University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Magazine | Page 26

By Troy Reeves, Head
Oral History Program

Almost from the beginning of my time (June
2007) as head of the University of Wisconsin–
Madison Oral History Program (OHP), I have
had the privilege of being supported by
the Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries.
They have given me time to talk about the
program, funding to help hold a national
one-day oral history conference, and Friends
members who regularly volunteer their time
to our efforts.
Recently, the Friends provided the program
with funds to process material related to the
1970 Sterling Hall Bombing (also known as the
Mathematics Research Center Bombing). We
hired a graduate student, Stephen Pierce, to
create a finding aid of our textual, visual, and
audio material related to the most notorious
Vietnam War era event on our campus. The
Finding Aid for the Sterling Hall/Math Research
Center Bombing is a 40-page document that
contextualizes and informs those interested
in materials specific to this event. Pierce
also worked with University Archivist David
Null to provide references to other artifacts
and resources in the Archives. The document
has been sent to scholars and students
worldwide and used by those who have come

to the Archives to
research student
activism during
the 1960s and
1970s.
We also used
a portion of
the Friends’
funding to help
offset the costs
of presenting
Uncivil
Disobedience
at the 2014
Oral History Association (OHA) Annual
Meeting, which wa