Collections : [Center for Documentary Research and Practice]

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

Franklin Hall 0030B
601 East Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
Visit Center for Documentary Research and Practice
812-855-2856
The Oral History Archive began in 1968 gathering interviews for the IU sesquicentennial. The archive expanded with other projects, mostly focused on the history of Indiana and the Midwest such as labor, politics, medicine, immigration, and social history. The archive contains over 2,000 interviews--audio files, transcripts, and some video. The archive is now housed in the Center for Documentary Research and Practice, a unit of the Media School.

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Generations of Auto Workers: Anderson, Indiana, 1930-1982

28 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc042
This project examines the impact of unionization on Guide Lamp and Delco Remy, two automobile plants in Anderson, Indiana, between the years of 1930 and 1982. It details the events of the 1937 sit-down strike at Guide Lamp and the various improvements in working conditions, wages, job security, and benefits that the United Auto Workers helped to influence at the two plants. The project highlights changes in policy towards women, minority groups, and retirees in the factory workplace, and it offers descriptions of the evolving roles of management and the union and changing relationships among workers in the two plants. Finally, the project details the history of the two plants within the community of Anderson at large, and it offers commentary on the then-current problems and challenges facing the automobile industry as a whole.

Communism in the United States, 1968

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc030
This project consists of an interview with Carl Bachmann who is a former member of Congress and mayor of Wheeling, West Virginia. Mr. Bachmann talks about his experiences with the Fish Committee, which conducted an investigation of communist activities in the United States during the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties. As a member of this committee, he secretly attended communist meetings and participated in the hearings and final reports. He briefly addresses why the committee never introduced any bills and discusses the committee's role in informing Americans about the extent of communist activities in this country. Finally, he discusses William Borah's 1936 presidential campaign in detail.

Biography: Robert A. Taft, 1968

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc003
Charles Taft discusses politics in Cincinnati during the late 1920s. He talks about his brother, Robert A. Taft, and his political career.

History: Indiana University, 1968-1981

90 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc053
This project is a compilation of interviews of subjects with strong ties to and memories of Indiana University, primarily at the Bloomington campus. The interviewees include former students, faculty, and staff, among others. The information contained in the interviews generally spans a little more than the first half of the twentieth century and often deals with the administrations under presidents William Lowe Bryan and Herman B Wells. The project is a survey of Indiana University's history as a whole including information about various academic departments, athletics, student organizations, campus growth, university development, living conditions, segregation and the treatment of African-Americans, the administration, and the importance of jazz at Indiana University. In addition, the impact of specific events, such as the Great Depression, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and water shortages, is detailed in many of the interviews in this project.

Biography: J. Edward Roush, 1969

3 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc017
This collection primarily covers Roush's time spent as United States Representative (D) from the 5th District of Indiana between 1959 and 1969, though his education and history prior to national politics are mentioned. Major topics of discussion include his campaigns, work on the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the flood control reservoirs in northern Indiana, as well as his position on the Committee on Science and Astronautics.

Biography: Homer E. Capehart, 1969-1973

29 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc015
This project is comprised of interviews regarding Homer E. Capehart and in particular, his political career as a Republican United States senator from the state of Indiana from 1944 to 1962. Often emphasized in the interviews is Capehart's organization of the Cornfield Conference in 1938 which served to rejuvenate the Republican Party in Indiana. Also much discussed is Capehart's legendary business acumen and status as a wealthy self-made man, proud of his humble origins. Many of the interviews also deal with national politics, Capehart's friends and political opponents, his impact and influence in Congress (through the Senate Banking and Currency Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee), his personal characteristics, communism, and the reasons for his unexpected defeat in 1962 at the hands of Birch E. Bayh, Jr.

