Collections

This project centers around interviews with professional and/or personal acquaintances of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom. Every interview explores a unique relationship with the Ostroms and the continuing impact of the Ostrom Workshop at Indiana University. Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom founded the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis in 1973.The Ostrom Workshop has been the catalyst for worldwide collaboration in the field of public policy and environmental issues. "Coming Together" is an interdisciplinary exploration of the legacy and impact of Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom. Major topics include; academia, "the commons", cross-disciplinary collaboration, Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize, the Ostrom Workshop, political science, political theory, and the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop (WOW) conference. The project was created to assist in the dissertation research of Sara Catherine Clark, who was a doctoral candidate within the School of Education, pursing a Ph.D. in History, Philosophy, and Policy in Education, at Indiana University Bloomington. Sara Catherine Clark's dissertation was completed in 2019 and is cited as follows: Clark, S. C. (2019). Elinor ostrom: A biography of interdisciplinary life.

"Bloomington Cares" Oral History Project was a class project used to study voluntary organizations that focus on historical and cultural activities in the Bloomington community.

Renowned folklorist Henry Glassie was interviewed by Barbara Truesdell on March 13, April 4, April 24, April 30, May 7, May 10, May 29, and June 6, 2007 concerning his influences, career, projects, publications, and views on folklore and history. Conducted for the National Council of Public History for their journal, Public Historian.

This collection of interviews examines the experiences of Japanese Americans in the Indianapolis area. The interviewees, many of whom were born in Japan prior to World War II, focus on what compelled them to move to Indiana and their impressions of a Japanese American community. In particular, the interviewees detail the work of political and social organizations like the Japan America Society and Japanese American Citizens League. These groups' activities combined the fostering of traditional Japanese cultural forms like art, language, and dancing in the United States with political work like the Redress Movement to confront the experience of internment for many Japanese Americans during World War II.

This collection of interviews presents a sampling of life in Burma over the last quarter of the 20th century and into the 21st century. The interviewees, who are all now living in the United States, share their experiences of growing up in a time of transition and political upheaval within their home country. Many of them were involved with the 1988 demonstrations that took place in Rangoon and nearby villages. Almost all spent some time living in fear of arrest, surviving in refugee camps, and hoping for better opportunity. They express varying opinions of their hope for a future democratic Burma and express their appreciation for the lives they have now. This project was co-directed by Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.

The project deals with Latino immigrants, most of whom are from Mexico and have settled in and around Indianapolis, Indiana. The interviewees discuss immigrating, transitioning into life in the United States, the important role religion--Catholicism in particular--plays in their lives, and the active role they take in their communities. Most of the transcribed interviews are in Spanish.

In this project, four former professionals in the roller skating business recount their experiences as well as their hopes for the future of roller skating. All four men discuss the relationship beteen skating and music. In particular, these men seem to be nostalgic for organ music and the disco era. They also discuss different inventions that revolutionized the skating business, such as floor waxes and in line skates.

In this project, James P. White, the American Bar Association consultant on legal education, discusses the history, changes, goals, conflicts, and mission of that institution. He describes his involvement in legal education activities and the occasionally rocky relations between the association and the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. Law schools, legal specialization, and the commercialization of the legal profession are also major topics within this interview.

In the Tuba-Euphonium Oral History Project, seven tuba musicians were interviewed about their early training and subsequent careers in the music industry. Each man--Robert Rusk, Jerry Lackey, L.B. Oliver, Ivan F. Hammond, Kenneth Schubert, Samuel Gnagey, and Paul Krzywicki discussed instrument design and different methods of teaching about and playing the tuba. All five of these men studied at Indiana University and went on to play in other venues. They talk about their experiences with William J. "Bill" Bell at Indiana University as well as Bell's methods of teaching at the school.

