CAG's Oral History Project
Latest News
Project Overview
CAG’s oral history project is underway collecting and recording a “living” history of Georgetown’s remarkable homes, buildings and structures as seen through the eyes of long time residents. The project is recording the history of Georgetown buildings and places (houses, institutions, schools, churches, parks, cemeteries, and businesses) as experienced, remembered, and articulated by long time residents. According to Oral History Committee Co-Chair, Annie Lou Berman, transcripts of these “living history” interviews are available on our website, and eventually, in the Peabody Room at the Georgetown Library.
Steering Committee: (l-r, seated)
Annie Lou Berman, Karen Cruse,
Denise Cunningham, Leslie Wheelock
and (standing), Nola Klamberg,
Betsy Cooley, Louise Brodnitz and
Hazel Denton. Not shown: Leslie Kamrad.
The steering committee -- Louise Brodnitz, Denise Cunningham, Betsy Cooley, Hazel Denton, Nola Klamberg, and Leslie Kamrad, Annie Lou Berman, Patty Murphy and Leslie Wheelock – has been working out details and procedures for the project. They have met with Bernadette McMahon, coordinator of Capitol Hill’s Overbeck History project, to learn about that established project. (Check out Capitol Hill’s excellent website at www.capitolhillhistory.org
to get a sense of their fascinating program.)
CAG’s Oral History project is recruiting and training volunteers to conduct interviews with people who have played significant roles in Georgetown over many years. Dozens of long-time residents are being tapped (many in their eighties and nineties) to record their rich experiences and invaluable memories of growing up, living, or raising families in Georgetown and/or participating in the organizations and businesses that have developed and preserved Georgetown buildings and structures over the past century. Our oldest residents are being interviewed at the earliest stage of the project to share their unique and irreplaceable knowledge.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Interviewers and Interviewees
The Committee is seeking volunteers to conduct the interviews – training and guidance for interviewers
will be led by Annie Lou Berman, (who worked extensively on the oral history at the Archives of American Art).
The committee is also looking for volunteers to do research, take pictures, and assist with transcribing and
organizing.
Betsy Cooley is in charge of identifying long-time (and former) residents who would like to talk about their experiences and memories of growing up, living, raising families, and/or doing business in Georgetown. If you would like to be interviewed -- or if you have people to suggest for interviews -- please contact the CAG office (at 337-7313) or cagmail@cagtown.org.
Oral History Committee
| Interview Coordinators | Annie Lou Berman, Nola Klamberg, Betsy Cooley |
| Collections Coordinator | Patty Murphy |
| Legal Advisor | Leslie Wheelock |
| Secretary | Hazel Denton |
| Development | Leslie Kamrad
Karen Cruse
Betsy Cooley |
|
