In 1983, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a major grant to the National Extension Homemakers Council (NEHC) for a three-year nationwide project to collect, process, and disseminate representative oral histories from rural homemakers throughout the country. The council is a national nonprofit educational organization made up of 30,000 organized groups (or clubs) in forty-four states and two territories, with a membership of approximately 500,000. It is one of the largest women's organizations in the country with a predominantly rural and small town membership. The clubs which comprise the NEHC are the audience groups of the Home Economics Division of the Cooperative Extension Service. Typically, these clubs meet monthly or semi-monthly for educational programming in the areas of home economics and community service. The project, called "Voices of American Homemakers," combined an extensive volunteer effort with careful attention directed to the professional canons of oral history practice. Professional historians guided the effort by offering substantive perspectives on women's history and technical counsel on oral history. Under the terms of the grant, one complete set of project tapes and associated materials were to be presented to one repository in each state at no cost to the institution. The primary product of the effort was a collection of 203 oral histories. In the final edited and transcribed version there are 196 interviews by women from thirty-six states. Typically they describe homemaking, child rearing, and family management in the small towns or rural areas where they live. A seminar was held during the National Conference of Extension Homemaker's Council in 1983. It featured authorities in the fields of oral history and women's studies who presented papers based on material extracted from the tapes. Following each of the presentations, an audience of over 200 homemakers participated in discussion of the points raised in each paper. A slide/sound program was produced in 1984, using photographs and excerpts from the taped interviews. Finally, in 1985 a book was written based on material gathered from the project. Titled Voices of American Homemakers, it proved to be well received and has been reprinted. A copy of the book has been placed in the Special Collections Western Americana Department. The final dissemination of materials was completed in 1986 when the previously selected repositories in each state received the interview transcriptions. These include a subject index, cassette tapes of the interviews, and a bound volume of the paper presented at the 1983 seminar.
Voices of American homemakers oral history project audio recordings (1977-1983) consist of interviews with 196 women born 1887-1961 about homemaking throughout the United States.
The majority of the interviews are arranged alphabetically by American state.
Audio-visual materials can be fragile and require specialized equipment to play back. For this reason, access to audio-visual materials is provided through digital copies, and it might take longer to provide access to items that are not yet digitized. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.
Transcripts of the interviews are located in the Voices of American homemakers oral history project (Ms 472) in the Manuscripts Division of Special Collections.
Forms part of the
Lillian Eckert, Nancy Rowland
Evie Foster, L. Burgoyne
Gussie Mumey, Rieta Walker
Bertha Andrews, Nina Langley
Sallie Bell, Mildred Ennis
Ouida Harwell, Opal Price
Elizabeth McAdams, Miriam Watkins
Sue Moman, Jean Moon
Opal Price, Madge Beeton
Opal Cypert, Katherine Skelton
Vivian Jefferson, Katherine Skelton
Essie Simmons, Minerva Houser
Dorothy Tolley, Minerva Houser
Ann Webb, Minerva Houser
Lois Kevan, Hazel Leininger
Hazel Leininger, Misaye Uno
Pearl Mehl, Hazel Leininger
Misaye Uno, Hazel Leininger
Dorothy Tyrawski, Jean Skibinski
Dorothy Tyrawski, Jean Skibinski
Thelma Barnes, Louise Lindberg
Eunice Cameron, Louise Lindberg
Elsie Gould, Adelaide Moores
Emily Harper, Louise Lindberg
Pearl Laffite, Louise Lindberg
Katherine Taylor, Adelaide Moores
Glenwood Homemakers, Mary Hartley
Past Presidents, Mary Hartley
Kazuko Kurose, Charlotte Nakamura Mary Soon, Charlotte Nakamura Julia Souza, Bert Kikuchi
