The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

[Oral history interviews]

Repository: Douglas County Historical Society. Library/Archives Center

Collection Description (CRHP): The Douglas County Historical society has 72 oral history interviews, as well as a number of recorded lectures on various topics. Interviews of interest with regard to African American experience and civil rights issues in Omaha include:

16 oral history interviews with members of the Prince Hall Masons, interviewed by Dennis N. Mihelich.

Dennis N. Mihelich interview of Margaret R. Fischer. Part I. is an interview concerning the Omaha Urban League (now Urban League of Nebraska) conducted by Dr. Mihelich as part of an independent study in 1979 ; Part II is Number 6 of the 1983-1984 oral interviews sponsored by The Douglas County Historical Society.

Dennis N. Mihelich interview of Robert L. Myers. Part I is an interview concerning the Omaha Urban League (now Urban League of Nebraska) conducted by Dr. Mihelich as part of an independent study in 1979 ; Part II is Number 8 of the 1983-1984 oral interviews sponsored by The Douglas County Historical Society. Robert L. Myers, an African-American undertaker, won a city-wide election to the Omaha school board in 1964.

Dennis N. Mihelich interview of Nathan Phillips Dodge, III. Part I is an interview concerning the Omaha Urban League (now Urban League of Nebraska) conducted by Dr. Mihelich as part of an independent study in 1979 ; Part II is Number 5 of the 1983-1984 oral interviews sponsored by The Douglas County Historical Society.

Dennis N. Mihelich interview of Arthur B. Pittman. Number 24 of the 1983-1984 oral interviews conducted by Dr. Mihelich and sponsored by The Douglas County Historical Society. Dr. Arthur B. Pittman, an African-American veterinarian, speaks of his experiences in the Urban League, the Urban Housing Foundation, the Planning Board, and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and the situation of African Americans in the community.

Access Copy Note: Audio cassettes and transcripts of the Fischer, Myers, Dodge, and Pittman interviews can also be found at the Omaha Public Library (OCLC nos. 40654405, 40654365, 40654245; the Pittman interview was uncatalogued).

Collection URL: http://www.omahahistory.org/library_audiovisual.htm

Date(s): 1959-1993

Digital Status: No

Extent: 72 interviews

Language: English

Related Archival Items: The Historical Society also holds a recorded lecture by Dennis N. Mihelich called "A History of Prince Hall Masonry in Nebraska" (1993).

For additional African American resources at the Douglas County Historical Society, see http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/services/refrence/la_pubs/african-american.htm

Interviewees: Margaret R. Fischer, Robert L. Myers, Nathan Phillips Dodge, III, Arthur B. Pittman

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

Subjects:

African American businesspeople
African American freemasons
African American veterinarians
African Americans--Nebraska
Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Inc. (Prince Hall Affiliated)
Discrimination in housing
Fraternal organizations
National Urban League
School integration--Nebraska--Omaha
Undertakers and undertaking

Genres:

Interviews
Sound recordings
Transcripts