The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

History of desegregation at Vanderbilt

Repository: Vanderbilt University. Special Collections and University Archives

Collection Description (CRHP): Sixteen interviews conducted by undergraduate class members regarding undergraduate desegregation at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Collection Description (Extant): The material in this collection consists of oral history interviews conducted by students in History 295-01, The History of Undergraduate Desegregation at Vanderbilt, taught by Dr. Peter Felten Fall 2004. The collection includes digital audio files of the interviews, interview transcripts, a class syllabus, and annotated bibliographies of select resources assigned to students for research.

Interview questions focused on student experiences and perspectives on desegregation during the mid-1960s. Interview subjects were selected from a wide range of people who were on campus, including both students and administrators. Students used a variety of materials in Special Collections to prepare for the interviews, including the Chancellor’s Papers; files of the Human Relations Council; back issues of The Hustler; yearbooks; manuscript collections, including the Kelly Miller Smith Papers; and other relevant records.

Access Copy Note: Three interviews are restricted because release forms were not signed.

Digital Status: Born-digital

Extent: 16 digital audio files; 16 transcripts

Language: English

Rights (CRHP): Contact the repository which holds the collection for information on rights

Subjects:

African American college students--Tennessee
African Americans--Civil rights--Tennessee
African Americans--Education (Higher)
Civil rights movements--Tennessee
College integration
Vanderbilt University

Genres:

Interviews
Sound recordings
Transcripts