Oral History Commons^™

A History Of Dance At The University Of South Carolina: Celebrating A 50-Year Legacy, Olivia Sherman

Senior Theses

Since its founding in 1976, the University of South Carolina’s Dance Program has developed from a small performance initiative into one of the nation’s leading collegiate dance programs. Despite its artistic achievements and community engagement, little scholarly work has traced the program’s evolution or its impact at USC and the broader South Carolina arts community. Existing documentation is largely preserved in departmental archival materials, most notably the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program Archival Binders, which compile decades of newspaper articles, programs, press releases, and commentary that chronicle the program’s first fifty years. This project investigates how the program has evolved in …

No Tech For Apartheid Memory: Oral Histories Of Google Worker Organizing, Zelda Montes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The NOTA Google NYC Digital Memory Archive is a digital memory project centering the worker narrative in tech labor struggles in the wake of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. Rooted in my dual experiences as a Google Software Engineer and a No Tech for Apartheid organizer, this capstone project, initially created in 2024, seeks to combat the silencing around the nature of labor organizing through expanding upon the existing archive to incorporate oral history testimonies of NOTA organizers (notechforapartheidmemory.com/interviews). After conducting 4 oral history interviews with former Google workers currently based in NYC, the videos were …

Where's The Dim Sum? Art, Oral History, And The Chinese American Diaspora In Portland, Or, Rayli Dornan

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the history, transformation, and contemporary significance of Portland's Chinatown through an oral history framework, emphasizing the voices of Chinese American artists. Beginning with a comprehensive historical overview from the mid-nineteenth-century Gold Rush migrations and railroad labor to twentieth-century exclusion, dispossession under urban renewal, and the late-twentieth-century dispersal into suburbs, the thesis traces how structural racism and policy shaped both the physical landscape and communal life of Oregon's Chinese diaspora. Through in-depth interviews with local artists, this research aims to illuminate how individual experiences of identity, belonging, and creative expression navigate the tensions between heritage and adaptation.

Drawing …

“I Was Just Doing My Job”: An Oral History Of Vietnam Veterans And The Impact Of Their Voices In Collective War Memory, Alyssa Morris

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This master's thesis explores how oral histories from Vietnam veterans provide vital counter-narratives to traditional, often impersonal, military histories. Inspired by the author's grandfather, a Vietnam veteran, the project collects and analyzes ten interviews conducted as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. The study emphasizes how oral history not only preserves overlooked personal stories but also restores humanity and empathy to historical understanding. Not only does this project highlight the findings of the interviews but also details the process the author went through before and during the interviews, accompanying that is advice on best practices and how …

The Perry Lewis Interview, Shane Hand, John Brundrett

Oral Histories

This is an interview related to the integration of Alvin Community College (ACC), which was called Alvin Junior College (AJC) from its founding in 1948 until 1976. The interview is with Mr. Perry Lewis and takes place on May 7, 2025. The interviewers are Dr. Shane Hand and Professor John Brundrett.

Research In Indigenous Historiographies: Oral History As Evidence For Federal Recognition Of Indian Tribes, Colette Haworth

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

Significant to the field of cultural studies is the identification of cultural artifacts, which enable scholars to analyze the complexities of societies, comprehend cultural dynamics, and investigate the ways in which individuals and communities construct meaning and identity in cultural contexts. Oral history, an intangible cultural artifact, has been an important cultural identifier, particularly for marginalized individuals and communities. The development of critical oral history (COH) methodology has alleviated some of the criticism toward oral history as a valid methodology. In fact, some scholars contend that COH has moved beyond the realm of academic research to “provide a policy relevant …

The Archie Family Interview, Shane Hand, John Brundrett

Oral Histories

This is an interview related to the integration of Alvin Community College (ACC), which was called Alvin Junior College (AJC) from its founding in 1948 until 1976. The interview is with Sharmeal Archie, Mary L. Smith, and Lynette Mason and takes place on February 10, 2025. The interviewers are Dr. Shane Hand and Professor John Brundrett.