Biography: Ignatius Donnelly, 1969-1973

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc016
This project contains an interview with Marion Woltman, the late Mr. Donnelly's wife. Ms. Woltman, born in 1877, discusses her marriage to the former congressman, author, and vice presidential candidate for the People's Party. She talks about her early childhood, in particular, her emigration to the United States from Norway. Ms. Woltman also speaks about her job as secretary for Mr. Donnelly at the Representative before they were married. Ms. Woltman reflects on her late husband's reading and eating habits and discusses the circumstances surrounding his death in 1901.

Indiana Politics, 1969, 1976, 1978

3 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc064
The interviews in this project discuss Indiana politics from the nineteen thirties to the nineteen seventies. Presidential elections and Republican conventions are topics of major importance. Also included, however, are discussions about House committees and legislative bills as well as a description of important agricultural events during the time period.

History: Calumet, Michigan, 1971

9 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc051
This project deals with the changes and conditions Calumet, Michigan has undergone since its origins as a copper mining company town. The interviewees discuss the ethnic diversity of the town, effects of the 1913 mining strike, effects of the Great Depression, and local community life.

History of Business, 1971

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc046
The history of business can be studied from a variety of angles. These approaches are discussed by the interviewee in terms of business methodology. Different areas of historical study interconnected with that of business are also explored. Books and authors demonstrating the points are shared and problems with the study of new history are also examined.

History: Kinsey Institute for Sex Research, 1971-1972

27 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc055
The collection of interviews in this project reflects James Jones' study of the Kinsey Institute's evolution and reception at Indiana University. He interviews a variety of individuals associated with the Institute by having worked there or having been a member of a foundation that funded Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey's efforts. The interviewees discuss Dr. Kinsey's dedication to his work, his move from studying gall wasps to human sexual behavior, his effectiveness as an interviewer and lecturer, and his personal commitment to the Institute. There is also mention of Dr. Kinsey's influence on science and the Institute's problems with funding. James Jones eventually published a biography of Dr. Kinsey in 1997. It is entitled Alfred C. Kinsey: A Public/Private Life and it is published by W.W. Norton and Company.

William E. Jenner and Indiana Politics, 1971-1974

18 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc103
This collection of interviews primarily delves into the Republican view of Indiana politics from the nineteen twenties to the early nineteen sixties. Major emphasis is placed on both state and national elections and conventions from 1940-1948. The project contains discussions of political campaigns (including finances), the patronage system, and legislation battles. The interviews also reflect on William Jenner by describing his character, beliefs, and influence on Republican politics in Indiana.

History of Indiana, 1971-1980

11 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc047
The interviews in this project deal with the history of Indiana, from specific counties, organizations, and institutions to individual residents' memories and experiences. Some of the topics covered include state prisons, education in Indiana, the Lutheran Church in Indiana, and the history of several towns and counties in the state.

Committee for Environmental Information, 1972-1973

4 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc029
The four interviews in the project discuss the creation of the Committee for Environmental Information. The interviewees talk about how they became involved in the group and the politics that they had to deal with along the way. Also discussed are the political and military situations of the time.

Biography: Melvyn Douglas, 1972-1980

35 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc021
The interviews contained in this project revolve around the life of Melvyn Douglas and include information about his biographical history, his family, his theatrical, motion picture, and television acting career, and his efforts during World War II. The interviewees include fellow actors and actresses, the man himself, former employees, and others who came into contact with Melvyn Douglas throughout his life.

Biography: Helen Gahagan Douglas, 1973-1983

22 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc014
In this project, the life and political career of Helen Gahagan Douglas are detailed in the context of her Hollywood connections and California home. Although Douglas briefly enjoyed opera and acting careers, the majority of the interviews focus on her political activities. A Democrat, she served as a representative from California in the United States House of Representatives from 1944 to 1950, before being defeated by Richard Nixon in her bid for congressional senator. In addition, Douglas' personal life and characteristics are important topics in many of the interviews.

