Ohio University Oral History Project Wins
National Acclaim
Contact: Sandra Sleight-Brennan, 740-593-4857
ATHENS, Ohio (August 24, 2000) -- A project spearheaded by Ohio University faculty and students that combined the oldest with the most sophisticated means of communication to tell the rich history of Appalachian Ohio has received national recognition. "Countdown to Millennium," a radio series and oral history collection project, earned a special honorable mention from the Oral History Association.
The endeavor, which was undertaken by the Ohio University School of Telecommunications and Telecommunications Center in the College of Communication, captured the texture of the region during the 20th Century through the words of longtime residents of Athens, Meigs and Vinton counties.
During the three-year project, middle and high school students, who were trained in interviewing techniques by Ohio University students, recorded the oral histories of area communities by speaking with more than 90 individuals. The student interviewers are from Federal Hocking Middle School, Federal Hocking High School, Meigs Local High School, Vinton County Junior High School, Vinton County High School and Trimble Local High School.
"Many of those who were interviewed would have felt uncomfortable talking with outsiders, so it was important that residents of the communities conducted the interviews," said Sandra Sleight-Brennan, assistant professor in the School of Telecommunications and coordinator of the project. "It was gratifying to see the positive feedback we got from the students who participated. They enjoyed talking to older people about their communities and were startled to learn of the rich history they have."
The oral histories were then developed into a compact disc set and computer Web site, www.frognet.net/countdown.
The two-CD set includes a 16-part radio series that focuses on events of regional and national significance, such as union organizing in the coal fields, company towns, the impact of radio, New Deal programs, President Johnsonıs "War on Poverty" and the environmental movementıs impact on jobs. An accompanying study guide tailors the compact discs for use in English, history or civics classes.
The Web site contains a page on each interviewee, including transcripts and video clips from the interviews.
The interviewees revealed a wealth of information.
"Some of the people were so fascinating," Sleight-Brennan said. "They were able to recall things so colorfully and remember details vividly. Often, there are no written records in these small, mining towns. Oral history is important because it not only records information but also establishes pride in being from these communities."
The project did more than record memories.
"The overall thrust was to help people value an area that has a lot of uniqueness, such as a real sense of community and multi-generational families, that is often taken for granted," Sleight-Brennan said.
The project was supported by grants from Ohio University, the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Humanities Council.
Sleight-Brennan conducted follow-up interviews for the radio series, which was broadcast on WOUB from September through December 1999.
