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Pontiac Oral History Collection

 


OU.SC.PONTIAC

Summary Information

Repository
Oakland University Archives and Special Collections
Title
Pontiac Oral History collection
ID
OU.SC.PONTIAC
Date
1975-1979
Extent
1.0 Linear feet
Language
English

Preferred Citation

item, Pontiac Oral History collection, Oakland University Archives and Special Collections.

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History

In Fall 1975 Johnetta Brazzell, director of community programs for Oakland University's Urban Affairs Center, launched an oral history project to document life in Pontiac before World War II. Among the interviewees were T. C. Holland, father of then Pontiac mayor Wallace Holland, and Nellie Ryder, who was the first black student to graduate from Pontiac High School and was active in the Newman Methodist Church, the first black church in Pontiac. In 1976, Johnetta Brazzell obtained a $2,000 grant from the Oakland County American Revolution Bicentennial Commission to continue the interviews. Sources: Tish Myers, "Those Who Were There Write Ethnic History," Detroit News, Nov. 10, 1975, 4C; BOT Minutes, April 28, 1976; Timothy J. McNulty, "Oakland Blacks Put History on Tape," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 15, 1975, 1A.

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Scope and Contents note

The Pontiac Oral Histories collection contains recordings of 39 interviews of longtime Pontiac residents and events, conducted between fall 1975 and early 1977. The recordings are all on cassette tapes, and about half of them have been digitized. Transcripts for some recordings are already available.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Oakland University Archives and Special Collections

Kresge Library
100 Library Drive
Rochester, MI, 48309

Access and Use note

The Pontiac Oral History collection is open for research and can be accessed in the reading room of the University Archives, Kresge Library.

Copyright

Oakland University does not hold release permissions to the recorded or transcribed material from the Pontiac oral histories. Researchers wishing to use these parts of the collection for publication in any form will need to secure permissions separately.

Custodial History

The tapes were transferred from the Placement and Career Services office to the university library in September 1990.

Processing

Processed by Dominique Daniel and others, November 2020.

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Collection Inventory

Box

Annie Walker - Sharon L. Jackson/interviewer March 12, 1977 

1

Adele Walker July 14, 1977   4 cassettes and transcript.

1

Black Women's Worker & Liberation Movement   2 cassettes.

1

Black Progress - ASALH Oct. 30, 1981 

1

Black Higher Education & Black Families   2 cassettes.

1

Black Women's Studies Workshop - ASALH Mtg. Oct. 18, 1980   3 cassettes.

1

Black Women Higher Education - Stouffers   2 cassettes.

1

Black Genealogy - Walker - Dykes - Payne - Clarke - Lewis - Clarke 

1

Black Genealogy - Oral History Assoc. Oct. 20, 1978 

1

Local History Conference - Black Genealogy April 10, 1976 

1

Cassus Roberts - Life in Pontiac - 1940s 

1

Charles Blakemore - M. Tadesse/interviewer Mar. 11, 1977   2 cassettes.

1

Dating Old Photographs 

1

Edith Richardson Aug. 22, 1975   3 cassettes.

1

Eva Cross - Life in Pontiac - 1940s Mar. 3, 1979 

1

Elizabeth Hunt - Sharon Jackson/interviewer April 14, 1977   2 cassettes.

1

Faye Williams - Conference on Black Women 

1

William Garling - Urban Affairs Center   7 cassettes and transcript.

1

Kinte - Family History Oct. 22, 1978 

1

Genealogical Seminar - Canada - thru & from Sept. 16, 1977   2 cassettes.

1

Howard University   2 cassettes.

1

Harry Ricks May 24, 1977   2 cassettes and transcript.

1

Lillian Richardson March 17, 1977   2 cassettes.

1

Jeff Stetson - Minority Directors Conference - CMU July 16, 1982 

1

Mary Belle Scott   2 cassettes.

1

Margaret Dooley - Sharon Jackson/interviewer Apr. 7, 1977   2 cassettes.

1

Mary & Willford Gordon March 4, 1977   2 cassettes and transcript.

1

Nellie R. Lena Morton Ryder   6 cassettes.

2

Otis Lawrence March 9, 1973   6 cassettes.

2

Oliver Tademy - Pontiac - 1940-1946 April 20, 1977   2 cassettes.

2

Preservation of Material 

2

Rose Wilson - Ima Harris - Mrs. Nelson March 6,18, 1979 & Apr.2, 1979   3 cassettes.

2

Rebecca Barksdale Aug. 10, 1977   cassette and transcript.

2

T.C. Holland   4 cassettes and transcript.

2

Samuel Morgan - M. Tadesse/interviewer   2 cassettes.

2

Unita Blackwell 

2

Welform Reform Conference Oct. 26, 1977   3 cassettes.

2

Willie Dean 

2

Misc. titles   3 cassettes.

2

Digital files   2 cds.

Scope and Contents note

Reproductions of interviews on cassettes.

Box

CD 1 

Scope and Contents note

Includes digital files for interviews with: William Garling, Mary Delle Scott, Nellie R.(Ryder) Lena Morton, Mary Gordon, Willie Dean, Wilford Gordon, Anne Walker, Mrs. Lillian Richardson, Margaret Dooley, Elizabeth Hunt and Mr. Rich [Ricks?]

2

CD 2 

Scope and Contents note

Includes digital files for interviews with: Adele Walker, Rebecca Barksdale, Cassus Robert Sr., T.C. Holland, Samuel Morgan, Oliver Tademy, Eva Cross, Ima Harris, Rose Wilson, Mrs. Arthur Neson.

2

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Created by Name / Updated on October 18, 2019 by Name

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