Bowling Green State University Oral History collection
Collection Overview
Abstract
The BGSU Oral History collection consists of transcripts and audio tapes of interviews with people associated with the University. In total, 70 interviews with 66 individuals are represented in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1985-2001
Extent
1.61 Cubic Feet (3 letter size archive boxes; 2 oversize flat archive boxes)
Creator
- Givens, Stuart R. (Interviewer, Person)
- Marsden, Michael T. (Interviewer, Person)
Scope and Contents
Audio tapes and/or transcripts for 70 interviews with 66 individuals are included in the collection, ranging in date from 1985 to 2001, with the majority being conducted in 1985 and 1986.
Based on the transcripts, the interviews seem somewhat limited in scope by focusing primarily on individuals’ impressions of the various university presidents and do not go into much detail about daily life on campus. Generally, the student interviewers did not delve beyond the set questions assigned to them. However, researchers interested in learning more about the history of the university may find the interviews useful as they do give some insight into BGSU from the 1910s through 2001.
Biographical / Historical
The course “Oral History of BGSU” was offered as a History 400/580 and Popular Culture 470 course in fall 1985, in which eight students were enrolled. The students, as well as the course’s professors Stuart Givens and Michael Marsden, interviewed at least 36 individuals, ranging from retired university presidents to clerical staff. Some of the interviews were transcribed as part of the coursework. After the course ended, the transcripts, tapes, and computer media were transferred to the CAC.
More individuals were interviewed in spring 1986 by students and by Drs. Marsden and Givens. It is unclear if these were part of the course work or done as separate projects. In the late 1980s, the CAC staff had business students transcribe the majority of the remaining interviews. All of this material is also part of the collection.
Material from several interviews conducted in the 1990s, some of which appear to have been conducted by CAC staff, is also part of this collection. Audio tapes and printed material from Clif Boutelle’s five year history project for Sidney Ribeau (completed in 2001), were donated to the CAC in 2010 and added to the collection in 2011 resulting in a final total of 70 interviews with 66 individuals represented in the collection.
Conditions Governing Access
No known access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The majority of the material in this collection was gathered by Drs. Stuart Givens and Michael Marsden and their students during a 1985 fall semester course “Oral History of BGSU,” offered in conjunction with BGSU’s 75th anniversary. After the course ended, the material was transferred to the Center for Archival Collections. Some other interviews were added after that time, as more fully described in the biographical / historical note.
Processing Information
Dana Nemeth, Library Associate II, completed this finding aid in March 2009 and updated it in March 2011.
Source
- Bowling Green State University. Department of History (Organization)
- Bowling Green State University. Department of Popular Culture (Organization)
Subject
- Bowling Green State University -- History (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Bowling Green State University Oral History collection
- Author
- Dana Nemeth, Cindy Radford
- Date
- March 2009, March 2011, January 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
- Box: 1 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 2 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 3 (Audio)
- Box: 4 (Audio)
- Box: 5 (Mixed Materials)