This project, sponsored by a CLIO grant from the Indiana Historical Society, consists of interviews with Indian Americans living in Indiana. The interviewees, the majority of whom were born in India and immigrated to the United States, discuss a variety of topics including: Indian foodways, Indian traditions, Indian national politics, education, career choice, family history, parenting philosophy, reasons for coming to the United States, reasons for remaining in the United States, citizenship and naturalization, marriage and dating customs. media coverage of India, and differences between Indian and American cultures. This project was co-directed by Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.

The Indian American Community in Fort Wayne interviews focus on those Indian persons who have either permanently or temporarily made Fort Wayne, Indiana their home. These people have moved to Fort Wayne mostly for job-related purposes but have stayed on for other reasons: the excellent education system, the nice environment, and friendly community. The interviewees, some of whom were born here or have spent most of their lives here, share a common respect for Indian religious and social customs, diet, and language. These interviews thus provide keen insight into the ways Indian Americans shape their lives in the American context and how they combine Indian and American culture. This project was co-directed by Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.

This project consists of Indian American views of all aspects of life in the United States and India. Most interviewed in this project were born in India and came to America in search of better education, or because their spouse came for more educational and business oppurtunities. They discuss their reasons for immigrating to the United States, and their reasons for remaining to raise their children. They talk about the ways they practice Indian traditions and values in an American context and the importance of the larger Indian American community in their lives. They also discuss advantages and disadvantages of living in America, and what they miss or don't miss about their homeland of India. Other topics discussed are educational background, work history, religion and religious practice, and raising children. This project was co-directed by Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.

These interviews were conducted in order to reconstruct the history of the Stones River National Battlefield and the surrounding Murfreesboro area.

Indian American Communities in Indiana provides a sampling of Indian American voices, most of whom were born in India and now reside in the United States. Among the topics discussed are maintaining Indian cultural values in an American context, religious beliefs and practices, imparting Indian traditions and values to children born to Indian parents but are growing up in the United States, differences between Indian born and American born Indian Americans, educational and career choices, politics of India and America, current events, Indian community associations, and cultural differences between India and America. his project was co-directed by Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.

This project consists of Southern Indiana inhabitants discussing their life histories and their affiliation with area churches. Many of the interviewees discuss growing up on a farm and community cooperation during butchering and threshing seasons. Throughout these interviews they discuss church history, church picnics, and the church community. They also talk about the merger of the Congregational, Reformed and Evangelical churches into the United Church of Christ. The interviewees discuss the changes this had on the church ceremonies and activities. Two of the interviewees attend the Catholic Churches in the area and they discuss traditions and changes that they have seen in the Catholic Church since Vatican II and throughout their lifetimes.

The project, Dubois County: A Home for God's People, consists of interviews of residents, most of whom could trace their ancestry back to the original German settlement of the area. The interviewees shared their German heritage and discussed the almost clan-like German Catholic communities, and how they grew and changed over the years since there first establishment. The Catholic church was discussed as a central point of the communities, as was the German language and its various dialects and farming as a way of life.

This project contains information about the movie theater industry in Bloomington, Indiana in the 1930s to present. Interviewees discuss their remembraences of movie theaters: the movies they saw, the people they worked with, the fires that periodically destroyed the theaters, and their interior decoration. Interviewees also talk about the theater business today and how it has changed over the years.

Ruth Rives discusses her life history growing up in Germany during the World War II era. She speaks of her family and living environment, and the confusion, fear, and hardships she faced. She speaks of the experiences of her young adult life nursing, doing missionary work in Iran, and immigrating to the United States. She talks about her life as it unfolded in America and her return trips to Germany.

This collection of interviews gathers information about economic development from some key locations in southwestern Indiana, Indianapolis, and northwestern Indiana, among others. Topics include environmental issues, Brownfield redevelopment, tax incentives, and labor unions. Many issues are the same from one region to another, but some regions, such as northwestern Indiana, emphasize environmental or Brownfield redevelopment over unions or workforce training.

This collection of interviews deals with life in Hoosier communities in southern Indiana, primarily during the mid-twentieth century. Emphasis is placed on the use of the German language, German culture, and religion, and how they have molded the community.