Betty Sakate, Gladys Brown
Ruth Bright, unknown
Dorothy Carlson, Ruth Bright
Floy Chapman, Eleanor Ross
Charlene Diel, Eleanor Ross
Marjorie Whitney, Eunice Pagel
Catherine Wycoff, Eleanor Ross
Iva Crouse, Carol Schroeder
Beulah Grinstead, Wanetta Edgerly
Pearl McCall, Ruth Colbert
Masa Scheerer, Mona Harley
Neva Schlatter, Julia Binkley
Evelyn Alden, Athol Reusser
Sophia Bigge, Athol Reusser
Sophia Bigge, Athol Reusser
Brenda Van Meter, Athol Reusser
Margie Brookshire, Mabel Bertram
Mary Depew, Mabel Bertram
Anna Evans, Mabel Bertram
Mary Fouts, Mabel Bertram
Ethel Jury, Mabel Bertram
Irene Clause, Irene Clause
Zilphia Edwards, Rebecca Fortenberry
Billie Jones, Doris Ashley
Virginia McIntyre, Doris Ashley
Mabel Thompson, Elaine Vidrine
Eileen Moon, Jeanette Green
Wilma Bre, Bethel Schmidt
Gladys Fox, Frances Michalek
Rubie Gillion, unknown
Luelle Hamilton, Petra Swanson
Edith Huffman, unknown
Emma Jones, Joan Luerr
Cecilia Lamb, Rhea Thayer
Estella Myers, Joan Luerr
Arvilla Parshall, unknown
Persistent Pals, Mary Meyer
Ruth Irwin, Mrs. E.R. McKnight
Orrie Little, Marian Carmichael
Jane Morgan, Marian Carmichael
Betty Newman, Mrs. E.R. McKnight
Mrs. B.N. Simrall, Mrs. E.R. McKnight
Edith Fennel, Donna Howard
Nellie Frost, Betty Reynolds
Edith Gladden, Janet Vaughn
Verna Lefman, Betty Reynolds
Lillie Stuery, Betty Reynolds
Marie Carlile, Arlene Stoner Lora Foster
Lillie Badgeley, Arlene Stoner Myra Daniel, Arlene Stoner
Luella Hardie, Arlene Stoner
Pearl Herndon, Gayle Muggli
Elsie Rieger, Arlene Stoner
Daisy Taylor, Arlene Stoner
Anna Coburn, Selma Stevens
Eva Gill, Norma Schneemeyer
Nellie Yost, Sandra Hansen
Nellie Yost, Sandra Hansen
Carolyn Dame, Goldie Roscoe
Priscilla Lloyd, Goldie Roscoe
Helen Merrill, Goldie Roscoe
Lora Tosey, Goldie Roscoe
Eleanor Whittemore, Goldie Roscoe
H. Barnstead, Goldie Roscoe
Marie Cauhape, Beatrice Stagl
Marie Cauhape, Beatrice Stagl
Nona Berry, Mary Popejoy
Ima Fairly, Beatrice Stagl
Jessie Halsell, Beatrice Stagl
Jessie Halsell, Beatrice Stagl
Jessie Halsell, Beatrice Stagl
Jessie Halsell, Beatrice Stagl
Ruth James, Mary Popejoy
Florence McDonald, Beatrice Stagl
Florence McDonald, Beatrice Stagl
Jalie Martin, Mary Popejoy
Frances Matthews, Mary Popejoy
Mary lMoore, Mary Popejoy
Theo Hammond, Virginia Harris
Nancy Madre, Virginia Harris
Letha McCall, Virginia Harris
Henrietta Phillips, Virginia Harris
Lucy Wilson, Virginia Harris
Margaret Lien, Arlene Sagness
Cora Lykken, Maryadele Knudson
Mary Mootz, Maryadele Knudsen
Minnie Ness, Arlene Sagness
Karen Retzlaff, Maryadele Knudsen
Sarah Atkins, Eva Barger Jeanette Stratton, Eva Barger Nellie Stratton, Eva Barger
Lura Hess, Eva Barger
Mary Jonas, Eva Barger
Mary Shultz, Eva Barger Winifred Thrush, Eva Barger
Betty Wenig, Eva Barger
Sarah Bell, Hester Sickles
Elba Johnston, Hester Sickles
Mary Skelley, Hester Sickles
Zelma Wood, Hester Sickles
Marie Brown, Dorothy Klock
Dorris Graves, Dorthy Klock
Dorothy Personnette, Dorothy Klock
Alice Wand, Dorothy Klock
Saundra Zook, Dorothy Klock
Pat Gates, Bee Cochran
Nona Jennings, Bee Cochran
Hazel Johnson, Bee Cochran
Etta Sellers, Bee Cochran
Etta Sellers, Bee Cochran
Marge and Carla Kleinjan, Linda Svec
Christine Gaffin, Arlene Erickson
Byrdie Johnson, Evelyn Beug
Minnie Murphey, Laura Grubl
Florence Phillips, Arlene Erickson
Marjorie Pontius, Linda Svec
Irska Stroschein, Linda Svec
Ina Tate, Linda Svec
Cleo Tyler, unknown
F. Jenson, unknown
Aileen Cole, Marian Mariner
Hautie Nelson, Alpha Worrell
Tressa Waters, Marian Mariner
Julia White, Marian Mariner
Mrs. Irby Arnette, Mildred Reeves
Janet Cassell, Mildred Reeves
Mrs. Ray Cassell, Mildred Reeves
Corria Ratliff, Mildred Reeves
Violet Cottrell, Esther Pogorele
Violet Cottrell, Esther Pogorele
Edna Dagnen, Esther Pogorele
Edna Dagnen, Esther Pogorele
Elsa Skiles, Esther Pogorele
Diana Barton, Margaret Lewis
Deanna Cook, Margaret McKenzie
Pearl Faulkner, Margaret McKenzie
Margaret Hill, Margaret McKenzie
Gertrtude Humphries, Margaret McKenzie
Beatrice McCann, Margaret McKenzie
Ansel Peterson, Margaret Lewis
Phyllis Sullivan, Margaret McKenzie
Lillian Blonien, Georgia Hoberg
Celia Lausted, Georgia Hoberg
Josephine Nixon, Georgia Hoberg
Mary Raymond, Dianna Cosner
Jennie Williams, Katherine Martini
Jennie Williams, Katherine Martini