State and Local Government Archives Oral History Collection
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Six oral history interviews with notable figures in state and local (Pittsburgh) government are currently available online. Topics discussed include environmental issues, electoral campaigning, urban redevelopment, civil rights, the role of gender in governance, and the processes of governing. Interviewees include Byrd Brown, Rev. LeRoy Patrick, Rev. James J. Robinson, William Russell Robinson, and Sala Udin. A grant from the Recordings At Risk Program from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) made the digitization of these oral histories possible during the 2022-2023 academic term. As part of this project, all transcripts were machine-generated with minor edits for intelligibility and to identify speakers when possible. Transcripts may contain inaccuracies, misspellings, or omissions depending on original audio clarity.
A Notice on Harmful or Offensive Language
While using the State and Local Government Archives Oral History Collection, please consider its context. Due to the nature of these historical materials, there are occurrences of language, positions, and values that do not align with our values and practices at the University of Pittsburgh.
When harmful, offensive, or misrepresentative language is present and part of the original archival materials, it is recognized as best practice to retain such information so as not to censor or alter the historical record and to maintain an understanding of the context and time period in which these items were first created.
What's in the entire collection?
The State and Local Government Archives (SLGA) Oral History Collection includes transcripts of interviews, audiocassettes, research notes, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia donated by the 62 individuals who were interviewed. Interviewees include figures in state and local government, especially those who were involved in the areas of environmental issues, electoral campaigning, urban redevelopment, civil rights, the role of gender in governance, and details of the workings and processes of governing.
About the State and Local Government Archives (SLGA) Oral History Program.
In 1997, staff at the Archives Service Center (ASC) began the State and Local Government Archives (SLGA) Oral History Program. They aimed to capture the living memories of politicians from the local, state, and federal governments from Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania area. ASC staff interviewed local political figures about governmental and political workings in the region, emphasizing the role of parties, environmental issues, electoral campaigning, urban redevelopment, civil rights, the role of gender in governance, and obscure happenings. In May of 1998, work on the SLGA greatly accelerated with the hiring of a graduate student researcher who conducted many more interviews. Ultimately, the project was able to secure interviews with notable figures including former Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, local activists including Phyllis Wetherby, civil rights leaders Harvey Adams Jr. and Alma Speed Fox, and political influencer Elsie Hillman, among others.
