Oklahoma Oral History Research Program Conducts Interviews with Mowen – OSU Library

Oklahoma State University’s Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) has conducted two oral history interviews with emeritus professor John Mowen, making them available through the OSU Library’s collections. The interviews were part of the O-STATE Stories Oral History Project, which documents firsthand experiences related to OSU and Oklahoma history.

The Oklahoma Oral History Research Program, founded in 2007 as part of the Oklahoma State University Library, aims to document and make accessible the history of Oklahoma and OSU through ethical oral history practice. As a research division of the library, the program focuses on broadening archival inclusion of individual and communal memory representing Oklahoma and OSU history and culture.

OOHRP develops and leads its own oral history projects while also supporting external initiatives. The program maintains a growing archive of oral history research that includes both internally produced work and externally supported projects, available through the OOHRP archives. By advising students, faculty, and community members on oral history methods and ethical standards based on the Principles and Best Practices of the Oral History Association, the program promotes the collection, preservation, and analysis of interview-based research.

The program is also an arm of OSU’s Center for Oklahoma Studies and has ongoing projects related to the state’s history. Department staff include Autumn Caine, Tracy Daglaris, Patrick Finchum, Tanya Milligan, Sarah Pearson-Little Thunder (Head), Julie White, and Micki Brown. The OOHRP is located at 207 Edmon Low Library in Stillwater, OK 74078, and can be contacted at 405-744-7685 or liboh@okstate.edu.

For those interested in getting started with oral history, the program offers a 7-minute introductory video. The monthly podcast “Amplified Oklahoma” shares voices from the OSU Library’s oral history collections and features discussions with experts, students, and the interviewing team on various topics related to Oklahoma history and culture.