Reference: Marslen-Wilson, W. (1970). Biographical interviews with H.M. M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass.: Unpublished transcript (pp. 1-144). Digitized and re-checked by Lori James and Don MacKay, for publication on //www.mackay.bol.ucla.edu/ Transcript of interview with Henry M. Session One Side I Channel I May 24th 1970 Clinical Research Center. 3.00 pm. M.I.T. 00.00 WM (William Marslen-Wilson): Are you familiar with,… do you know anything about these machines ? HM Tape-recorder WM That's right HM That's what I thought of right off. Molaison' s the name. HLT So you did introduce yourself to the machine by saying that your name is Molaison. And the first name? HM Henry Molaison HLT Henry Molaison. and where do you live? HM Number 63 Crescent Drive East Hartford. HLT And where are we now? 00.30 HM I think of Toronto Canada HLT You think of Toronto Canada? HM Right off. HLT Right off. You think you're right? HM There I have an argument with myself, but I think of Canada right off. HLT What makes you think of Canada? HM Well, partially ….. because …. uh …. you 01.00 HLT Because of me ? HM yeah ….. uh ….. believe it is …. uh .. French way .. uh … French accent of English. HLT I see, yes, yes, that's what makes you think we are in Canada, I see. Have you been in Canada before? HM I thought of yes right off, but it is a guess. HLT I see. 01.30 HM I was’nt … I was’nt able …. be sure …. not being sure .. uh .. I thought yes right off. HLT Now look, I'm Dr Teuber, this is William Marslen-Wi1son, and he is going to ask some of these things that he has on this sheet, and we just talk now to introduce ourselves. You know, so that we have on the tape who’s 02.00 here. And there's also James Lackner, sitting in the background sort of, and watching over us. OK., so that makes four of us; yourself Henry Molaison, William Marslen-Wilson, and myself, H-L Teuber, right? All in one room. HM Oh ….. yes, 4 of us. HLT 4 of us HM I say 4. and I try to hold thumb down….. make sure its 4… HLT OK Henry. Now it's all yours William. WW The questions I'm going to ask you are going to be about your early 02.30 childhood. The things that you remember when you were in school and before that. HM … uh … yes. WW In fact, some time, 20 or 30 years. Now, the first thing I want to ask you. I want you to try to go back as far as you can, and try to tell me what you think is the very first thing you remember, your earliest memory….. have you ever thought about that? 03.00 HM Yes. I thought of …. East Hartford Conneticut,…. living .... in .... with my ...... my grandmother had died and my mother and father had moved in their house and my grandfather also …….. WW Yes .... HM …. uh … if…. I’m trying to .... having an argument with myself right 03.30 there ….. on the porch ..... wonder(?) if ..... it was a glassed in porch at the house, one of us slept. It was my grandfather or me …. I don't remember which. WW You … you were born in E.Hartford ? HM No, I was born in Manchester, Connecticut. WW And … then your parents lived in Manchester when you were born, and then they moved, is that right ? HM They moved from Manchester, yes, to E.Hartford,…. and from E.Hartford.. 04.00 .. uh ….was to …. to Hartford. WW Do you remember the house in Manchester where you were born, where your parents were living when you were born? HM Yes, in a way I should ….. because I believe we moved right back to that place afterwards. WW So you lived in Manchester for a while when you were very young? HM That was in South Manchester WW In South Manchester ? 04.30 HM Well .... yes; North Manchester ... younger. And then .... second grade ... .. to second grade I know, I went up to it and partially finished it too .. .. was living in South Manchester. From there moved into .... uh .... Hartford …… WW Yes… HM …Conneticut, and lived on …..when I was going to …… before …. uh … 05.00 I went to a private kindergarten. I was living on Burnside Avenue. WW In Manchester ? HM In E.Hartford. And from there ..... while I was going to that private kindergarten, I was living on Burnside Avenue. WW In E.Hartford? HM In E. Hartford. WW And how old were you then, do you think ? …. When you were in the kindergarten in E.Hartford. HM Right off the supposition and …..drew(??) right off to 7 ........... and I 05.30 thought I was younger, because it was a private kindergarten I went to. WW Probably would have been a bit younger HM Yes WW Do you remember anything about the kindergarten, what it looked like? HM .. uh …… no …… But … I …. WW But you do remember going there ? HM I remember going there, and of course the house that I lived in afterwards… 06.00 … not afterwards … but ….. moved from …. uh …. moved in from E.Hartford into Hartford ….. and …… wait a minute .. wait a minute. From E.Hartford into ….. HLT It's hard to keep track ! HM …. Manchester and then from Manchester into East .. into Hartford, and from Hartford … uh …. lived in …. three places there. WW In Manchester ? HM Hartford WW In Hartford? HM In Hartford. One was on Maple Avenue, 24 Maple Avenue, it was the first 06.30 place ......... and moved from there to ..... Main street, …. 97 Main street ….. because it was over the South Green Furniture Company. WW How old were you then, do you think ? Which grade were you in, or were you still in Kindergarten ? HM I was not in Kindergarten, I was going to …. parochial school then, which …. and that was on Main street, just up a ways and ……. I was going to say 07.00 second grade and it was'nt, because I ….. it was …. third or fourth grade. WW When you were living in … Maple Avenue ? HM On Main street. WW Main street. HM On Maple Avenue when I started sch …. uh …. restarted school after moving in from Manchester. I think I went 2 or 3 weeks …. in that … parochial 07.30 school ….. St Peters .. uh… in the second grade, that was all. Then… from there of course we moved from .. uh .. Main …….. uh …….. Main street, and from Main street moved down to Franklin Avenue. WW You’ve moved so many times, I’m having difficulty working it all out. Shall we try and write this down to get it straight ……. Now, you were born in, 08.00 ... in Manchester ? HM In Manchester Connecticut. WW What year was that ? HM 1926 WW 1926. Do you remember the date? HM Febuary 26th. WW And….do you remember the address of the place in Manchester where your parents lived when you were born? HM No, I don't remember the place where I was .. where my parents were living when I was born WW Do you know how long your parents lived there, in the house in Manchester 08.30 where you were born .... after you were born ? HM No I don't. WW It might have been 2 or 3 years, or less that that ? HM Three years WW Three years. So you moved from Manchester when you were three years old, do you think ? 09.00 HM No, I was older than that …………. because from …… there…. yes, we did move. Moved to …. Burnside Avenue in E.Hartford. WW This was the first house you moved to … after you were born, that you remember ? HM The first house that….. yes. WW And when you were in Burnside Ave you were in Kindergarten ? 09.30 HM And moved from that address too, down to another …. place on Burnside Avenue ……. and I started kindergarten there …… WW Oh, I see .. HM ….. while I was living there ….. because I went to a private kindergarten down the street …… down Burnside Avenue ….. WW So you lived in two houses in Burnside Avenue; Burnside Avenue in E.Hartford ? HM Three 10.00 WW Three !? You moved three times in the same avenue ? It’s very complicated HM Oh it is …… well …… uh ….. it .. uh .. from …. uh …. uh …. moving … uh …. Burnside …. Burnside …. the small house ….. the cottage …called(??) ….. moved into Hartford. WW I think I’m getting confused. HM So am I too …………………….. 10.30 WW Do you remember what this cottage looked like ? HM Well, I think of a …….. naturally a single house …. with … uh ….. 11.00 there was no hedge in front …… there was a garage in back …….. that …. we...my grandfather used ….. because we were’nt using it then ….. then when we got a car … and my … we used it…. my grandfather could’nt use it. It was a single garage. WW He had to park his car on the street ? HM He had to park his car … uh .. where he lived ….. on the street. WW He also lived ….? HM He did’nt live ….. he lived in E.Hartford, but … uh … was’nt on the street he parked it. 11.30 WW He did’nt live on Burnside Avenue ? HM He did’nt live on Burnside Avenue. WW Do you remember which street he lived on ? HM ….. uh …. WW It does’nt matter …… but he died … when did he die, your grandfather ? HM … Gee ……….