Oral History Commons^™

Tales, Traditions, And Tides: The Little Logan River And Its Role In Cache Valley's History, Culture, And Conservation, Emily A. Kovacic

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Little Logan River (LLR) plays a vital role in the cultural, historical, and ecological landscape of Cache Valley, Utah. Amid growing concerns raised by the Logan River Watershed Project (LRWP), which threatens to alter the river’s environment, this project seeks to understand the significance of the LLR as a cultural and recreational asset through collected oral histories. Building on folkloric perspectives of place-based storytelling, this thesis introduces the idea of vivus locum, or “that place which is alive,” through the example of the LLR to the study of folkloristics. The concept of vivus locum emphasizes the importance of …

The New Deal In Georgia: Oral History Research Collection, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection contains materials from an oral history research project on the New Deal in Georgia conducted in 1987 by Marchanita R. Coleman as part of Dr. R. Frank Saunders’ historiography course. Materials include a typed final report, oral history interview audiocassette tapes, and one photograph. Interviews are with African American residents of Liberty and Chatham County who lived during the Great Depression or remember the New Deal era in Georgia.

Unmaking And Remaking Crimean Tatar Identity Stalin’S Deportation, Sürgün Stories, And The Claiming Of Indigeneity, Milo A. Clarkson

International Studies Honors Projects

The Crimean Tatars exist within a framework of historical and modern Russian settler colonial oppression. By examining their preferred form of identification, this thesis argues that claiming indigeneity holds promise for combating this colonial structure. Further, it identifies the construction of collective memories of the Sürgün (1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars) in virtual museum project Tamirlar’s oral histories as a form of discursive decolonization—the reclamation of cultural, linguistic, and historical representation and primacy on the land. Novel analysis of fifty interviews with Sürgün survivors preserves indigenous Crimean identity and challenges the retrospective settler colonial construction of Crimea as “Russian.”

Oral History Of Dr. Carl Jón Denbow, Director Of Information For The College Of Osteopathic Medicine Conducted On 02/20/2025 By Angel David García García, Carl Jón Denbow, Angel David García García

HIST 4798/5798: Recording Memory: Methods and Uses of Oral History

Dr. Carl Jón Denbow discusses his history, how he became the Director of information for the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University, and his time in this position.

This interview was conducted as part of a class project for Recording Memory: Methods and Uses of Oral History, Spring 2025, Alexander G. Lovelace (Ph.D.) Instructor

An Oral History Of Women For Kansas: A Sabbatical Summary, Tai Edwards

Sabbatical Projects

Kansas has a rich history of women’s activism. However, archival material and scholarship rarely examines such activism in the twenty-first century. This sabbatical involved traveling across the state to collect oral histories, documents, and material culture from leaders of the activist group Women for Kansas. After researching options, I recommended archival preservation options to Women for Kansas’ board to ensure long-term preservation of this collection.

Rewriting The Frontier: The Impact Of Collective Memory On The Mythos Of Western Settlement, Kelly E. Kooper

Theses and Dissertations

Using Paul Cohen’s methodological approach in History in Three Keys, this thesis examines the construction and debunking of the myths of manifest destiny, the rugged individual frontiersman, and the “noble savage” Native American in the writing about, experience of, and representation of the settlement American West. First, it analyzes the evolution of the historiography from Frederick Jackson Turner to William Cronon. Then it examines the experiences of four families (the Grices, Grahams, Deems, and McCormicks) who settled in Iowa and Nebraska from 1850 to 1880. Lastly, it surveys various popular cultural celebrations of the West. Through this triple lens, this …

Habitually "Ant-Eyeing": The Life And Work Of Billy Joe Tatum, Lauren Adams Willette

Student Theses and Dissertations

Billy Joe Tatum was a naturalist, author, and educator who grew up in Missouri and Arkansas during the 20th century. She is often compared to Euell Gibbons; her book titled Billy Joe Tatum’s Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook was the first of its kind to offer gourmet-style recipes for wild and foraged foods. She wrote many different columns for the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine which was distributed not only in the region but around the United States and internationally. Billy Joe was the first herbalist or “yarb doctor” at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, where she oversaw the first …

Dolores Marshall And Mcdade Grocery, Dolores Marshall, Emma Brown, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Emma Brown interviews Dolores Marshall about the legacy of McDade's Grocery.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kGqfGi72G7w

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-21-Dolores-Marshall-and-McDade-Grocery-e35bc1s

Dutch Henderson And The Old Hydroelectric Plant On The Oconee River, Dutch Henderson, Billy Mckinley, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Billy McKinley interviews Dutch Henderson about the legacy of the Old Hydroelectric Plant on the Oconee River.

