doi:10.7916/mcek-p030Oral history interview with Joseph E. Harkins, 2024Harkins, Joseph E., 1933-oral historiesmixed materialSales personnelActorsJournalistsEntrepreneurshipMarriageTourism--Dominican RepublicJournalism--Dominican RepublicImprisonmentInternet--Economic aspects--United StatesWeb sitesJazz musiciansLawyersVendeursActeursEntrepreneuriatMariageJournalisme--République dominicaineEmprisonnementInternet--Aspect économique--États-UnisSites WebMusiciens de jazzentrepreneursimprisonmentJersey City (N.J.)Dominican RepublicChicago (Ill.)Wheaton (Ill.)Harkins, Joseph E., 1933-List̕n diarioUnited States. ArmyIn the first session, Joseph Harkins describes his early life and family. He discusses his family history and childhood in Jersey City. He describes his father's work in the harbor and his diagnosis with tuberculosis. Throughout the interview, Harkins reflects on the impacts on his life of his mother's personality and his father's absence due to tuberculosis. He discusses his earliest jobs, his teenage years, being drafted into the army, and eloping with his first wife. He discusses his training as a mechanic at Fort Dix, service at Fort Knox, and an incident where he got an infection following a fight with a local over a gambling win. He discusses some of his work experiences, including with Lipton Tea and in bicycle importation. He describes his experience in therapy to curb substance use following chronic back pain. He describes his marriages to Mary, Margaret, Margarita, and Ann. He also discusses the lives of three of his children: a lawyer, geriatric nurse, and jazz musician. At points in the interview, he reflects on family dynamics and conflicts with different family members. In the second session, Harkins expands on his various careers. He discusses experiences working for the G. S. Blakeslee Company and National Ultrasonics, and provides his theories on succeeding in sales. He describes how he went to the Dominican Republic after a relationship ended. He discusses working as a journalist in the Dominican Republic. As a reporter for Listin USA, during the rise of entertainment news, he broke the story stateside that Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley's 1994 marriage was allegedly a marriage of convenience. He also describes renting a house in the Dominican Republic and working as a guide for German tourists there. He discusses meeting his wife Juana and her immigration to the United States. He describes corruption in the Dominican Republic and details an incident in which he was incarcerated there. He discusses how business partners stole from their venture Inter-American Media. He describes the early dot-com days and working in website hosting from mid-1990s to 2018. He briefly discusses his work as an actor, singer, and booker of Santa Claus entertainers