Oral History

What is the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program?

The Oklahoma Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) is a research division of the Oklahoma State University Library with the focus of broadening archival inclusion of individual or communal memory and experiences representing Oklahoma and OSU history and culture through ethical oral history practice.

As a department, we develop and lead our own oral hsitory projects, but also work with individuals and communities outside of the OOHRP to support their own project goals. A growing archive of oral history research comrpising both OOHRP and externally supported work is availalbe through the OOHRP archives.

We are also an part of the OSU Center for Oklahoma Studies.

By advising students, faculty, and community members in the methods and ethical standards of oral history based on the Principles and Best Practices laid out by the Oral History Association, the OOHRP promotes the collection, preservation, and analysis of interview-based research.

Find out more in our About section.

Want to know more context about oral history as a field? Check out this video:

What's New?

IMLS Grant Supports Library Pandemic Reflections Project

The Oklahoma State University Library recently received a federal award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ American Rescue Plan grant program. The grant will fund the Library’s oral history project titled “Impressions from the Pandemic: Oklahomans Reflect on COVID-19,” and was one of only five awards made to Oklahoma organizations out of the 390 total awards from this program.

Through a yearlong oral history project, the Library’s Oklahoma Oral History Research Program will collect, preserve and make accessible sources representing a variety of aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic experience. The OOHRP will capture impressions, in-depth recollections and analytical reflections of a diverse group of Oklahomans impacted by the pandemic...see more here

Contact Us

Oklahoma Oral History Research Program
207 Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-7685
liboh@okstate.edu

Graphic novel and curriculum address Oklahoma’s past

"Chilocco Indian School: A Generational Story," a graphic novel written by Julie Pearson-Little Thunder with art and graphic direction from Johnnie Diacon and Jerry Bennett, is now available for free download. The novel was produced by the OSU Library’s Oklahoma Oral History Research Program in collaboration with the Chilocco National Alumni Association. The graphic novel is a part of a larger history project related to the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, which was the largest intertribal Native boarding school in the U.S. The project includes oral history interviews with alumni, photos, a documentary and educator resources. Additional funding from the Tom J. and Edna M. Carson Foundation allowed the project to expand its storytelling efforts...see more here

OOHRP Podcasts

Amplified Oklahoma. Every month, Amplified Oklahoma shares voices from the OSU Library’s oral history collections and visits with experts, students, and our interviewing team, as we examine a variety of topics related to Oklahoma history and culture.
Dear Oklahoma, is a collaborative podcast with the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa and KOSU radio featuring writers who engage Oklahoma themes in their works