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Rq0PWrh4ESM

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-30-Dutch-Henderson--the-Old-Hydroelectric-Plant-e367uah

Kyle Van Campen And The Delta Sigma Pi House, Kyle Van Campen, Liam Glass, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Liam Glass interviews Kyle Van Campen about the Delta Sigma Pi house and ghost stories in Milledgeville.

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/L3MarBMO5aw

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past---Episode-28-Kyle-Van-Campen-and-the-Delta-Sigma-Pi-House-e35r7cr

Donna Guatier And The First Presbyterian Church, Donna Guatier, Daniel Sims, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Daniel Sims talks with Donna Guatier about the history of the First Presbyterian Church.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s0jnh2Suxuk

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-22-Donna-Guatier-and-the-First-Presbyterian-Church-e35e2ru

John Hargaden And Sacred Heart Catholic Church, John Hargaden, Eowyn Agullo, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Eowyn Agullo interviews John Hargaden about the significance of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Milledgeville.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KCgfVVRyL3Y

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-24-John-Hargaden-and-Sacred-Heart-Catholic-Church-e35njvs

Robert Wilson And The Baldwin Hotel, Robert Wilson, Drake Mellie, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Drake Mellie interviews historian Robert Wilson about the Baldwin Hotel.

Part one

YouTube: https://youtu.be/gERH6zAOd1E

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-26-Robert-Wilson-and-the-Baldwin-Hotel-Pt-1-e35nopf

Part two

YouTube: https://youtu.be/y-qphh64Lh4

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-27-Robert-Wilson-and-the-Baldwin-Hotel-Pt-2-e35nord

Kimberly Griffin And Downtown Milledgeville, Kimberly Griffin, Drew Rice, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Drew Rice interviews Kimberly Griffin about businesses in downtown Milledgeville, including Trapnells, Piggly Wiggly, Sanford House, and JJ's Locker Room.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1hUviYP7hms

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-29-Episode-Kimberly-Griffin-and-Downtown-Milledgeville-e35r7mh

Kimberly Griffin And Memory Hill Cemetery, Kimberly Griffin, Courtney Brandon, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Courtney Brandon interviews Kimberly Griffin on the history and significance of Memory Hill Cemetery, including racial and gender divisions.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lZTo2ly5zOM

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-25-Kimberly-Griffin-and-Memory-Hill-Cemetery-e35nm5m

Jean W. Fraley And Flagg Chapel Baptist Church, Jean W. Fraley, Anne O’Neill, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Anne O'Neill interviews Jean W. Fraley on the history and significance of Flagg Chapel Baptist Church.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DyhVEL9Qrro

Listen on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/flannery-oconnor-institut/episodes/Collecting-the-Past-Podcast---Episode-23-Jean-W--Fraley-and-Flagg-Chapel-Baptist-Church-e35nj38

Al Matysiak And Immigration To Milledgeville, Al Matysiak, Axel Hawkins, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Axel Hawkins speaks with Al Matysiak about his family's immigration to Milledgeville, their connections to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and their relationship with the O'Connor family.

Listen to the podcast versions here:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ou2XcklemWY

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0t6OfFssHacOHmjPTvSHhJ?si=kgR-aOJcRKaNBkQFTPyLwg

Alfred Thomas And Black Businesses In Milledgeville, Alfred Thomas, Maddie Marcinkowski, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Maddie Marcinkowski talks with Alfred Thomas about owning AT's Jazz Club in Milledgeville and describes other black businesses in the area.

Listen to the podcast versions here:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/IDNdkIMMlmk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/672GyUTA7d9xVymTtPnvDy?si=i-mM6_4mTfuCXdAcJmvrtQ

Al Haslam And The History Of Lake Sinclair, Al Haslam, Emily Brown, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Emily Brown interviews Al Haslam about the history of Lake Sinclair, his family-owned marina (one of the longest-operated in Georgia), and the impact of the lake on life in Milledgeville.

Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y29NJXIuc_s

Listen on Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/sGA2KSqWbVb

Bechen-Rivera, Liam, Devon Rosano

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Liam Bechen-Munoz is a 38-year-old trans man living in Portland, Maine. He grew up in a conservative Catholic town in Massachusetts before attending the University of Maine in Farmington, where he performed and did activism as a member of the Queer Student Alliance. After coming out, Bechen-Munoz faced discrimination and experienced getting fetishized online. He is a queer musician who has dealt with substance abuse but became sober in November of 2023. In this interview, Bechen-Munoz discusses some of the challenges he has faced, especially around coming out.

