Oral History

Wisconsin Heritage Online has joined forces with Troy Reeves, head of the Oral History Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before coming to Madison in 2007, he worked at the Idaho State Historical Society in Boise where he directed the state's oral history program (June 1999-September 2006) and held a historian position (September 2006-May 2007). Reeves earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history at Idaho and Utah State Universities, respectively.

Responsibilities

Overseeing the gathering of oral history by Oral History Program staff & volunteers
Preserving and providing access to the program's oral history recordings, specifically advancing the move into the digital age
Making connections within the university, city, state and region to advance the theory and practice of oral history

Current Tasks and Projects

Serving as moderator for campus/local groups, including Madison Oral History Roundtable, a campus "A/V Club," and a possible Midwest Oral History Group
Working with other campus group to systemically digitize the Oral History Program's extant oral history collection & posting transcripts/audio to the web
Overseeing oral history projects hosted by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center, including the US Forest Products Lab Centennial Oral History Project and Campus Voices, an ongoing project to compile first-hand memories of UW-Madison, including stories from the UW-Madison TAA strike of 1970 and the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing.
Looking for interested individuals to conduct/process other possible campus oral history projects
Setting up meetings with interested individuals around the state to discuss oral history topics, specifically related to state & local history topics
Coordinating Wisconsin Oral History Day