The Charleston Oral History Program

Founded in 2008, The Charleston Oral History Program seeks to deepen understanding of the Lowcountry’s rich history and culture through the gathering and presentation of recorded memories from area residents. The Program has three main objectives: 1. Program staff and their associates conduct interviews with people from all walks of life in order to promote the study of The College and the region. The resulting recordings and transcriptions are made available to the public as part of The Charleston Oral History Program Collection at the Citadel Archives and Museum and select interviews are made available through this website. 2. Through regular course offerings and independent research projects, COHP provides opportunities for students to experience the challenges and rewards of conducting and preserving oral history interviews. 3. In the interest of promoting best practices in oral history research, COHP offers training through community workshops and consultations. The COHP is also among the founding organizations of the Lowcountry Oral History Alliance, a regional group that promotes oral history research.

The first interviews to be made available online are a part of the “Citadel WWII Alumni History Project.” With generous support from the Humanities Council of South Carolina, the Citadel Oral History Program collected thirty interviews with Citadel alumni regarding their experiences during WWII. Journalist and historian Jack Bass conducted the interviews during the Fall of 2008.They serve as a powerful testament to the veterans’ experiences and their critical contributions to the war effort. The digital recordings and transcripts are part of The Charleston Oral History Program Collection at The Citadel Archives and Museum.

For ease of access, this collection can be browsed by series and subseries.

Series

• Charleston and the Long Civil rights Movement
• Grassroots Politics and Protest in Contemporary Charleston
• Las Voces del Lowcountry
• The Citadel in War and Peace
• Women in World War II
• Working Charleston

Sub-Series

• Charleston City Workers
• Korean War
• Lowcountry Veterans’ Oral Histories
• Lowcountry Foodways
• Special Research
• The War in Afghanistan
• The Second Gulf War
• World War II