LWVAC is proud to have several Life Members—those who have been League members for 50 consecutive years! We’ve set out to interview them. Here we talk with Wuni Ryschkewitsch. This interview was first published in the April 2018 LWVAC Voter.
Wuni (woo-nee) says her last name is pronounced like “risqué witch.” She came to the United States from Germany after World War II. Her father was one of the scientists whose talent the United States wanted to keep out of Russian hands. In “Operation Paperclip,” those coveted scientists and their families were brought to the US to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and were welcomed by the large local German-American community in nearby Dayton, Ohio.
Wuni met her husband George at Wright-Patterson (he was also the child of a scientist). In the mid-50’s, after college at the University of Dayton and grad school at Ohio State, they came to Gainesville where George began teaching chemistry at UF.
Professionally, Wuni became a research assistant at UF. As a hobby, she dove; she has written a book about diving called “When Sex was Safe and Diving was Dangerous.”
When did you join the League?
Enid Mahon, a faculty wife from California, definitely a woman in the activist tradition, recruited me into the League in the early 60’s. At the time I had two young children, was not working, and was going a little crazy at home, so I welcomed the opportunity. We probably had 50-60 members. In those days the League would have their meetings in the members’ homes.
What issues have moved you the most?
When I joined the League, integration and equal rights for women were our big issues.
As a university community, we were also concerned with Florida’s Johns Committee and the pledge we at UF (by then I was working in research at UF) were asked to make--that we were not communists.
Immigration has also always been an important issue for me. I have regularly attended the citizenship ceremonies here in Gainesville, and find them very moving. I believe in sticking to the established way of becoming a citizen. We should keep it affordable so money is not a deterrent to the aspiring citizen. This might be something the League could do: start a fund to help with citizenship fees.
What big changes have you seen in the landscape—political, the League, Gainesville?
The League used to be very hands-on, then seemed to become more academic. It’s important to stay involved in local issues.
What advice or lessons learned would you pass on to our members?
Keep an eye on politicians—don’t let them get away with anything. Make sure you follow their money.
Have good people who can speak out, and aren’t afraid. Actively recruit—knock on the doors of the new people in town. If we restore voting rights to felons, vet them very carefully.
Continue those good articles in the newspaper. It’s important that we continue to educate the voters.