From Conscientious French Canadian To Enterprising American: Making Memory & Measuring Social Mobility Of French Canadians 1880-1940, Brooke S. Schwaderer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis studies the social mobility of French-Canadian immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula 1880-1940 and memory among their descendants to explain how French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw faded over time. Oral histories were conducted to gain an understanding of the current French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw, understand how the current generation perceives changes in culture over time, and provide possible explanations for why French-Canadians thrived in the Keweenaw. Tax records from the Michigan Technological University Archives and social mobility scores, mother tongue, and homeownership information from the United States census was analyzed to measure language loss, and the social mobility …

Professor Durwood Ball Oral History New Mexico Historical Review Part 1 Fall 2024, Holly Guise

Oral Histories HIST 300, Fall 2024

Students from Dr. Holly Guise's Oral History class 300/500 interview Dr. Durwood Ball about the New Mexico Historical Review and his experience. Part 1 recorded on October 8, 2024

Musselwhite: A Case Study In The Development Of Modern Legend In The American South, Ella J. Lauderdale

Honors Theses

The development of modern legend is widely researched, and there are many theories on the involvement of rumor and truth in the creation of folk stories. However, there are often few opportunities to look at the development of a modern legend in detail from beginning to end. The legend of Luther Musselwhite is unique in that it begins at a relatively fixed time, and the generations present during that time are still available to interview. This case study traces the development of this modern legend in Mississippi and analyzes the possible motivations for the spread and development of modern legends …

Neh Oral History Seminar Lesson Plan, Composition I: An Introduction To Composition And Research / Accelerated Composition I, Kelly I. Aliano

Open Educational Resources

In English 101, we begin developing an academic voice for writing and learn how to conduct research. For this project, we thought about those topics in relation to Oral History: How do we tell our own stories? What do we gain from telling our own stories? What might be the problems with everyone’s own story? This project involved writing a personal narrative essay, developing questions for an interview, conducting an interview, summarizing an interview, and writing an essay comparing the interview to the personal narrative essay.

Informal Family Archives & Oral History, Nichole M. Shippen

Open Educational Resources

Informal Family Archives & Oral History was modeled on and meant to complement the Oral History in Interdisciplinary Community College Pedagogy Funded by NEH for 2023-2025. Therefore, the description is taken from the NEH description except I modified my class to be focused on informal family archives. Students picked a family member they wished to interview for this project. They started with a cultural object exercise and built from that starting point. The class was inspired by Nairy Abdelshafy’s Informal Archives: Capturing Family Memories.

“Oral history is an interactive method and inquiry process on a topic, as well as …

Poetic Portraits Of Older Women In The Great Black Swamp, Sandra L. Faulkner

ICS Fellow Lectures

Dr. Faulkner discusses the importance of oral histories and listening to older women by presenting poetic portraits of older women in the Bowling Green area that she co-created from oral histories. This was a collaborative project with The Wood County Committee on Aging, the BGSU archives, and local women Faulkner interviewed about their experiences across their life course and contributions to our community. These poetic portraits and oral histories will be archived at the BGSU libraries for all of us to learn from.

Unique Collections And Digital Humanities Initiatives: From Concept To Creation–Exploration And Practice At The University Of Pittsburgh Library System, Edward Galloway, Haihui Zhang

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This report provides a overview of the Digital Humanity projects undertaken by the East Asian Library within the University of Pittsburgh Library System over the past decade. The review encompasses the genesis and original objectives behind initiating these projects, the challenges and difficulties encountered, the procedural aspects of implementation, and the insights gained.

