Collections

The interviews in this project are centered around the experiences of Koreans who immigrated to the United States and settled in Indiana. Many of the interviewees comment on conditions in Korea, the reasons they decided to leave that country, and the opportunities they found in the United States. In addition, several interviewees speak of the cultural differences they have discovered, and of the development of Korean American communities.

This project consists of 27 interviews on the participation of girls in athletics from the nineteen twenties through the nineteen eighties. Organizations such as the Indiana High School Athletic Organization are discussed with regard to female participation in sports. The project also explores sex roles and girls' high school sports in local communities.

This project discusses the history of philanthropy and fundraising as a profession. The interviewees, all workers of different generations, discuss the various issues and changes the field of fundraising has faced over the years, with a major focus on fundraising in America. The changing public image of philanthropy, the introduction of women into the field, and the skills and techniques needed within the profession are all discussed in depth throughout the interviews. The major differences between various types of fundraising are also discussed.

This collection of interviews presents the life histories and impressions of a variety of residents from or near Paoli, Indiana. The interviewees range in age from early twenties to senior citizens and represent diverse professions, educational levels, and interests. This collection highlights some of the major changes in Orange County over the twentieth century and provides insight into the rich community life experienced by its residents.

The project deals with the beginning, the building, and the growth of the Indiana University (IU) Folklore Institute into an internationally recognized program. The interviewees are mostly students and/or faculty of the folklore program from the 1940s to the 1980s. They discuss those who most influenced and impacted the institute, namely Stith Thompson and Richard M. Dorson. They share their memories and experiences of the time they spent, or continue to spend, in the IU Folklore Institute.

The interviews in this collection concern life in Starke County, Indiana, primarily in the early part of the twentieth century. Dairy and pickle farming, along with their associated industries, are the major topics of discussion, but also described are schools, politics, ethnic communities, other types of farming, and community changes.

Interviewees discuss the Black community of Bloomington, Indiana. They also talk about the West Side Community Center as an important gathering place for the community.

In this project, educators from Indiana state Christian schools reveal their beliefs about how modern public schools fail to impart the moral education and values that they feel are a requisite part of education. Many interviewees comment on the morally inadequate, corrupt, and even threatening environment that public schools represent to Christian (and other) students. The Christian teachers also elaborate on the teaching methods and programs used to teach students in their schools, as well as the state regulations the Christian schools must adhere to in order to remain open.

These interviews trace the life histories of five blues musicians in Indianapolis, Indiana. The interviewees discuss their experiences, their knowledge of blues and jazz, and their musical contemporaries. In addition, several comment on the segregation and racism that characterized life in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

This project consists of fifteen interviews with former professors of Indiana University. Each interviewee discusses his or her childhood, education, career progression, time at Indiana University, and thoughts on retirement. In addition, most professors comment on the tension, rivalry, friendship, strength, and upward mobility within their respective university departments. The Great Depression and World War II are also widely discussed with regard to the impact they had on the interviewees' careers. The results of this project were published in a book, Academic Memories: Retired Faculty Members Recall the Past at Indiana University, by Hanna Griff, Mary Deane Sorcinelli, and Joan Zirker.