OSU's Oral History Research Program Interviews Oklahoma's Women Legislators

Oklahoma State University has an oral history program which operates out of the Edmond Lowe Library. One initiative records the voices of the women inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame which is hosted by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. Project leader here is Juliana Nykolaiszyn.

Another effort is their "Remembering Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel: Poet and Dust Bowl Emigrant" project. Here prreservation of materials, historical documents and oral memories focus on Oklahoma poet Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel. Project leader on this effort is Karen Neurohr.

Not surprisingly, the project I get most excited about is OSU's oral history of the "Women of the Oklahoma Legislature." Here OSU is chronicling the lives of the women who served in the Oklahoma House and Senate. It records their memories plus holds historical documents of these extraordinary women past and present. This project is lead by Tanya Finchum.

The image in the post comes out of that effort. Hope they get more information up on the Internet so we can know more on this project (or maybe it is there and I can't find it). :-)

Here is a list of all women who have served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. (Anyone know of a similar list for all women who have served in the Oklahoma State Senate?)