Interview With Esperance Kabakunda, Keasha Buchana

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Esperance Kabakunda. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. The interview begins at 00:00:12 in the audio recording.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Interview With Patrick Binsenga, Keasha Buchana, Chris Davey

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Patrick Binsenga. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Archiving Latinxs On The U.S. Great Plains - Coming To The Plains, Laurinda Weisse

Posters, Proceedings, and Presentations: CTR Library

This panel examines the intricacies of archiving Latinxs in the US Great Plains. Latinx communities comprise a significant portion of the area’s population, yet regional archival holdings often under-represent these groups’ experiences and historical contributions. This panel will describe three universities’ approaches toward addressing this disparity, beginning with bilingual oral history projects “Voces of a Pandemic”, which explores the impact of COVID-19 on Latinx communities near Omaha, and “Coming to the Plains”, which examines immigration experiences of Latinx people in central Nebraska, conducted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and University of Nebraska at Kearney respectively. The panel also …

Gatumba Massacre, Background Essay, Christopher Davey, Ezra Schrader, Fidele Sebahizi, Jean Paul Iranzi

Background

On August 13th 2004, 166 people were killed and 106 were wounded at the UN’s Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi. Nearly all the victims were members of the Banyamulenge community, a Congolese Tutsi ethnic group who were deliberately targeted in the attack. The massacre was carried out by the Forces Nationales pour la Liberation (FNL), a Hutu supremacist rebel group fighting in Burundi’s civil war. Understanding the Gatumba Massacre requires understanding what forced those Banyamulenge refugees to flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and why the FNL targeted them. This background essay addresses the context …

Interview With David Munyamahoro, David Munyamahoro, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview conducted with David Munyamahoro. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded in Indianapolis, USA, and manually transcribed.

Interview With Anon Rushimisha Byringiro, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Anon Rushimisha Byringiro. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. The interview begins at 00:00:35 in the audio recording.

Guide To The Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model, Summer 2022, Erin Mccarthy Phd

Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model

No abstract provided.

The Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model In Action: A Case Study, Erin Mccarthy Phd, Heidi Marshall Ma, Ms

What We Owe: Columbia College Chicago Oral History Model in Action

No abstract provided.

Interview With Nyaruhogaze Nyamuco, Nyaruhogaze Nyamuco, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Nyaruhogaze Nyamuco. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded in Des Moines, Iowa and manually transcribed.

Interview With Noe Rwezangoro & Antoinette Nakizungu, Noe Rwezangoro, Antoinette Nakizungu, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview with Noe Rwezangoro & Antoinette Nakizungu Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Interview With Ndisabiye Steve, Ndisabiye Steve, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Steve Ndisabiye. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Interview With Sasha Chanoff Of Refuge Point, Sasha Chanoff, Chris Davey

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Sasha Chanoff. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Interview With Donatien Shimbi, Donatien Shimbi, Ezra Schrader

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Donatien Shimbi. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Richard Pearl Interview For The Boonshoft School Of Medicine 50th Anniversary Oral History Project, Richard Pearl, Kristen Dilger

Boonshoft 50th Anniversary Oral History Project

Kristen Dilger interviews Richard Pearl, a graduate of the Boonshoft School of Medicine. He worked as a pediatric surgeon until his retirement. Part of the class of 1980, Pearl discusses his collegiate career, including why he chose Wright State University's new medical college and talks about what it was like attending the college. He talks about the challenges and processes of attending a new medical college, and how attending the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine assisted him in his early career.

Geoff Calvert, M.D. Interview For The Boonshoft School Of Medicine 50th Anniversary Oral History Project, Geoff Calvert, Kristen Dilger

Boonshoft 50th Anniversary Oral History Project

Kristen Dilger interviews Jeff Clavert, a graduate of the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Associate Director for Clinical Quality for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time of the interview. Part of the class of 1983, Calvert discusses his collegiate career, including why he chose Wright State University's new medical college and talks about what it was like attending the college. He talks about the challenges and processes of attending a new medical college, and how attending the Wright State University Boonshoft College of Medicine assisted him in his early career.

John Lyman Interview For The Boonshoft School Of Medicine 50th Anniversary Oral History Project, John Lyman, Kristen Dilger

Boonshoft 50th Anniversary Oral History Project

Kristen Dilger interviews John Lyman, a graduate of the Boonshoft School of Medicine. He worked in emergency medicine until his retirement where he works part-time doing occupational health. Part of the class of 1980, Lyman discusses his collegiate career, including why he chose Wright State University's new medical college and talks about what it was like attending the college. He talks about the challenges and processes of attending a new medical college, and how attending the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine assisted him in his early career.