Kentucky Oral History Commission Funds Projects Across Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2010)— The Kentucky Oral History Commission (KOHC), administered by the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), recently awarded grants for the first half of the 2010 fiscal year, impacting communities across the Commonwealth. These grants will be used to collect and conserve oral histories related to statewide, regional and community historical events. KOHC also provides technical assistance to oral historians and, in some cases, an accessible, secure place for these oral histories to be stored.
The following projects were funded:
- Appalachian Volunteers Oral History Project – Southeastern Kentucky
The purpose of this project grant is to interview key individuals who were instrumental in the Appalachian Volunteer Project, which were anti-poverty programs centered in eastern Kentucky during the 1960s. These interviews will target those key participants who have not been interviewed through other oral history projects on the same topics.
- Romano Mazzoli Oral History Project – Louisville, Ky.
The purpose of this project is to document the life and political career of Congressman Romano Mazzoli. The interviews will shed light on the workings of a local Congressional office and the Congressman's work with his constituents as well as document a member of Louisville’s Italian-American community. The project is also significant on a national level as Congressman Mazzoli served for 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. This series will go beyond the Congressman's own recollections to provide additional context by interviewing family members, office staff and other colleagues and constituents.
- Fayette County Bar Association Oral History Project – Fayette County, Ky.
The Fayette County Bar Association seeks to interview 10 members of their organization to build on the historical documentation of, not only the FCBA, but also the history of law in Lexington. This project seeks to interview women members as well as some of the more experienced members of the organization.
- C'mon Every Beatbox: The History of WRFL-FM – Lexington, Ky.
C'mon Every Beatbox seeks to transcribe a series of recently collected oral histories that explore the history of WRFL, a student-operated University of Kentucky radio station as a part of its 20th anniversary year in 2008. The interviews are archived at the Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky. Transcriptions are requested in order to make the interviews accessible and full-text searchable online through the Kentuckiana Digital Library and will be useful as a series of radio pieces are produced and published for this project.
5. Coal Company Town – Stearns, Ky.
Interviews from this Eastern Kentucky University oral history collection highlight two mines that were in close proximity to each other and owned by Stearns Coal & Lumber Company. The interviews are with people who lived in either the town of Stearns or Blue Herron and the topics cover everyday life in the company coal towns as well as the strikes during the 1970s. This project seeks to complete transcriptions for this collection.
6. Oral US History at Westport TAPP – Louisville, Ky.
The purpose of this project is for U.S. Women's history students at the Westport Teenage Parent Program to interview female school staff about their specific experiences as women and professionals. The students will focus on experiences specific to the difficulties of being a woman in the workplace. The project seeks to encourage success in the participants own careers with a hope to promote social justice and public action.
7. Kentucky Public Service Commission Oral History Project – Frankfort, Ky.
In recognition of its 75th anniversary, the Kentucky Public Service Commission is conducting an oral history project of past organization directors.
8. Political Oral History Digitization Project, Eastern Kentucky University – Richmond, Ky.
This project proposes to digitize 227 oral history interviews from nine projects related to politicians or politics in Kentucky.
9. Buckhorn Lake Oral History Project – Leslie, Perry, Clay and Owsley counties, Ky.
This project seeks to document the people who called Bowlingtown, Ky. home before the creation of Buckhorn Lake in 1961. The project will also extend to people who lived in the area now underwater, which includes Leslie, Perry, Clay and Owsley counties.
10. Monroe County Veterans History Project – Monroe County, Ky. and surrounding areas
The purpose of this project is to preserve the stories in and around the area of Monroe County, Ky. and will specifically target members of the Alpha Battery 623rd National Guard unit while welcoming all veterans from all branches of the service to participate. Interviews will be made accessible locally, while permanently housed with KHS.
For more information, contact Sarah Milligan, KOHC Program Coordinator, at Sarah.Milligan@ky.gov or 502-564-1792, ext. 4434.
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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history. The KHS history campus includes The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Old State Capitol and Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.