Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection
Abstract
The Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection is comprised of oral histories recorded in conjunction with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Greenbelt, Maryland, in 1987. The Greenbelt Oral History Project was a cooperative project between the faculty and staff of the University of Maryland, College Park and the Greenbelt Public Library. Oral histories were conducted by University of Maryland students who interviewed some of Greenbelt's original residents in the 1980s. The collection is comprised of transcripts and audio recordings of these oral histories as well as administrative information about the Greenbelt Oral History Project. Some interviews in the collection remain restricted.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
Yes, some files in this collection are restricted. Please contact the Archives and Manuscripts Department for more information.
Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
The Greenbelt Oral History Project was a cooperative project between faculty, staff, and students at the University of Maryland, College Park and the Greenbelt Public Library. The goal of the project was to collect oral histories from Greenbelt residents who had lived in the city at the time of its creation in 1937. Martha J. Ross, an oral historian and professor at the University of Maryland, managed the project while her students conducted the interviews of Greenbelt residents. Interviews were recorded on cassette tapes and later transcribed. The city of Greenbelt celebrated fifty years of community through a number of remembrance events, such as the Greenbelt Oral History Project.
Greenbelt, Maryland was a public cooperative community founded in 1937 as part of the New Deal under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This project included two other towns, Greendale, Wisconsin, and Greenhills, Ohio. The construction of the town created new jobs while also providing moderately priced housing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. At the time of its creation, potential residents had to meet stringent requirements to live in Greenbelt. Residents were selected based on race, occupation, income, and willingness to participate in community events such as fundraisers. The federal government retained ownership of the town until December 31, 1952, when the majority of the original homes were then purchased by a resident housing cooperative. Community members were encouraged to participate and utilize cooperatives such as the Greenbelt Consumers Coop grocery store and the Greenbelt News Review. In 1963, the social engineering aspect of the town was eliminated and there are currently no requirements to become a resident of Greenbelt.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection contains materials created between 1980 and 1987. The interviews conducted for the Greenbelt Oral History Project cover fifty years of the city's history from 1937 to 1987. The collection consists of oral history transcripts, audio recordings, correspondence, and administrative materials related to the city's fiftieth anniversary celebration. These materials include the oral histories completed as part of the Greenbelt Oral History Project as well as a record of the collaborative effort between faculty and staff of the University of Maryland, College Park and the Greenbelt Public Library.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
The Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection was donated to the University of Maryland Libraries by James K. Giese, City Manager of Greenbelt, Maryland on December 17, 1987.
Processing Information
Processed by Kerry Schork, April 2011.
Materials in this collection were not in any discernable order when they were received. All transcripts were placed in acid-free folders. In addition, staples and metal fasteners were removed. Some interview transcripts and audio recordings, originally donated as with the Martha J. Ross Papers were transferred to the Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection, as they had been produced for the Greenbelt Oral History Project. Separation sheets have been included in the files to identify transferred materials. For interviews for which there are both audio recordings and transcripts, the two formats were separated. Materials were arranged by format and access level. They were then assigned in three series: administrative files, oral history transcripts, and oral history recordings. Cross references between transcripts and recordings have been noted in parentheses in the folder titles. Interviews without signed release agreements from both the interviewee and the interviewer remain restricted, but are listed in the finding aid. Restricted transcripts and audio recordings were placed in separate boxes from materials that are open for research. Those interviews published in Greenbelt's 50th Years Commemorative Program were assumed to be open to the public.
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Kerry Schork.
