Oral Histories at JMU Special Collections
JMU Special Collections, part of JMU Libraries, works to gather, preserve, and share archival material related to the Central Shenandoah Valley, James Madison University, and beyond. Our collections include rare books, manuscripts, photos, oral histories, maps, and more relating to JMU and the Central Shenandoah Valley. Visit our website to learn more.
The materials described in this guide may be used in the JMU Special Collections Reading Room. Digital copies may be available upon request.
Helpful Links:
- African Americans in Harrisonburg Oral Histories, 1978-1979African Americans in Harrisonburg Oral Histories, 1978-1979, is comprised of audio recordings, transcripts, photographs and background research of interviews with black residents of Harrisonburg, conducted by students under the supervision of Inez L. Ramsey, Professor of Library Science and Secondary Education at James Madison University.
- Ang Buhay sa Nayon – Life in the Valley Oral History Project, 2007-2015Ang Buhay sa Nayon - Life in the Valley Oral History Project, 2014-2015, is comprised of video recordings, transcripts, photographs and a scrapbook documenting twenty-three oral history interviews from seventeen Filipino Americans from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
- Barbara Wright Oral Histories of Virginia and West Virginia Folkways, 1994-1996Barbara Wright Oral Histories of Virginia and West Virginia Folkways, 1994-1996, is comprised of 13 interviews with individuals who recall life in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia prior to the establishment of the Shenandoah National Park, as well as Wright's research materials regarding the CCC in Augusta County, photographs, and research notes on the town of Stokesville, Virginia.
- Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Immigrant Oral Histories, 2007Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Immigrant Oral Histories, 2007, is comprised of sound recordings of interviews of parishioners of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, regarding experiences of immigrating to the Central Shenandoah Valley. The interviews were conducted by James Madison University students in Dr. Laura Zarrugh's course, SOC395: Immigrants in American Society.
- Bluegrass Music in the Shenandoah Valley Oral History, 1991The Bluegrass Music in the Shenandoah Valley Oral History, 1991 is comprised of an audio recording and transcript associated with an interview conducted with JMU English professor, Cameron C. Nickels, who discusses bluegrass and country music in general, and his experiences as a bluegrass musician.
- Christopher B. Martin Oral History, ca. 1985Christopher B. Martin Oral Histories, ca. 1985, is comprised of transcripts of oral history interviews with F. Everette Smith, president of the local Farm Bureau Association, and Eugene Souder, pastor, concerning the coming of the Coors Beer Company to the county.
- Church of the Good Shepherd Oral History Collection, 1992Church of the Good Shepherd Oral Histories, 1992 is comprised of a background paper, audio recording, transcript, and ephemera, associated with an interview conducted with individuals discussing the history of the Church of the Good Shepherd, in Folly Mills, Virginia.
- Comparison of Private Versus Public Education in Rockingham County, Virginia Oral Histories, 1992The Comparison of Private versus Public Education in Rockingham County, Virginia, Oral Histories, 1992 is comprised of background paper, audio recordings and transcripts, associated with two interviews with individuals discussing their experiences with education in the Shenandoah Valley, from the 1920s-1970s.
- Dining Services at JMU Oral Histories, 2004Dining Services at JMU Oral Histories, 2004, is comprised audio recordings, transcripts, and research notes related to seven interviews conducted by Danielle Torisky with individuals regarding their experiences with dining services at James Madison University.
- Drugs in the Valley: Fifty Years of Merck and Co. Oral Histories, 1941-1991Drugs in the Valley: Fifty Years of Merck and Co. Oral Histories, 1990, is comprised of audio interviews, transcripts, and a background paper, documenting the history of Merck Company from 1941-1990, particularly the Stonewall Plant at Elkton, Virginia.
- George Washington National Forest Oral History Collection, 1994The George Washington National Forest Oral History Collection, 1994, is comprised of audio recordings and transcripts documenting interviews conducted by a JMU student intern with Jacob Kagey and Earnest Dickerman, employees of George Washington National Forest National Park, on the topics of botanical and wilderness history.
