Collections : [Center for Documentary Research and Practice]

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.

Residents discuss their experiences in the 1974 tornado in Louisville, Kentucky.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.