Collections

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.

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.

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.

Mary Margaret H. Barr-Koon talks about her experience as a woman in academia and the issue of bilingualism in schools. She talks extensively about her travels around the world and the experiences she encountered acting as an interpreter. During the interview she talks about her relationship with her family and her husband's children.

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.

The Benns mss., 1914-1996, consists of the correspondence and papers of the F. Lee Benns family, and particularly of Kate Lee (Benns) Robinson Sturgeon, 1916-1997.

This collection of interviews focuses on the political career of John E. Hurt. The bulk of the collection consists of Mr. Hurt's interviews where he speaks about his role as a leading Democratic fundraiser and political advisor to several gubernatorial candidates and governors in Indiana from the late nineteen forties through the early nineteen sixties. The other interviews offer background and specifics about Hurt's political career and actions.

"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.

The Boxer mss., 1923-1999, consists of the book and article drafts, reviews, lecture notes, teaching materials, and biographical materials of colonial historian Charles Ralph Boxer, 1904-2000.

The Boxer mss. III, 1647-1999, consists of the correspondence, papers and memorabilia of historian Charles R. Boxer, 1904-2000.

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 Career in Librarianship project includes interviews with ten people employed in libraries or library education. Three of the interviewees were Deans of Indiana University's School of Library and Information Science, or SLIS. Others include a SLIS lecturer, a high school librarian, a college archivist, 2 public library directors, and a public library branch head. All of the interviewees worked in Indiana (except for one of the public library directors, who worked in Michigan). Collectively, the interviews consider the training that librarians receive, librarianship as a career, as well as changes in, and the future of, the profession. The interviews were conducted by students of the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science as a project for a class on the history of American libraries.

Charlotte A. Lowe, born September 7, 1867, in Indianapolis, Indiana, was the wife of William Lowe Bryan. The collection consists of personal papers, correspondence, and writings of Charlotte Lowe Bryan in four series: American Association of University Women, 1932-1933, consisting of loan fund reports for the Bloomington chapter; Addresses and presentations, 1929-1937, containing copies of speeches given both by and for Bryan; Correspondence, 1873-1937, containing correspondence both to and from Bryan; and Publications, 1933-1937, consisting of typescripts and galley sheets of articles written by Bryan.

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.

The Dorson mss., 1925-1981, consists of the papers of folklorist Richard Mercer Dorson, 1916-1981.

The project, Dubois County: German Americans, deals with an area in Indiana rich with German Heritage. The interviewees discuss the history of the area, their lives and lifestyles, and the importance of religion, usually German Catholicism. They also discuss German dialects still spoken in and around the county, as well as how the language has influenced their English speaking.

This collection of interviews delves into several areas of Dubois County history between the two world wars. The most spoken of topics are religion, church events, and the use of German in various locales within the community. Also discussed are Prohibition and the notoriety of the county's moonshine industry, the Great Depression, and education in one-room schoolhouses.

Interviewees discuss working at the Bloomington RCA plant from the 1940s until the plant's closing in 1978. They describe the unions, family life, immigration, Brown County farming, and work life.

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 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.