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Current Projects
The following are active collections, in which we are currently interviewing, transcribing, editing, and adding to continuously.
Please check back often for new additions.
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Missouri Ex-POWs Finding Aid
Since 2000, the Missouri Ex-POWs Oral History Project has sought to record, preserve, and honor the personal histories of the state's former prisoners of war. Most interviewees were prisoners of either the German or Japanese military during World War II.
The initial phase of the project concentrated on members of the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Heart of America Chapter based in Kansas City, Missouri. The American Ex-Prisoners of War (AX-POW) is a national, non-profit organization of American citizens who were captured by the enemy. Researchers will note that some of the interviewees, although members of the Missouri-based chapter, were living in Kansas at the time of the interview.
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Missouri Environment Finding Aid
The Missouri Environmental Oral History Project began in 1997, was placed on hold the following year, but has started back up as of April, 2011. The project seeks to document the history of conservation, preservation, environmentalism, land and natural resource use in Missouri. Given the recent surge in interest of important state, national, and global environmental issues it was important to revive this program.
The interviews fall under the following subject areas:
- Agriculture
- Current River
- Jacks Fork River
- Environment
- Forests and Forestry
- Lumber and Lumbering
- Mines and Mineral Resources
- National Park Service
- Ozark National Scenic Riverways
- U.S. Forest Service
- Wildlife Conservation
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Missouri Veterans Finding Aid
The Missouri Veterans Oral History Project, begun in 2008, builds on the Ex-POWs Oral History Project, expanding the scope for collecting, documenting, and preserving the personal histories of Missourians who served in U.S. military conflicts and war. Currently, the project focus is on veterans of World War II, but will eventually include oral histories of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as more recent Middle Eastern conflicts.
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One–room Schoolhouse Oral History Project, Records, 2008– Finding Aid
Interviews with people who attended or taught at one-room schoolhouses.
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Politics in Missouri Finding Aid
Begun in 1996, the Politics in Missouri Oral History Project is the longest continuous effort of The Oral History Program. Mid- to late-twentieth century Missouri political history remains under-studied, and we hope to address this void by making a large new resource available to the public and the scholarly community. Currently, the collection contains over 160 oral histories.
The project continually seeks interviews with former Missouri legislators, governors, state-wide elected officials, aides, lobbyists, and various political participants.