Social History of Spencer, Indiana, 1974-1976

55 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc092
This project interviews people living in Spencer, Indiana. The interviewees include a variety of ages and the time period of their experiences span the 1910s-1970s. The interviews include discussion of small town life and changes throughout the past sixty years. The education system, religious beliefs, and economic conditions of the town and surrounding county are discussed. Many interviewees discuss the Great Depression and its effect on the business owners and farmers of the area. Changing moral standards and generational differences are themes throughout the project.

Personal Experiences in World War I, 1974-1980

9 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc085
This collection of interviews contains experiences remembered by World War I veterans nearly sixty years after the war. Topics range from transportation to Europe, training, and the quiet after the armistice to weapon description, recreational activities, and opinions about the French. In general, little detail is given about specific battles, but there are descriptions of being gassed, fired on, and seeing dead and wounded soldiers.

Media Perceptions of Contemporary Problems, 1975-1976

10 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc077
This collection of interviews focuses on ongoing social problems in the United States and the world, such as overpopulation, famine, and depletion of the Earth's resources. The interviewees are almost all former Indiana University professors in their seventies. All of the interviewees are asked to recall their teenage years and share their opinions about current teenagers. They also discuss their media habits in detail. For example, each interviewee is asked how many hours of television he or she watches daily and which programs are preferred. They are also asked about their reading habits and whether or not they listen to the radio. Interviewees are asked to judge the reliability of news programs on a variety of media. Finally, interviewees are asked to provide predictions for the future of society.

Socialism in Indiana in the 1920s, 1975-1976

3 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc094
This collection of interviews provides a perspective of the existence of political socialism in Marion and Elwood, Indiana during the early half of the twentieth century. The interviewees are either retired workers or the wives of workers, and they discuss their own personal involvement with labor unions and the Socialist Party. They also talk about mayoral elections of the 'teens and twenties in which there were Socialist candidates, such as Harry Oatis and John L. Lewis.

United States Foreign Relations During World War II, 1975-1978

4 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc098
This collection of interviews primarily covers U.S. foreign relations with Great Britain during World War II. While other countries, specifically the Soviet Union, are mentioned, most of the interviewees were in some way connected to Britain. Major topics include the openness in sharing information between the U.S. and Britain, Lend-Lease, and a discussion of various diplomats. Most interviewees complete their post-war history with a description of their duties in the locations they were later reassigned.

Social Work, 1976

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc093
This project consists of one interview with Dorinda Beck, a career social worker. Ms. Beck discusses her experiences as a social worker in Pennsylvania and Indiana. She describes her involvement with the Family Service Association of Monroe County as their social worker since the opening of the agency in 1963.

Writings of Bruce A. Rosenberg, 1976

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc004
Bruce A. Rosenberg talks about his writings, folklore theories, and folk legends. This project also includes discussion of his book Custer and the Epic Defeat.

Autobiography: Robert C. Wiles, 1976

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc011
This project consists of one interview with Robert C. Wiles, who discusses his life and experiences, especially with regard to the community in Bloomington, Indiana. He shares his memories of his military experiences prior to World War I, his educational experiences at Indiana University, and his work experiences at his family's drug store. In addition, he speaks of the character and quality of life in the first third of the twentieth century.

History: Pike County, Indiana, 1976

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc023
This project is about the history of Pike County, Indiana. The interviewee discusses migrations, customs in a coal town, community rivalry between the poor and rich, racism, the Ku Klux Klan, and family history.

Writing The Saga of Coe Ridge, 1976

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc013
William Lynwood Montell answers questions about the oral history methods he used in writing The Saga of Coe Ridge.

History: Stringtown, Indiana, 1976

16 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc059
This collection of interviews reflects on the Indianapolis, Indiana neighborhood, Stringtown. While a wide variety of ages is represented, most of the interviewees are older individuals. Pervasive throughout is the idea that Stringtown is a relatively stable, distinct neighborhood with well-defined boundaries. Some of the major topics include the increase of crime and vandalism, the increased delinquency of the children due, in part, to parental neglect, the decline of the community in terms of housing and business, and the lack of education and ambition among many of the residents. Also discussed is the closing of School 16, the familial ties within the community, and the role of church and politics in the neighborhood.

