Digital folder MSP00311 Mary O'Hara papers on Helen Bass Williams
Container
Contains 28 Collections and/or Records:
Interviews, 1951-2007, undated
Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2
Scope and Contents
Series includes audio recordings, transcripts, and notes from interviews conducted by Mary O'Hara as research for her doctoral dissertation. Interviews were predominantly conducted with Helen Bass Williams and many are narratives by Williams, recounting events and experiences during her life and in the Civil Rights Movement, however also include interviews with Williams' coworkers such as Mary Endres Fyfe, other individuals, and personal notes by O'Hara. Materials include microcassettes,...
Dates:
1951-2007, undated
Recordings, 1989-2007, undated
Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1
Scope and Contents
Sub-series includes audio recordings conducted by Mary O'Hara for her doctoral dissertation. Materials include microcassettes, cassettes, digital recordings, and envelopes containing the tapes.
Dates:
1989-2007, undated
Interview tapes and recordings, 1989 - 1992
File — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3
Scope and Contents
File includes original tapes of O'Hara's interviews with Helen Bass Williams and digitized audio files of each tape. For a list of the interviews, see the interview tape envelopes in File 1 or Appendix C, page 246, of O'Hara's dissertation, "Let it fly." A hard copy version of the dissertation is located in Series 4 and a digital version is available through ProQuest (linked below).
Dates:
1989 - 1992
"Fyfe interview", June 1992
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 1
Scope and Contents
Interview with Mary Fyfe, Williams' collaborator for the Head Start program in Mississippi. Interview is recorded on two tapes. Tape 2, Side B is blank.
Dates:
June 1992
"When my heart first opened to love; to religion; to pain", May 1989
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 2
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams where Williams tells three stories about her childhood. Recording is on Side A. Digital file is labelled MSP311i006_01a2. Unrelated content on MSP311i006_01a1.
Dates:
May 1989
"What to do about Irma", May 1990
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 3
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about Irma, a Black woman; the living conditions of poor, rural, Black communities in the South; and assistance from white students during the Civil Rights era. Recording is on the beginning of Side B from 0:00-21:22.
Dates:
May 1990
"The dispenser of grants", May 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 4
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about getting water access to a predominantly Black community. This story is also called, "The well". Recording is on Side B from 21:22-31:14 and cuts out at the end.
Dates:
May 1991
"Tessy and Spaghetti", September 1990
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 5
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about a mother, Tessy, and her young daughter, Spaghetti, who is beaten so badly in a parade that she is hospitalized. Recording is on the beginning of Side A from 0:00-15:00. Latter part of Side A is a recording of a lecture and was removed from the access copy due to copyright.
Dates:
September 1990
"Interview with Assistant Professor of Home Economics", undated
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 6
Scope and Contents
Interview by Mary O'Hara with one of Helen Bass Williams' coworkers from Purdue University. Recording is on Side B from 0:00-13:15. Unrelated content afterwards.
Dates:
undated
"Civil Rights interview", September 21, 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 7
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about her reflections on and involvement in the Civil Rights movement. Also titled, "Civil Rights movement reflections." Recording is on Side A. Side B is blank.
Dates:
September 21, 1991
"Red, black, and blue", February 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 8
Scope and Contents
Interviews with Helen Bass Williams about a man named Amos who tries to register to vote in Mississippi and is shot by a white Mississippian. Also titled, "Amos." Recording is on Side A from 0:00-15:57.
Dates:
February 1991
"Ice cream parlor interview", February 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 9
Scope and Contents
Interviews with Helen Bass Williams about Black issues witnessed in Colp, Illinois. Recording is on Side A from 15:57-30:21 and continues on Side B from 0:00-2:42.
Dates:
February 1991
"Julia and the adjacent ladders", February 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 10
Scope and Contents
Interviews with Helen Bass Williams about interactions between white women and Black men during the Civil Rights movements and Black women's reactions. Recording is on Side B from 2:42-13:02.
Dates:
February 1991
"Birth story", June 10, 1991 - June 16, 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 11
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about the story of her birth, childhood, and upbringing. Recording is on Side A.
Dates:
June 10, 1991 - June 16, 1991
"The closet", July 21, 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 12
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams where Williams compares her mind and heart to a closet that she can reach into for memories of people and events in her past. She discusses love, her mother, and living alone. Recording is on Side B from 0:00-4:18.
Dates:
July 21, 1991
"Mental institution notes", July 21, 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 13
Scope and Contents
Recording includes notes by O'Hara about Helen Bass Williams' experience in a mental hospital. Recording is on Side B from 4:18-7:41.
Dates:
July 21, 1991
"Civil Rights questions", September 1, 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 14
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about Williams' work with organizations, grants, and Mary Endres Fyfe. Recording is on Side B from 8:54-43:48.
Dates:
September 1, 1991
"Highlander interview", February 1991
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 15
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams where Williams discusses her work with the Highlander Folk School. Two separate copies of the same recording.
Dates:
February 1991
"Biographical interview", June 1990
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 16
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about Williams' life and her family. Recording is on Side A from 0:00-9:25.
Dates:
June 1990
"Spit", September 1990
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 17
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass William about a violent encounter Williams experienced with a group of white men in Mississippi. Recording is on Side A from 10:30-21:25. Leads into "Cage."
Dates:
September 1990
"Miss Helen and Ramsey", undated
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 18
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about her experience working with white and Black faculty, backlash for her work in the civil rights movement, and receiving a large grant for a Head Start program in Mississippi. Recording is on Side B from 0:00-16:09.
Dates:
undated
"Cage", September 1990
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 19
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about Williams' experience getting pulled over and put in jail while driving in the South. Also titled, "Jail Story." Recording starts on Side A from 21:25-24:28 and continues on Side B from 17:30-21:25.
Dates:
September 1990
"Notes on Helen Bass Williams", June 1995
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 20
Scope and Contents
Recording of Mary O'Hara's notes on Helen Bass Williams. Recording is on Side A. Side B is blank.
Dates:
June 1995
"The tooth pick", June 5, 1989
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 21
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams where Williams retells a story about an encounter with a white waitress during a lunch counter sit-in. Recording is on Side A from 5:58-9:45. Unrelated content from 0:00-2:13 and from 9:45-40:17.
Dates:
June 5, 1989
"The house beshitted", June 1989
Item — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 311, Series 2, Sub-series 1, File 3, Item 22
Scope and Contents
Interview with Helen Bass Williams about a Head Start/Map employee moving into a white neighborhood and the intimidation and property damage that ensues. This recording includes mentions of suicide. Also titled "Moving to a white neighborhood." Recording starts on Side B from 39:08-44:47 and continues on Side A from 2:15-5:28.
Dates:
June 1989