Collections by Subject: Oral History
A Selected List of Holdings in Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries
For more information about how to access materials in this guide, please visit the Maryland Room web page or fill out an information request.
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Baltimore Federation of Labor archives, 1918-1969. 0.25 linear feet.
Location: State of Maryland and Historical Collections
This collection contains two interviews that were conducted in 1966 to be part of a planned Labor Archives at the University of Maryland. The subjects are both long-time union members living in Baltimore. Transcripts and aural tape are both included in the collection.
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Brooke Family papers, 1750-1980. 13.00 linear feet.
Location: State of Maryland and Historical Collections
Richard Farquhar, the Brooke Family Papers' donor, recorded an oral history in 1977. He discussed his family's history and the history of Sandy Spring, Maryland, in addition to his experiences as postmaster of Ashton, Maryland. The other oral history transcript documents the reminiscences of Richard's brother, Roger Brooke Farquhar III, about similar topics, including his career as a journalist and editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel.
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Greenbelt Oral History Project Collection, 1980-1987. 2.00 linear feet.
Location: State of Maryland and Historical Collections
The Greenbelt Oral History Collection was produced in 1988 for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the city of Greenbelt, Prince George's County, Maryland. The collection consists of transcripts and tapes of these interviews. Access to some of the interviews is restricted pending release by the interviewee. The collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.
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Burt Harrison Papers, 1977-1982. 5.00 linear feet including 65 audiocassettes.
Location: Mass Media and Culture
Burt Harrison spent most of his broadcasting career in the state of Washington. He was station manager of KWSU, Washington State University at Pullman's radio station from 1959 to 1976. During this time he served on the boards of National Association Educational Broadcasters (NAEB), National Educational Radio (NER), and the Association of Public Radio Stations. In addition, Harrison lobbied for the inclusion of radio in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. In 1977, he received the first Edward R. Murrow Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. After retirement, Harrison and his wife, Dee, taped 42 oral history interviews for the Public Radio Oral History Project funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The collection consists of audio cassettes, verbatim and final transcripts of interviews for the Public Radio Oral History Project. The interviewees discuss their roles and memories of public radio.
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Charles Hosmer papers, 1855-1991. 30.00 linear feet.
Location: State of Maryland and Historical Collections
Charles Hosmer was a major figure in the historic preservation movement and completed numerous oral history interviews in preparation for his works Presence of the Past and Preservation Comes of Age and as part of a project for the Eastern National Parks and Monuments Association. These interviews, on cassette tapes, have been completely transcribed but there is no finding aid to the contents of the interviews. Access to some of the interviews is restricted.
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Anne G. Ingram papers, 1977. 0.75 linear feet.
Location: University of Maryland
Dr. Ingram was an associate professor of physical education at the University of Maryland at College Park who completed a series of interviews with female faculty and staff of the university in 1977. Her papers contain approximately ten transcripts and corresponding cassette tapes. These materials are not open for research at present.
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Martha J. Ross Papers, 1948-2010. 34.5 linear feet.
Location: University of Maryland
This collection contains materials relating to the personal and professional life of Martha J. Ross. Martha J. Ross was a leading oral historian as well as a professor of oral history. Born in Selma, Alabama she received her B.A. from the Alabama College for Women and went on to receive her M.A. in 20th Century American History from the University of Maryland. She taught at George Washington University from 1971-1972, and at the University of Maryland, College Park from 1972-1987. As a leader in the oral history field, Martha Ross was President of the Oral History Association (OHA) from 1984-1985. She was also a founding member and president of the Oral History Association of the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) from 1978-1979. Throughout her professional career Martha Ross provided oral history services to organizations such as the Washington Press Club Foundation, the National Park Service, National History Day, Society of American Archivists, Maryland Historical Society, and others. The collection provides information on the development of oral history as a form of primary source research as well as its use in cultural heritage preservation. The oral histories within the collection mainly focus on residents of Maryland and Prince Georges County while the professional literature about oral history in the collection originates from multiple local, regional, state, and national oral history organizations. The Martha J. Ross papers are comprised of oral history course materials, oral history transcripts and audio recordings, professional publications from oral history groups, and personal research materials.
University Archives Tape Collection
This grouping of interviews is largely undescribed, except for a listing of the individuals interviewed. Most of the interviewees appear to have been students, faculty, or staff at the University of Maryland, College Park. There are no transcripts or any other finding aids to the contents of the interviews, which are on reel-to-reel tape. A very high percentage of these oral histories are not open for research.
University Archives Oral History Transcripts Collection
This grouping consists solely of transcripts. Many of the interviews are University of Maryland, College Park-related and a listing of the interviewees is available. The access status of these items is unclear at present.
This grouping of interviews is largely undescribed, except for a listing of the individuals interviewed. Most of the interviewees appear to have been students, faculty, or staff at the University of Maryland, College Park. There are no transcripts or any other finding aids to the contents of the interviews, which are on reel-to-reel tape. A very high percentage of these oral histories are not open for research.
Maryland Manuscripts
The Maryland Manuscripts collection consists of a diverse array of materials, including letters, diaries, printed ephemera, and legal records. The twenty-nine oral histories in this grouping date from 1926 to 1981. Included are interviews with graduates of the Maryland Agricultural College and the University of Maryland and various other citizens of Maryland; many of the interviews focus on life here at the university. These interviews primarily exist in transcript form but in some cases corresponding reel-to-reel tapes do exist. There is no finding aid to the contents of these transcripts. They are completely open for research.