2024 Oral History Association Annual Meeting

Historians have been using oral history methodology to diversify the histories of colleges and universities by providing a more holistic accounting of institutions of higher education. Oral history projects at the University of Iowa, Trinity University, and Southern Methodist University are exploring how Latinx, AAPI, and Black communities have made Predominantly White Institutions more equitable since the mid-twentieth century.

ABSTRACT: Students, faculty, and staff have created oral history projects to provide a holistic accounting of institutions of higher education. Focusing on Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), oral history projects at the University of Iowa, Trinity University, and Southern Methodist University have yielded successes in producing public-facing initiatives and research articles about each university’s history. The three undertakings have created digital history projects, published articles in academic journals, gathered the attention of local newspapers, and hosted symposiums to highlight the histories of historically excluded communities in the U.S. South and Midwest. Undergraduate and graduate students have highlighted Latinx history at Trinity University, AAPI student activism at the University of Iowa, and Black, Latinx, and AAPI histories at Southern Methodist University. Thanks to the Mellon Initiative, students, faculty, and staff (including Lee Denney) created the Conmemorando a la Comunidad: Latinx Experiences at Trinity University digital history project to generate a sense of belonging among the university’s Latinx community. Ph.D. student Jin Chang has conducted over fifty-seven oral histories focused on the contributions of Asian and Asian American students to the University of Iowa after finding few sources in the university’s Asian American Coalition folder. Oral History Project Manager and Ph.D. candidate Laura Narvaez has conducted over thirty oral histories of Black, Latinx, and AAPI alums to expand the oral history collection at Southern Methodist University. Laura has led an oral history "Summer Field School" in partnership with city and national nonprofits to strengthen connections between the university and Dallas' Black community.These oral history initiatives provide a more inclusive history of PWIs and create public-facing initiatives that correct historical inequities. They work with historically excluded populations to rebuild relationships between higher education institutions and the community and provide current students with a greater understanding of their respective institutions' past.