The Oral History Program (OHP) uses digital technology, including video, to record interviews. Here, Andrew Huse records an interview with retired College of Education professor Louis Bowers, conducted by OHP Director Mark I. Greenberg in the USF Tampa Library OHP studio.
Mission
Through an active oral history program that includes interviews, workshops, and outreach, the USF Libraries' Oral History Program records, collects, and preserves individual and community memory for future generations. These oral histories offer valuable information that furthers knowledge of social, cultural, historical, political, and economic activities in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
Since 1997, the program has collected more than 500 interviews on topics ranging from history and culture to the university's establishment. In keeping with USF's vision for becoming a world-class research library, it has fostered the creation of unique resources, including digital initiatives. The USF Libraries is acquiring the latest state-of-the-art technology and technical services to preserve, catalog, and digitize its oral history collections. Complete interview transcripts, in addition to the audio, are available on the USF Libraries’ web site: www.lib.usf.edu.
Digital reproduction of the collection allows the University to save these valuable historical records. Making the collection accessible results in a lasting contribution to scholarship. Oral histories are an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and the greater community. Serving as supporting material for research and instruction, these collections ensures the preservation of a significant legacy.
Oral History Projects
USF College of Public Health
Dr. E. Charlton Prather interviewed over forty prominent individuals in the field of Public Health in the State of Florida.
USF 25th Anniversary
The Office of the President and the College of Arts and Sciences instituted the Silver Anniversary Project in 1985 to commemorate 25 years of university history. USF history professor Nancy A. Hewitt conducted the interviews, except where noted otherwise, with members of the USF faculty and staff.
USF 50th Anniversary
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the University, Oral History Program Director Mark I. Greenberg led an effort to record over 200 current and former students, faculty, administrators, and community friends.
West Central Florida Land Use
In a collaborative project between the USF Libraries’ Oral History Program and the USF Patel Center for Global Solutions, oral historian William Mansfield conducted 19 interviews on land use in West Central Florida.
Florida Citrus Industry
In a collaborative project between the USF Libraries’ Oral History Program and the USF Patel Center for Global Solutions, oral historian William Mansfield conducted 20 interviews on the impact of globalization on the Florida citrus industry.
The Columbia Spanish Restaurant
Andy Huse, assistant librarian in the Special Collections Department, interviewed people from the Columbia Restaurant Group including the executive chef, a legendary waiter, the Chief Executive Officer, and other staff members. This series examines the history of this legendary restaurant, the family’s business struggles, and their legacy of generosity.
Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman Administration
Sandy Freedman served on the Tampa City Council from 1974 until Mayor Bob Martinez’s resignation in July 1986 to campaign successfully for governor of Florida. As Council Chair, Ms. Freedman took the oath of office on July 16, 1986, and thus became Tampa’s first female mayor. Tampa citizens elected her to two additional terms in office (1987-1995). Through the efforts of University of Tampa political science professor Robert Kerstein, the Sandy Freedman Oral History Administration Oral History Project gives voice to members of her senior leadership team.
Citrus Park School
In 1996, Teresa Maio and Geoffrey Mohlman conducted interviews with graduates of the historic Citrus Park Colored School. The Historic Tampa/Hillsborough County Preservation Board funded these interviews. This research resulted in the designation of this school as a historical landmark. These interviews complement the print materials located in the USF Tampa Library’s Special Collections Department.
Carlton Anthony
The Oral History Program began in 1997 with an endowment from Piers Anthony and Carol Jacob. Additional support was provided through a gift from Doyle E. Carlton, Jr. This is a collection of interviews with prominent individuals in politics and community development.
Tampa Tribune
Bentley Orrick, writer for The Tampa Tribune from 1977-1997, conducted oral history interviews with Tribune staff for his research commemorating the paper’s centennial history. Leland Hawes also interviewed some of the participants. In 1998, the University of Tampa Press published The Tampa Tribune: A Century of Florida Journalism, written by Bentley Orrick and Harry L. Crumpacker. Mr. Orrick donated over 50 of the oral history interviews conducted in his research to the USF Oral History Program.
Ybor City
The Ybor City Oral History Project is a collection of interviews conducted and donated to the USF Oral History Program by members of the Tampa Bay community. Some of the individuals interviewed include Tampa historians Hampton Dunn and Tony Pizzo, and former mayor Nick Nuccio.
Karst
The University of South Florida Libraries oversees an oral history project to document the evolution of the karst research community. The resulting oral history collection, including transcripts and relevant research, are disseminated via the Internet and included in the Karst Information Portal.
Tampa Arts and Culture
On behalf of the USF Libraries Oral History Program, independent oral historian Suzette Berkman conducts interviews on arts and culture and their supporting institutions in the Tampa Bay region.
Florida Food Families
Andy Huse, assistant librarian in the Special Collections Department, interviews diverse restaurateurs, mostly immigrants. The participants outlined their unlikely paths to restaurant ownership in the United States, and how the cultures of their homelands influence their cuisine and business practices.
International Independent Showmen’s Association
Andy Huse, assistant librarian in the Special Collections Department, interviews subjects involved in circuses, rodeos, and carnivals, concentrating on the Gibsonton, Florida, area. The careers of various showmen and the changing nature of the industry are emphasized.
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