Another Viewpoint - Another River Tale

View of Davis Library’s Grounds around 2:45 PM Tuesday 10.15.13

The Office of Cultural Advancement at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College continues its work on Ohio River Tales, an oral history project aimed at collecting past and present stories of Appalachian culture and heritage—particularly those narratives associated with life along the Ohio River.

Today, Rio Grande alum Larry Rosen visited Davis Library to share tales of his student college years during the late 1960s –early 1970s.  While attending classes, Rosen worked part-time at local radio station that covered the 1967 Silver Bridge Tragedy, one of initial focuses of the Ohio River Tales project. 

Mike Thompson, Instructional Media & Design Services (IDMS) Director and Rio Grande student Carole Armstong prepare Rio Grande alum Larry Rosen for his "Ohio River Tales" video-recording session at Davis Library

His memories of that unfortunate event were recorded so that they could be added to an online collection that has already been established and made public through the Ohio River Tales Website, which is accessible through the Davis Library Home Page or directly at:  ohiorivertales.rio.edu

Rosen also discussed his experiences protesting the Vietnam War on campus with Abbott (Abbie) Hoffman, a leading social activist and politician at the time who had staged a demonstration here just outside the Davis Library in 1969.

Sam Wilson, Profesor of History, Mike Thompson, IDMS Director, Rio Grande students Karen Proffit and Carole Armstrong (enrolled in Thompson's Intro to Radio/TV course) participate in the "Ohio River Tales" interview process of Rio Grande alum Larry Rosen

Ohio River Tales is currently expanding its oral history collections to include stories of local African-American heritage as well as recollections of Vietnam War era and its impact on our tri-state (Ohio/Kentucky/West Virginia) region.

The gathering of such accounts will be a continuous process and a number of recordings sessions are being scheduled both on campus and within the community in the coming weeks.

On Friday, October 18, 2013 members of the Ohio River Tales project team will be visiting the John Gee Black Historical Center in Gallipolis, Ohio from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. to conduct interviews and collect remembrances of Lincoln School, an all-black school once headed by noted scientist Edward Bouchet, the first African-American to earn a doctorate degree in the United States, and tales of the Lambert Lands, a free-slave settlement near Bidwell, Ohio that existed 20 years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Do you have a story to share?  If so, please contact Gregory A. Miller, Director of Cultural Advancement for the university at 1.800.281.7201, extension 7030 or gmiller@rio.edu.

If you have questions about Davis Library’s role in this digital initiative, please feel free to “Ask Us!”