U. Grant Miller Library has recruited nine canine...
Old Guard Oral History Project Announced
A new oral history project at the Learned T. Bulman ’48 Historic Archives & Museum will kick off this Homecoming weekend. The Old Guard Oral History Project will focus on alumni who graduated in 1962 or earlier. Of particular interest are stories of everyday life on campus, memories of professors, and reminiscences of the local social life to help future researchers understand Washington & Jefferson College as an institution, as well as understand what was important to students throughout its history.
“We want alumni to tell us their personal stories about life at W&J,” said Amy Welch, College Archivist & Outreach Librarian. “Facts and figures already preserved in the Archives can only tell us so much – it’s the first-hand experiences that help us complete the picture.”
This new project will add to the interviews the Archives collects for the Veterans’ History Project, a national initiative to preserve stories from veterans of all branches of the military. As of August 2012, more than 20 alumni veterans have been interviewed by the Archives. Those interviews are kept at the W&J Archives, as well as at the Library of Congress. A selection of W&J’s veterans’ interviews can be viewed online at http://vimeo.com/wjclibrary.
Stories from the Old Guard Oral History Project will be preserved at the Bulman Historic Archives and will be made available to future researchers. While the project doesn’t officially start until Homecoming, members of the Class of 1952 can beat the rush by scheduling interviews the weekend of September 7-8. Interviews for all other classes will begin at Homecoming, and interested alumni can schedule an interview through the U. Grant Miller Library. Interviewees are encouraged to bring memorabilia, photos, or other items to help illustrate their stories.
If you would like to participate, please contact Jeffery Brunner at the U. Grant Miller Library (724-223-6539 or jbrunner@washjeff.edu) for an appointment or more information.
