| Creator: | Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory |
| Title: | Indiana Labor History Project |
| Collection No.: | ohrc062 |
| Dates: | 1996 |
| Quantity: |
Quantity: 21 Interviews (Audio files, transcripts, and collateral materials ) |
| Abstract: | This project discusses labor in Indiana. The main topics include the labor movement in Indiana, women and work, coal mining, and auto workers. The United Auto Workers, United Mine Workers of America, and other labor unions are discussed. The interviewees discuss participation in labor strikes and the leadership in their unions. |
| Location: | Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030A. Contact ohrc@indiana.edu for more information. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office. |
| Language: | Materials are in English |
| Repository: | Center for Documentary Research and Practice Franklin Hall 0030B 601 E. Kirkwood Avenue Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Business Number: 812-855-2856 ohrc@indiana.edu URL: https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu/ |
This collection contains twenty-one interviews conducted over the course of two years. The interviews range from 45 to 142 minutes. All interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts and collateral materials.
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier (pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript (deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview. Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University, Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
No(s): 96-077
Physical Description: 37 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Elsie Bell discusses her family and work experience. She describes her participation in a factory strike at Potter and Brumfield. She discusses hiring practices and the union within the factory. Bell also discusses economic development and the church within her community.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-080
Physical Description: Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 49 minutes
Scope and Content Note: Richard Brumfield, a mechanical engineer, discusses his early life and education. He discusses his work experiences as one of the founders of the Potter and Brumfield Company and shares the history of the company. He discusses the stoker business, the Great Depression, and World War II. He also describes the other companies in Princeton, Indiana, and unionization in the area as well as community changes.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-061
Physical Description: 38 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Rebecca Dunlap is the secretary to the president of United Auto Workers (UAW), Local 292 in Kokomo, Indiana. She speaks about the union she works for as well as the union she is a member of, the Office and Professional Employees International Union. She also relates some of her early memories such as the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-073
Physical Description: 18 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Hershell Fagg grew up in Terre Haute and started to operate heavy equipment early in life. He speaks about work in the mines, World War II, and the Great Depression.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-067
Physical Description: 35 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Lucian and Jane Guptono grew up on tobacco farms in Kentucky. Just after they were married Lucian, and eventually the rest of the family, moved to Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Gupton speaks about learning to become a welder, joining the United Auto Workers (UAW), and working for several automotive companies. Jane and their daughter finally moved back to manage the farm while Lucian worked in Michigan and traveled back for visits. In 1960, they moved to Kokomo, where they stayed until he retired. They both discuss the importance of the union in their lives and speak about the future of labor.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-068
Physical Description: 45 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 100 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Kenneth Hill entered the union at the Chrysler plant in 1966, just after he graduated from high school, and except for two years in Vietnam, he has been there since. He got more involved in the union after the Energy Crisis, eventually becoming the president of United Auto Workers, Local 685. He speaks about his motivations for becoming active in the union and discusses the collective bargaining process that led to a new plant and more jobs in Kokomo. He also talks about the benefits of unions in general and how they have played an important role in the country.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-074
Physical Description: 25 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 85 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Wilbert Killion, born December 17, 1921, describes his long involvement with the United Mine Workers of America International Union. He discusses how he became involved with the union and his career as an elected official on the executive board. He discusses successful leaders in the United Mine Workers of America. Killion also shares memories about his childhood, family life, and his life as a young adult.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-069
Physical Description: 39 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Mike Milligan, born 1951, has worked at Chrysler in Kokomo, Indiana, since the early 1970s. He speaks about some of his early job duties, disagreements with supervisors, and the energy crisis that eventually led to the Chrysler bail-out. He became involved in the union and was finally elected president of Local 1166. In that capacity, he discusses broader issues such as job security and wages as well as describing some of his daily duties dealing with union members.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-079
Physical Description: 28 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Jesse Minks discusses his marriages and his career as a coal miner. He explains the importance of the union for safety and pay for the miners. He also discusses the politics of Sullivan, Indiana, and his union involvement. He concludes by describing the economic decline in Sullivan and its causes, including the Clean Air Act.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-075