Oral History Casey Goodson, Brady Goodson

Oral Histories HIST 300, Fall 2024

Interview of pastor Casey Goodson by Brady Goodson. Discusses elementary education and teaching as well as the work of a pastor.

Brown, Brandy, Atlantis Martin

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

In this interview with Brandy Brown, a queer social worker originally from Georgia, they discuss such topics as family of origin, education (including getting a GED and later a doctorate), religious conversion therapies, overcoming estrangement with their family, parenting, and queer youth. Dr Brown also discusses their important role in creating the first gender clinic for trans youth at Maine Health in the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

Cardoza, Janice, Silvio Morales

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Janice Cardoza is a 73-year-old lesbian woman from Norway, Maine. She has lived in many places around New England and went to college in Boston, at the University of Massachusetts. She is a quiet woman and the youngest in the 3-child family. Cardoza grew up in a Catholic household but, as she matured, became disillusioned with the Catholic church and religion. She considers herself a Unitarian Universalist and attends a church in Norway, though she describes her relationship as more spiritual than religious. She met her wife at The Underground bar in Portland 40 years ago and they’ve been inseparable …

Emery, Kasie, Madison Strout

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Kasie Emery (they/them) is a 31-year-old, asexual, non-binary individual who discovered their asexual identity during their college years and discovered their non-binary identity a few years later. Emery has experienced many instances of asexual erasure in queer communities and speaks on the differences in the perceptions of their gender identity vs their sexual identity both in and out of LGBTQ+ spaces. They emphasize that discovering aspects of identity and self-expression is non-linear and how experimentation has been important in the learning process for them.

Throughout the interview, Emery displays their passion for queer representation in the media, describing LGBTQ+ characters …

Oral History Interview With Sharon Carnahan And Wenxian Zhang, Sharon Carnahan, Wenxian Zhang

Oral Histories

Sharon Carnahan, Ph.D. (UNC Chapel Hill 1991) is Professor of Psychology at Rollins College, where she was the Executive Director of the Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, a laboratory preschool, from 1992-2024.

Dr. Carnahan was born in Chicago and reared in upstate NY. Her father, grandmother and 2 sisters were all teachers. The Carnahan family ran a summertime wilderness outfitting business in the Adirondacks, leading groups though weeks of primitive camping and canoeing, and she has held instructor certificates from the American National Red Cross in canoeing, boating, CPR, First Aid, and Adaptive Aquatics.

Dr. Carnahan graduated …

Emily Davis Interviewed By Juliann Mackiewicz, Emily Davis, Juliann Mackiewicz, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Juliann Mackiewicz interviews Emily Davis, Baldwin County Commissioner for District 1, on her perspective growing up in Milledgeville and what it is like being a leader for your community.

Listen to the podcast version here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/DzZndl-jpeg

Spotify

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/xKYCdVATwNb

Benjamin Lewis Interviewed By Juliann Mackiewicz, Benjamin Lewis, Juliann Mackiewicz, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Juliann Mackiewicz interviews Benjamin Lewis, an active Milledgeville community member, about growing up as a young man during segregation and his family's connection to Milledgeville.

Listen to the podcast version here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/fjXhZ6P6dkc

Spotify

To be posted

Rebecca "Becky" Brock Interviewed By Charlotte Aexel, Rebecca "Becky" Brock, Charlotte Aexel, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Charlotte Aexel interviews Becky Brock about being the first in her family to attend college and what Georgia State College for Women was like in 1965.

Listen to the podcast version here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/XgFDYm092tU

Spotify

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/By5r78iRgMb

Mary Parham-Copelan Interviewed By Juliann Mackiewicz, Mary Parham-Copelan, Juliann Mackiewicz, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Juliann Mackiewicz interviews Mary Parham-Copelan, Mayor of Milledgeville and lifelong resident, on her effort to create a strong community and economy in Milledgeville.

Listen to the podcast version here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/2DJFheginFg

Spotify

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/K7U3PUATwNb

Mary Carpenter Interviewed By Charlotte Aexel, Mary Carpenter, Charlotte Aexel, Stephanie Opperman

Collecting the Past

Charlotte Aexel interviews Mary Carpenter, author of Flannery O’Connor: A Girl Who Knew Her Own Mind, on discovering O’Connor and the impact of Milledgeville on her life.

Listen to the podcast version here:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/Qc_iNAdUDNs

Spotify

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/R5UTAVATwNb