your boss?

Segment Synopsis: Fillenger reflects on the changes in the Milwaukee River, as well as the various changes made to the riverfront and downtown. He notes that downtown Milwaukee used to not have nearly as many people living within in apartments, but that has since changed. He also details his escapades bar-hopping on Milwaukee's iconic Brady St.

Keywords: Apartment; Brady St Milwaukee; Downtown; Milwaukee River; Music; Restaurant; pollution

Subjects: Grafton, WI; Milwaukee, WI; West Allis, WI