Italian American Oral History Project
Scope and Contents note
This collection primarily consists of audiotapes of the interviews, arranged alphabetically by interviewee surname, as well as an inventory of contents, a subject index to the interviews, and transcripts and/or summaries of certain interviews. Also included are some student papers that used the project's interviews as sources.
Dates
- 1982-2002
Creator
- Magnaghi, Russell M. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access note
No restrictions. Open for research.
Conditions Governing Use note
For a list of which interviews can be digitized, please see the Copyright Transfer event.
Permission to publish material from the Italian American Oral History Project, MSS-202, must be obtained from the University Archivist. The University Archivist may be reached by phone at 906-227-1225, or e-mail, archives@nmu.edu. The University Archivist may also be reached in Room 126 of the Learning Resource Center, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI.
Biographical / Historical note
In 1982, the Center for Oral History at Northern Michigan University (now defunct), together with the Paisano Club of Upper Michigan, Northern Michigan University, and the Michigan Council for the Humanities, sponsored a project on Italian immigration to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The project was directed by Dr. Russell M. Magnaghi, professor of history at Northern, and entailed interviewing one hundred and fifty Italian-American individuals from a variety of economic and cultural backgrounds; it involved contact with every Italian-American community in Upper Michigan, neighboring Wisconsin, and Ontario. These communities included:
1.Chippewa County: Sault Saint Marie.
2.Dickinson County: Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Loretto, Norway, Vulcan.
3.Gogebic County: Bessemer, Ironwood, Wakefield.
4.Keweenaw County: Mohawk.
5.Houghton County: Baltic, Calumet, Franklin Mine, Hancock, South Range.
6.Iron County, Michigan: Caspian, Crystal Falls, Iron River, Virgil.
7.Mackinac County: Cedarville-Hessel.
8.Marquette County: Gwinn, Ishpeming, Marquette, Negaunee.
9.Menominee County: Hermansville.
10.Iron County, Wisconsin: Hurley, Kimball.
11.Ontario: Sault Saint Marie.
The Italian American Oral History Project spanned twenty years, with many individuals giving and collecting oral histories. The project's initiator was Greta Swenson, formerly of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, aided and encouraged by Msgr. David Spelgatti. Among the interviewers were Donna Anderson, Mary Adams Bone, Rick Filizetti, Pete Frecchio, Flora Fregerio, John Ghiardi, Bev Gschwind, Diane Kordich, Greg Nienwendorp, Adele Perugini, Greg Rose, Myron Re, Christine Sericati, Greta Swenson, Robert Varda, and Alycee Westphal. Besides the interviewers and interviewees, many unnamed people also helped by providing basic information on who to interview within a specific community. They are remembered and thanked as well.
Dr. Magnaghi donated the original tapes to the Northern Michigan University Archives. Two additional copies have been made to facilitate their use among researchers. They are available at the Michigan Collection in the Bentley Library at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and at the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.
Extent
19 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Bibliography
View This Collection Online
This collection is part of UPLINK, the Upper Peninsula Digital Network. You can see it on the UPLINK website here.
- Andriacchi, Bruno
- Andriacchi, Tony (Anthony P.)
- Arsenault, Remega Bosio
- Audiocassettes. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Ballario, Angeline
- Barbiere, Mary
- Barsotti, Ercole
- Bertoldi, John
- Bianchi, Maffeo
- Bonacci, Carmine
- Bono, John
- Bono, Victoria Perona
- Bonslett, Carmen Barasa
- Bracco, Anton
- Brosio, Henry
- Brunello, Tony
- Caliaro, Carlo
- Caliaro, Mary
- Cappo, Giovanna
- Cappo, Louis
- Centanino, Dominic
- Chetto, Sam
- Comensoli, Joseph
- Contratto, Paul
- Crispigna, Tomati
- Dani, Flossie
- DeFant, Michael
- DeMarin, Angeline
- DeMuri, Gildo
- DePaul, Joe
- Devine, Janet Barasa
- Dozzi, Felix
- Dozzi, Laura
- Dupras, Margherita
- Fera, Carlo
- Feruggi, Amerigo
- Fleury, Irma
- Gasbarro, Alfred
- Gedda, John
- Giorgetti, Filomena
- Girardi, Blanche
- Grego, Frank (Frank J.)
- Italian Americans. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Johnson, Rose
- Lerza, Louis
- Libertoski, Clara
- Lombardi, Louis
- Longhini, Dominic
- Lorenzetti, Bernice
- Lucchesi, Georgia
- Mancuso, Bessie
- Mancuso, Frank (Frank M.)
- Marcheschi, Ann
- Marcheschi, Lou
- Marta, John
- Masini, Assunta
- Mirabelli, Sante
- O'Neill, Katherine Torreano
- Opal, Catherine Fausone
- Oral histories (document genres). Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Perugini, Adele
- Perugini, Enis
- Peruzzi, Lydia
- Pianosi, Leno A.
- Poglese, Congetti
- Poglese, Joseph
- Pretto, Ernest
- Raffaele, Carmena
- Rastello, John B.
- Richetta, Tony
- Rovano, James
- Serena, Katherine
- Simondi, George
- Spelgatti, David
- St. Juliana, Armenia
- Stabile, John
- Taccolini, Frank
- Tomasi, Emil
- Upper Peninsula (Mich.). Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Valela, Frank
- Valesano, Amelia
- Valesano, Charles
- Varda, Peter
- Varda, Violet
- Vercellino, Isabelle
Creator
- Magnaghi, Russell M. (Person)
- Title
- Italian American Oral History Project
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives Repository
Harden Learning Resources Center 126
1401 Presque Isle Ave
Marquette 49855 United States
906-227-1225
906-227-1333 (Fax)
archives@nmu.edu