Louisville Tornado of 1974, 1976

17 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc075
Residents discuss their experiences in the 1974 tornado in Louisville, Kentucky.

Planned Parenthood Association, 1976-1977

3 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc088
This collection of interviews reflects efforts on the part of three women to expand Planned Parenthood in Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana. The interviewees are former directors and a treasurer of these associations. They provide insight into the development of the clinics, funding resources, and the expansion of services. They also shed light on the changes in societal attitudes toward contraception and family planning.

Claude Barnett and the Associated Negro Press, 1976-1977

8 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc028
These interviews consist primarily of interviewees discussing their relationships with Claude Barnett, their work at the Associated Negro Press, and Barnett's ongoing efforts at improving race relations. In addition, many interviewees comment on the difficulties they encountered while working for the Press and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

Development of Political Science in the Twentieth Century, 1976-1978

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc033
In the interview, Charles S. Hyneman discusses the evolution of the political science discipline in the twentieth century, curriculum development, and Indiana state politics. Also discussed are Hyneman's careers in the academic field and the United States War Department, and his tenure as president of the American Political Science Association.

Economic History of Indiana in the Twentieth Century, 1976-1980

164 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc041
This project contains information about local, state, national, and international economic enterprises, focusing mainly on businesses and industries located in and/or originating in the state of Indiana. Some of the industries discussed are the Indiana limestone industry, the local oil industry, coal mining, agriculture, railroads, the automobile industry, banking, insurance, steel production, and supermarkets. The local economic impact of industry and business on a community, unionization, and the workforces of each industry are also discussed.

Legal Profession in Indiana, 1976-1980

6 Interview Collection ID: ohrc113
This project contains interviews with attorneys in Indiana. Among the topics discussed are the Indiana Judiciary System, the Indiana General Assembly, the United States Legislature, the United States Supreme Court, the Monroe County judiciary system and Monroe County politics. All interviewees reflect upon the public's perception of the legal profession and how is has changed over the years.

Mental Health Care in Indiana, 1977

4 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc079
This project describes the growth and changes in mental health care in Indiana throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The interviewees discuss treatment methods such as chemical or group therapy. They describe the issue of funding at the state and national levels. They discuss patients' rights and the court rulings on them. Community mental health centers are also discussed.

Biography: Morris L. Ernst, 1977

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc022
Malcolm A. Hoffman discusses his relationship with Morris L. Ernst, best known for his defense in the censorship case against Ulysses by James Joyce.

History of New Harmony, Indiana, 1977

8 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc049
The interviews in this collection primarily address New Harmony in the early twentieth century. The interviewees discuss the Centennial celebration, 1913 Flood, Murphy lecture series, and the impact of religion in the community. Throughout the collection, knowledge is shared of the early Rappite and Owen communities, particularly in regards to changes in the community as they relate to the historic preservation movement.

Women's History, 1977-1980

6 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc106
Interviews include discussion of the Equal Rights Amendment, the women's movement, politics, civic affairs, and the Nineteenth Amendment. Most interviewees were born during the 1930s and discussed their involvement in Bloomington, Indiana from the 1940s-1970s.

National Forests in Indiana, 1977-1981

4 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc082
Interviewees discuss the history of forestry in Indiana. Acquisition of land, harvesting, and forest land management are discussed. Many of the interviewees worked in the Hoosier-Wayne National Forest, and they describe the history and growth of that forest.

Immigrant Groups in Indiana, 1978

15 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc060
This collection of interviews deals with different ethnic groups in Indiana between the 1910s and the 1970s. Most of the interviewees are first generation Americans born around the turn of the century. They share their life histories, discussing mainly the World War II era, what they lived through, what brought them to the United States, and how they adjusted to American life. They discuss their native cultures and traditions, as well as their involvement in American life.

