Oral History Program
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Program contains the personal stories and military experiences of Wisconsin-connected veterans of World War I to the present day. There are currently over 2,161 interviews in the collection. These interviews complement and extend the archival, library, and artifact collections of the museum.
Our oral historian has created how-to videos to help you conduct your own interviews with family and friends. Scroll down to view them.
CONTACT US
Luke Sprague
Oral Historian
Contact Luke: 608.261.0537 or
Luke.Sprague@dva.wisconsin.gov
Oral History Program Q&A
What is considered oral history? +
Oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. WVM interviews consist of a narrator and an interviewer who have agreed to record a conversation that will be publicly accessible and used as a primary historical source.
Who is interviewed for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Program? +
We record and collect oral history interviews with Wisconsin-connected veterans, from all branches of service and all eras and conflicts. Every story is an important part of the narrative we tell at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
How many oral histories do you have in the Collection? +
We currently have just over 2,100 oral history interviews.
How are the interviews collected? +
The majority of the interviews are conducted by WVM staff or trained adult volunteers. We also have interviews in the Collection that were donated by individuals or other organizations.
How can these interviews be used? +
WVM holds copyrights to most (but not all) of the interviews in the Collection. Education and Research use is permitted for all interviews in the Collection. Patrons may NOT make copies of the interviews without permission from WVM. Restrictions on other types of use may apply - please contact the WVM Oral Historian with questions.
On-line: Our Featured Interviews page spotlights different oral history interviews and projects - often in coordination with a new exhibit or other Museum programming. Most of these interviews are available to watch or listen to online and many have synchronized transcripts and/or indexes with a Search feature. This page is updated regularly, so check back often! Other: Fee Schedule for Oral Histories: How can these interviews be accessed? +
In-Person:
Recordings and/or transcripts for many of our interviews are available onsite for patrons and visitors to the Research Center.
PDFs of some transcripts can be found on our Transcripts page, where they are arranged by conflict.
Digital copies of most interviews are available upon request. The digital format that is available will vary based on the original recording media and other factors.
Can I donate an oral history that I conducted? +
Yes, if the narrator is a Wisconsin veteran and the proper paperwork accompanies the interview. We are specifically interested in archiving original materials, but copies of an interview may be accepted in some cases. The narrator and interviewer will both need to sign a Deed of Gift. For more information, contact the Oral Historian.
Myself or someone I know wants to be interviewed. How do I arrange that? +
If you or someone you know would like to be interviewed, please complete our Online WVM Oral History Interview Request Form. We will respond shortly with some additional information about the program and what to expect from the interview process and we will assign your interview to an interviewer who will then schedule your interview. Interviews typically last 1-2 hours and can take place at the narrator's home or any convenient location that can provide a quiet space for quality audio recording.
I'm interested in volunteering or partnering with the WVM Oral History Program. What can I do? +