Physical Description: 14 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Mary Minks discusses her childhood during the Great Depression and her marriage. She describes her husband and her father being miners and their dedicated involvement with the United Mine Workers of America.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-078
Physical Description: 42 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Robert Powers, born March 24, 1928, discusses his work experience at International Harvester and Potter and Brumfield. He describes union organization and the strikes he witnessed and participated in. He also comments on strike violence. He shares his feelings about women working and also discusses the state of Medicare.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-066
Physical Description: 52 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Elaine Rankert grew up immersed in the labor movement. Her father believed strongly in unions, so it was natural for her as well. She speaks about her job at Delco in the early seventies and the differentiation between women's work and men's work. Her husband worked at Chrysler, a union plant, so even after she quit Delco she had sympathy for labor. She discusses dealing with layoffs, strikes, and the benefits of the union that she believes should be taught in schools.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-060
Physical Description: 41 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 100 minutes; index; union flyers
Scope and Content Note: Coy Riley is the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Local 292 in Kokomo, Indiana. He speaks about his early life and jobs before getting hired as a pipe fitter at Delco Electronics. After working in several union positions, he became president, and he discusses some of his duties, how they have changed, and the overall concern for employment in the area.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-072
Physical Description: 26 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 45 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: "Bud" Rock grew up in Gibson and Pike Counties. He speaks briefly about his World War II experiences, and the difficulty he had getting a job after the war. He worked several jobs from a brewery to truck driving and finally worked and retired from the coal mines. He speaks about the benefits of the union and his pension, and gives his opinion on national and community changes during his lifetime.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-065
Physical Description: 50 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: William Sevier, born 1923, grew up around the coal mines in Sullivan and Gibson Counties. He first worked in coal mines about 1940 and quit in 1945. He speaks about his father helping to organize the mines, a violent altercation at the Dixie Bee Mine, and his first job helping to salvage equipment from a previous mine explosion. Sevier eventually worked for the King's Mine as a trip rider, and he describes his duties, the conditions, wartime production and strikes, and his eventual career-ending injury. After he ceased to be a coal miner, he finally ended up working for the State of Indiana Weights and Measures Division where he retired in 1989.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-062
Physical Description: 54 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index; union document copies
Scope and Content Note: Peggy Stephenson grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, and speaks about her family history and childhood experiences. She worked several jobs out of high school until she got hired at Delco Electronics. She talks about joining the union, performing various tasks, and a few labor incidents, such as the 1970 strike at Delco, and her battle to get union representation when she worked in the warehouse section.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-070
Physical Description: 35 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Charles Stillwell, born 1915, grew up in southwestern Indiana. He speaks about some of the jobs he worked, such as truck driving and working in the shipyards during World War II, before he was hired into the coal mines after the war. He discusses his duties at the mine as well as the safety and working conditions, and the effects of the union on these conditions. He retired in 1981 and receives a pension for thirty-four years of service.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-063
Physical Description: 33 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Carl Stone worked in the coal mines of southeastern Indiana for forty-five years. He speaks about working in the mines during the Great Depression, World War II, and just after. He describes some of his job titles and duties, such as gob picker or welder, and speaks about the UMWA and labor strikes during his years as a union member.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-064
Physical Description: 101 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 142 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Ralph Williams, born 1925, speaks about growing up during the Great Depression, his father's work in the coal mines, and some of his jobs before he was drafted during World War II. He ended up in an artillery unit in the Pacific theater, which Williams talks about extensively. After the war, he went home and got a job in the King's Mine where he was severely injured not long after he got on full-time. He describes how his accident happened and how his family dealt with his disability.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-076
Physical Description: 34 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Elsie Willlis discusses her early work experiences and her career at Potter and Brumfield. She discusses working conditions, the unions, and striking. Willis also shares her feelings about her life in Somerville, the loss of community and the economy in the area.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open
No(s): 96-071
Physical Description: 26 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes; index
Scope and Content Note: Kenneth Willis, born 1929, speaks about his education and early jobs from working in a filling station to a meat packing facility. He spent about ten years at Chrysler in Evansville before it moved. At that time, he began working in the mines, and he describes the various positions he held, the effects of mechanization, and the working conditions. He also discusses the benefits of unions and his thoughts about the direction of the country.
Indexed Terms:
Access Status: Open