Madison County Oral Histories (63 total)

These oral history interviews were conducted by interviewers associated with Madison Historical and touch on various topics in Madison County history. These topics vary by interviewee.

Thumbnail	Title	Description	Date	Date Added
	Jeffrey Halcom Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Jeffrey Halcom describes growing up and attending Edwardsville Schools. He details his family's farm work and his later career with Granite City Steel. He discusses the various technological changes in farming and the steel industry. He also talks about the Bethalto Homecoming celebrations.	July 11, 2017	October 9, 2017
	Ed Hightower Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Ed Hightower describes growing up as an African American in the South. He details the adversity he faced throughout his career in education, often being the only African American administrator within the district. He highlights his achievements at the Edwardsville superintendent and discusses his involvement with the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities.	September 28, 2017	January 10, 2018
	Charles Jackson Oral History Interview	In this oral history, Charles Jackson discusses his family's involvement with the Western Military Academy in Alton. He describes his experience of attending a military high school, as well as how the military academy prepped its cadets for careers in the service. He describes why the military academy was shut down, and later his career as an educator for Triad High School.	July 16, 2017	February 2, 2018
	Tom Pile Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Tom Pile discusses his career as the head baseball coach at Edwardsville High School and details how the baseball team became one of the most successful in the country. He describes the various awards that he won over his career, as well as the impact that coaching has had on his life.	July 11, 2017	February 2, 2018
	Eleidys Guerra Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Venezuelan student Eleidys Guerra discusses moving to Madison County to study English, leaving behind a job and large family in Venezuela. She describes how she and her son have adapted to their new circumstances with no familiarity with English.	November 20, 2017	April 11, 2018
	Hal Patton Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Hal Patton describes growing up in Edwardsville as a young boy. He details his educational path and the challenges and success he has encountered through his career as a dentist and local politician. He talks about his time as a city alderman as well as his time as the mayor of Edwardsville. He explores the success of the community of Edwardsville and how he has helped aid in that process.	February 27, 2018	April 17, 2018
	Herman Shaw Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Herman Shaw describes his experiences with segregation and racial adversity throughout his life, both in his community and throughout his travels. He describes his experience as a young boy growing up in Missouri during the Great Depression and World War II. He then discusses his life after moving to Edwardsville in 1944 and how things have changed in that community over time. He describes how his education, his participation in sports, his service in the military, and key people in his life have influenced him. He also discusses his work at the Alton State Hospital, at University City High School, and his volunteer work with the Human Relations Commission in Edwardsville.	February 12, 2018	April 18, 2018
	John Cunningham Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, John Cunningham describes his experiences as the president of the Edwardsville branch of the NAACP. He begins by discussing his youth in Missouri, Alabama, and East St. Louis, and going to college at Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a young African American. He describes his career as a teacher in East St. Louis and as various administrative positions in Alton schools.	January 24, 2018	May 7, 2018
	Gary Niebur Oral History Interview	Gary Niebur is a lifelong resident of Edwardsville and was the Mayor for seven terms. In this interview, he talks about the development and growth of Edwardsville from the 1980s through the 2000s. Along with the economic growth, Niebur explains the challenges he faced as Mayor concerning residential, infrastructure, and property taxes.	January 10, 2018	May 7, 2018
	Stephanie Robbins Oral History Interview	In this oral history interview, Stephanie Robbins describes her experiences as an attorney in Madison County. She discusses her role as the first female assistant state's attorney in Madison County in the 1970s, particularly her success in helping to achieve rape convictions. She further talks about her experience as a special public defender, as well as the Democratic Party Machine in Madison County in the 70s and Madison County's reputation as a "judicial hellhole." She also briefly discusses her short time as a Spanish professor at SIUE in the early 70s and her experiences as a woman in law school.	January 30, 2018	May 7, 2018