- Integration: The African American Experience in Harrisonburg, Virginia Oral Histories, 1997Integration: the African American Experience in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Oral Histories, 1997, is comprised of audio recordings, transcripts and a background paper associated with interviews conducted with Harrisonburg residents, Elon Rhodes and Barbara Blakely, regarding their experiences living in Virginia from the 1920s-1990s.
- James Madison University: A Social History of Student Life Oral Histories, 1996JMU: A Social History of Student Life Oral Histories, 1996, is comprised of audio recordings, transcripts and supplemental documents, conducted by a JMU student intern with four JMU alumni regarding their memories of student life at Madison College.
- Madison College Student Protest, April 1970, Oral Histories, 1998Madison College Student Protest, April 1970, Oral Histories, 1998, is comprised of audio recordings, transcripts and a background paper documenting three interviews with individuals involved with student protests that occurred at Madison College in February and April, 1970.
- New Cultural Pluralism in the Shenandoah Valley, 1992-1993The New Cultural Pluralism in the Shenandoah Valley Oral Histories, 1992-1993, is comprised of 8 audio recordings and 12 transcripts or summaries of interviews by undergraduate history intern, Theresa Staropoli, with individuals from the Shenandoah Valley who provide services to refugees and immigrants, and individuals representative of groups new to the area.
- Shenandoah National Park Oral History CollectionThe Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, SdArch SNP, 1964-1999, consists of audio, transcripts, and images pertaining to interviews conducted primarily by Dorothy Noble Smith in addition to members of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, park collaborators Eugene and Diane Zior Wilhelm, Darwin Lambert, and others.
- Shenandoah Valley Oral History ProjectThe Shenandoah Valley Oral History Project, 2005-2009, is comprised of audio recordings, transcripts, background papers, digital photographs and supplementary digital material related to interviews conducted by undergraduate students with Shenandoah Valley residents, primarily in Rockingham and Augusta Counties.
- Stokesville and North River Gap Oral Histories, 1996-1997The Stokesville and North River Gap Oral Histories, 1996-1997, are comprised of audio interviews, census data, genealogy research and scans of photographs related to prominent families of the North River Gap area and town of Stokesville, in Augusta County, Virginia.
- Tanbark Industry in the Shenandoah Valley Oral Histories, 1987, 1991Tanbark Industry in the Shenandoah Valley Oral Histories, 1987, 1991, is comprised of audio interviews, transcripts, photographs, and a background paper, documenting the history of the bark peeling industry in the Shenandoah Valley.
- Virginia Wildland Firefighters Oral Histories, 2006The Virginia Wildland Firefighters Oral Histories, 2006, is comprised of three sound recordings of interviews with US Forest Service Fire Fighters on their experiences fighting fires in the mountain region of Virginia, from 1940-2005. The collection includes transcripts, photographs, and other supplemental documents.
- Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1970-1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Databases through JMU Libraries
- HistoryMakers Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
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Video archive of African American oral histories documenting the men and women who have made significant contributions to American life, history, and culture during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. - North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories This link opens in a new windowCollection of primary sources written by North American immigrants from 1800 to 1950.
- Oral History Online This link opens in a new windowIndex with select transcripts of full oral interviews, including Ellis Island oral history narratives and rare Black Panther Party interviews and more.
Collections at Other Institutions
- Duke Collection of American Indian Oral HistoryAccess to typescripts of interviews conducted with hundreds of Indians in Oklahoma regarding the histories and cultures of their respective nations and tribes.
- Library of Congress Digital Collections: Oral HistoriesOral histories available online through the Library of Congress. Collections include the Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project, the Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938, the Veterans History Project, and more.
- Oral Histories of the American South500 oral history interviews gathered by the Southern Oral History Program (SOHP), documenting the history of the American South.
- Oral History Association: Centers and CollectionsA list of centers and collections by the Oral History Association.
- University of Florida Oral Histories ProgramInterviews with Native Americans including Seminoles, Cherokees, and Creeks; projects on African Americans in Florida, Civil Rights action in St. Augustine (1964), and the University of Florida.