Arrangement of Collection
This collection has been arranged as three series.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Administrative Files, 1980-1987 (0.25 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence and materials documenting planning activities ofthe Greenbelt Oral History Project. It also includes the 50th Year Commemorative Program produced by the city of Greenbelt which published both excerpts and full transcriptions of interviews with original residents of Greenbelt. Arrangement is chronological.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbelt Oral History, 1980 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| 50th Year Commemorative Program, 1987 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
Series 2: Oral History Transcripts, 1980-1986 and undated (0.75 linear feet)
This series is comprised of transcripts of the oral history interviews conducted for the Greenbelt Oral History Project. Transcripts of interviews are arranged alphabetically by last name of each interviewee. Folder titles also include the names of the interviewers and indicate if there are corresponding audio recordings in series 3. Restricted interviews are arranged in the same manner, but are listed separately at the end of the Series.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcus, Evelyn Interviewed by Sister Mary Reilly (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Barkus, J. Walsh Interviewed by Joseph P. Duboyce (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Brautigam, Bernice Interviewed by Mary Poscover (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Brautigam, Henry Interviewed by Mark A. Vargas (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Burchik, Mike Interviewed by Jim Matlock (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Burton, Eunice Interviewed by Beth Gimpel (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| East, Dorothy Interviewed by Catherine Crawford (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| East, Sherrod Interviewed by Thomas M. Saunders (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| England, Mary Clare Bonham Interviewed by Phyllis Smock (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Eshbough, George Interviewed by Valerie Anderson (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Halley, Edward and Annie Interviewed by Phyllis Smock and Cindy Norwood (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| McCarl, Clayton S. Interviewed by Pricia Burk Paulkovich (tape available), 1986 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Roberts, Wayne A. Interviewed by J. Todd Ellison (tape available), 1985 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| Bickerton, Phyllis Interviewed by Lisa Mix (tape available), 1985 [Restricted] | series 2 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Comproni, Joseph Interviewed by Margo Kranz (tape available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 2 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Goldfaden, Ben Interviewed by Steven Schlein (tape available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 2 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Rosenzweig, Benjamin Interviewed by Katharyn D. Phillips (tape available), undated [Restricted] | series 2 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
Series 3: Oral History Recordings, 1980-1986 (1.00 linear foot)
This series includes recordings of the oral history interviews conducted for the Greenbelt Oral History Project. Recordings are on cassette tapes and/or CD-ROM. They are arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of each interviewee. Folder titles indicate whether or not interviews have corresponding transcripts, located in Series 2. Restricted interviews are arranged in the same manner, but are listed separately at the end of the series.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcus, Evelyn (transcript available), 1986 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Barkus, J. Walsh (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Bowman, Bruce and Ruth (transcript available), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Bomburger, Hilda (tape only), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Brautigam, Bernice (transcript available), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Brautigam, Henry Session I (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Brautigam, Henry Session II (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Burchick, Mike (transcript available), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Burton, Eunice (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| East, Dorothy Session I (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| East, Dorothy Session II (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| East, Sherrod (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| East, Sherrod (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| England, Mary Clare Bonham (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 14 | |
| Halley, Annie and Edward (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 15 | |
| Harrington, Elizabeth (tape only), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 16 | |
| Harrington, Elizabeth (tape only), 1987 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 17 | |
| McCarl, Clayton S, D.D.S. Session I (transcript available), 1986 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 18 | |
| McCarl, Clayton S., D.D.S. Session II (transcript available), 1986 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 19 | |
| Roberts, Wayne Session I (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 20 | |
| Roberts, Wayne Session II (transcript available), 1985 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 21 | |
| Bickerton, Phyllis (transcript available), 1985 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Comproni, Joseph (transcript available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Comproni, Joseph (transcript available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Freeman, Tom (tape only), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Freeman, Tom (tape only), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| Goldfaden, Ben (transcript available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 6 | |
| Goldfaden, Ben (transcript available), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 7 | |
| Granahan, David (tape only), 1987 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 8 | |
| Granahan, Lolita (tape only), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 9 | |
| Madden, Anthony (tape only), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 10 | |
| McDonald, Charles (tape only), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 11 | |
| McDonald, Charles (tape only), 1980 [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 12 | |
| Ritchie, Eleanor (tape only), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 13 | |
| Ritchie, Eleanor (tape only), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 14 | |
| Rosenzweig, Benjamin (transcript available), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 15 | |
| Rosenzweig, Benjamin (transcript available), undated [Restricted] | series 3 | box 2 | folder 16 | |
Related Material
Martha J. Ross Papers, Historical Manuscripts Department, University of Maryland Libraries
Fischetti, Michael. "The Development of the City of Greenbelt, Maryland: Its Growth, Government, and Politics." M.A. Thesis, University of Maryland, 1967. University of Maryland Libraries, Maryland Thesis, LD3231.M70m Fischetti, M.
Skolnik, Alfred. City of Greenbelt 25th Anniversary. Greenbelt, MD: Greenbelt 1962. University of Maryland Libraries, Maryland Folio, F189.G7G68
Williamson, Mary Lou. Greenbelt: History of a New Town. Norfolk, VA: Donning Co. Publishers, 1987. University of Maryland Libraries, Maryland Folio F189.G7 W55
Greenbelt Public Library holds collections on the history of Greenbelt as well as copies of some of the oral history interviews from the Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection.
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.