MSU ALUMNA HELMS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
An alumna and member of the MSU journalism faculty is the force behind a project to preserve stories as told by some of the area's older Americans.
Geri Zeldes, an associate professor and director of journalism graduate studies, overssaw the effort. Students in MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences conducted the interviews, which they also captured on video.
“The Living History Project: Stories Told by Michigan’s Oldest Old” encompasses 15 short, video-taped interviews with area residents 85 and older. You'll hear from a Holocaust survivor, World War II veteran, former kindergarten teacher who still dances and does Zumba at age 94, and a late centenarian who met President John F. Kennedy.
In May, which is also Older Americans month, five of the oral histories will air on the WKAR 90.5 FM, the NPR affiliate in East Lansing. They’ll be featured during the station’s Current State program, which is broadcast at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays on 90.5 FM and at noon on AM870.
In 2000, Zeldes earned a PhD. at the college where she now teaches. She specialized in communication arts and the science of mass media.
The MSU College of Nursing, the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and Michigan Humanities Council co-sponsored the project.