University of Rhode Island Centennial Oral History

University Of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 2008

Collection Overview

Title:	University of Rhode Island Centennial Oral History
Date range:	1992
Creator:	Foster, Deborah
Extent:	9 box(es) (4.5 linear feet)
Abstract:	The collection consists of interviews with faculty, staff, and students of the University of Rhode Island in 1992, the centennial of its founding. The interviews in the Centennial Oral History collection are a continuation of the work of the University of Rhode Island Oral History and were meant to provide a social history of URI.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	University Of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number:	Mss. Gr. 109

Scope & content

The interviews in the Centennial Oral History collection are a continuation of the work begun in the 1970’s and were meant to provide a social history of URI. And according to Dr. James Findlay of the URI History Department in an October, 1992, University Pacer interview, the project wasn’t exclusively interested in an administrative history of the University. We wanted to compile the everyday recollections of students, faculty, and staff.

Some of the interviewees were involved in historic events on campus, such as the 1971 take over of the Administration building by African-American students and the faculty strike of 1979. Questions for historic events were meant to record the perceptions of the interviewees at the time of the events and how they have changed between then and the time of the interview.

Less dramatic events such as the changing attitudes towards women at URI and how the Women’s Center and the Women’s Studies Program at URI helped bring about those changes are also explored. The University of Rhode Island Oral History (Mss. Gr. 39) collection and this one provide a supplement to the University’s official history The University of Rhode Island: A History of Land-Grant Education in Rhode Island by Herman Eschenbacher that covers the years 1892 to 1967.

Arrangement

After processing, the collection was arranged in three series as follows:

• 1. Original Tapes, Release Forms, Preliminary Questionnaires, and Tables of Contents.
• 2. Research Copies of Release Forms, Preliminary Questionnaires, and Table of Contents Only
• 3. Subject Index

Historical Information

The URI project has its roots in the University of Rhode Island Oral History (Mss. Gr. 39) project conducted by Drs. James Findlay and Valerie Quinney of the URI History Department in the late 1970’s.

In the spring and summer of 1979, Dr. Valerie Quinney and Dr. James Findlay of the URI History Department conducted a series of interviews with 26 members of the University of Rhode Island staff and faculty regarding events that took place on campus during the mid 1960’s through to the early 1970’s. Selected faculty and administrators active in the 1960’s and 1970’s were interviewed on selected topics.

The schema for the questions was developed by Deborah Foster, a graduate of the URI History Masters program.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	Open for research.
Use of the materials:	Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation:	University of Rhode Island Centennial Oral History, Mss. Gr. 109, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information:	University Of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The acquisition information is unknown.
Custodial history:	The custodial history is unknown.
Processing information:	The collection was processed by Russell Franks
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Russell Franks.
Encoding:	Finding aid encoded by Nicholas Albaugh on 2008 May 22, updated by Hailie D. Posey on 2009 September 30, updated by Mark Dionne on 2020 May 13.
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

The collection is related to the University of Rhode Island Oral History(Mss. Gr. 39).

Inventory

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Inventory