Autobiography: Raymond Seifert, 1978

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc010
Raymond Seifert, born January 1, 1920 and died September 17, 1996, discusses his experiences in World War II. He also touches upon his opinions of war in general.

Autobiography: Edward O. Craft, 1978

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc005
Edward O. Craft, former senior legislative counsel to the House of Representatives, recounts his early life, education, work in Washington, DC, and his retirement into private practice as a partner in the law firm of Wickham, Craft & Cihlar.

Blacksmithing, 1978

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc025
In this project, the interviewee speaks about blacksmithing, welding, and the production of bells.

Autobiography: John M. Cooper, 1978

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc008
John M. Cooper, a professor of physical education at Indiana University, discusses his life-long love of basketball, its history, its development over the years, and his time as a player and coach of the sport. He also talks about his current interests in kinesiology and biomechanics.

History: Modern Theater, 1978-1979

5 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc056
This project presents the perceptions of modern theater by five different people involved in the performance arts. Some of the topics touched upon include the differences between the three media of stage, television, and film, beginning experiences in the field of theater, and career paths and goals of the individual. The theory and philosophy of acting, directing and producing is also discussed.

Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr., 1979

2 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc020
This collection of interviews offers some insight into Dr. Martin Luther King's character and strength as a leader. It also provides some information about the role of adult education in the Civil Rights Movement and how that facilitated social change.

Autobiography: Ernest D. Butler, 1979

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc006
Ernest D. Butler discusses his career and his involvement in the civil rights movement in Indiana.

Autobiography: Hobert Billingsley, 1980

1 Interview Collection ID: ohrc007
Hobert Billingsley shares his life experiences. He discusses his childhood, education, and work experiences. He discusses his passion for diving and recalls those people and places which have made an impact on his life.

History of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 1980

4 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc050
This project consists of interviews with four members of the Benedictine order who lived and worked at Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Some major topics of discussion include religious training and education, daily monastic life, the business ventures of the abbey, and the history of the abbey. In addition, the interviewees discuss the vows and roles of priests and monks, as well as the abbey's relationship with the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.

Hamburg University Nursing Home Study, 1981

8 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc083
The Hamburg University Nursing Home Study consists of a number of interviews of both staff and patients at the Bloomington Convalescent Center (BCC). The interviewees discuss perceptions of nursing home life, differences between living outside and inside such a facility, and the state of the elderly in America today. The interviews center around topics such as patient reminiscences of earlier life and family.

Early 20th Century Pennsylvania Coal Mining, 1981

5 Interviews Collection ID: ohrc123
This collection contains 5 interviews with 7 people conducted by John Bodnar in 1981 for the Pennsylvania State Archives oral history project "Nanticoke Women Oral History Project." The people being interviewed were born in the late 19th and early 20th century and lived in the mining towns of Nanticoke and Plymouth, Pennsylvania. These towns were involved with the coal mining unions and strikes of the 1920's and 1930's. Some of interviewees worked in the mines while others had other occupations. Of the 7 people interviewed, 6 are of Polish descent with either their parent(s) or grandparent(s) immigrating to the U.S., while the other person was born in Italy and moved to the United States at the age of 15. Among the topics brought up, there is a lot of emphasis on the strikes that went on in the 1920's and 1930's involving the United Mine Workers and the union that broke off from them, the United Anthracite Miners. Many key figures from this time are discussed including John L. Lewis, Thomas Maloney, John Fine, Judge W. A. Valentine, and Rinaldo Capellini. The interviewees discuss the impact that the strikes and politics of the coal mines had on their jobs and towns. They speak of the violence that occurred at the time including dynamite attacks, fighting during the strikes, and the assassination of Thomas Maloney, who was a president of the United Anthracite Miners.