In this first interview of three, Arthur "Jerry" Wensinger discusses topics including: his childhood in Grosse Pointe, MI; his studies and summer school at the Andover school (1944); briefly attending Yale; transferring to Darmouth and studying German and Biology (B.A., 1948); participation in the Experiment in International Living in post-WWII Germany; work on film in German with director Fritz Kortner; studying Germanic Language and Literature at University of Michigan; PhD studies at Dartmouth with Reynold's Fellowship for Graduates of Dartmouth; experience as Fullbright Scholar in Austria; dissertation on poet Heinrich von Kleist; joining Wesleyan as Junior Faculty Member (1955); experience as Junior Faculty Member; fraternaties and student activities at Wesleyan; teaching introductory Humanities courses and acting as Chairman of Humanities