Mill Life Oral History Collection (Mss. Gr. 81)

Series 1. Original Interview Tapes/Transcripts/Releases, 1970-1977
20 Boxes
(9.5 linear feet)

This series contains the original recordings, the original transcripts, signed release forms, and biographical sketches of those interviewed for the Mill Life Oral History Collection. It has been divided into the following two sub-series: Sub-series 1, Tapes; Sub-series 2, Transcripts and Related Material.

Sub-series 1 contains the original tapes of the interviews. There are 186 tapes (42 reel-to-reel and 144 cassettes) representing 172 interviews with 170 separate individuals. Each interview has been assigned an "M" number from M1 to M175 and that "M" number has also been assigned to the tapes on which the interview was recorded. Several interviews required more than one tape, which explains the discrepancy between the number of interviews and the number of tapes. The discrepancy among "M" numbers, number of interviews and the number of individuals interviewed is explained by the fact that two people were each interviewed twice and assigned a different "M" number for each interview, one tape was never transferred to Special Collections, and two tapes were removed from the Collection because the subject of the interview was not a mill worker.

Two former mill workers, Elliot Broadbent and Arthur Darman, were each interviewed on two separate occasions and assigned two "M" numbers each. Broadbent's interviews are M28 and M46, while Darman was assigned M42 and M173. The Tp. of the interview with George Ramsbottom, M26, was never transferred to the Special Collections Department. The tape of the interview with Florence Luscomb, M45, was transferred to Manuscript Group 82 because Luscomb was a political activist in Massachusetts and thus considered to be outside the scope of this collection. The tape of Ann Burlak's speech, M162, to a Rhode Island labor history organization was transferred to Miscellaneous Manuscripts because it was a speech rather than an interview. The tapes are arranged in folders numerically by "M" number.

Sub-series 2, Transcripts and Related Material, contains the original transcripts of the interviews, signed release forms, and biographical sketches of the interview subjects. The materials in this sub-series are arranged alphabetically by the name of the interview subject.

In addition there are 11 cassettes of interviews that are not transcribed or may not have release forms. These cassettes along with release forms (if they exist) are arranged in alphabetical order at the end of this series.

Arrangement: The series is arranged in chronological order.

Original Tapes of the Interviews

Transcripts and Related Material

Tapes Lacking Transcriptions and/or Release Forms

Series 2. Research Copies of Tapes/Transcripts/Releases, 1970-1977
15 Box(es)
(7.5 linear feet)

Series II, Research Copies of Tapes/Transcripts/Releases, is identical in organization and content to Series I. It contains copies for research use of the tapes, transcripts, release forms, and biographical sketches found in Series I. The arrangement is also identical. There are two sub-series: sub-series 1, Tapes; sub-series 2, Transcripts and Related Material. The tapes are arranged numerically by "M" number, while the transcripts and related material are arranged alphabetically by the name of the interview subject.

Arrangement: The series is arranged in chronological order.

Research Copies of Interview Tp.s

Research Copies of Transcripts and Related Material

Series 3. Subject Files, 1960-1977
1 Box(es)
(.5 linear feet)

Series III, the Subject File, contains records relating to the general policies and procedures for conducting oral history interviews, as well as materials specifically relating to the Mill Life Oral History Collection project. Included are a bibliography of oral and immigrant history sources, lists of interview subjects, lists of questions to ask interview subjects, lists of textile mills in Rhode Island, copies of syllabi for courses offered by the University of Rhode Island History Department designed to use oral history resources, yarn samples from the Roaring Brook Spinning Mill, and a procedures manual for the Mill Life Oral History Collection project.

The procedures manual provides a very detailed scheme for interviewers to follow, suggests terms for use in developing an index for the interviews, lists the names of textile mills, mill villages, and mill owners in Rhode Island, and contains samples of the formats to be used in devising release forms and forms for recording biographical information about the interview subjects.

Arrangement: The series are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of record.

Series 4. Indexing Project, 1970-1977
1 Box(es)
(.5 linear feet)

This series contains records relating to three distinct attempts to develop an index to the first 160 interviews in the Mill Life Oral History Collection. Using the index terms suggested in the procedures manual found in Series III, staff in each of the three attempts keyed the index term to the interview Tps. "M" number and to the Tp. frame counter on a cassette recorder. For example, an index entry reading "Peace Dale Manufacturing Company, M62, 423" means that a reference to the Peace Dale Manufacturing Company can be found on Tp. # M62 at frame # 423.

Specifically, this series contains three separate handwritten indexes, one recorded on 3" x 5" index cards, one on 3" x 5" sheets of paper, and a third on 8.5" x 11" lined sheets of paper. Each card or sheet of paper is similarly arranged with the index term at the top, followed by the Tp. number(s) and frame number(s) of the Tp.(s) where the term is mentioned. The number of entries for each index term range from one to more than a dozen.

There are also 22 floppy computer disks of the transcript or notes regarding the project.

Arrangement: The series is arranged alphabetically by the subject or index term.