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The Keele Oral History Project

"Oral history is a method of gathering and preserving historical information through recorded interviews with participants in past events and ways of life" (Oral History Association).

Oral history complements official documents and records by providing a personal view of historical moments. The Keele Oral History Project was instigated at the first Pioneers Reunion in May 2005.

The memories of students are of value not just to themselves but also to posterity. Historians, sociologists, alumni, scholars and others will all benefit from the experiences they share for the project.

KEELE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT STORIES

AUDIO-VISUAL ACCOUNTS

• First Decade: The Origins of Keele University 1950-1962
• Coming of Age: Continuity and Change 1962-1973
  

STORIES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS

 

Keele Swans	Keele's Dragon
University Challenge Win	Levitation!
Fresher's Gate	Colours and Heraldry
An "Incident" on the Lawns	The Soundtrack of our (Keele) Lives
Early Pranks	The Leader of the Pack
Keele Klobber and the Brain Bunnies	Spies for Peace?
Declarations of Independence	Hollywood Pop Festival
Varsity and the Athletic Union Bell	Sam and the South African Scholarships
Skiff Ahoy and the New Union Building	John Lennon Interviewed
RAG at Keele	Legendary RAG Records
History through Building Names	Early Drama
Lindsay String Quartet	Early Overseas Exchanges
Winter at Keele	National and Wartime Service
Pioneering Keelites of Colour	Horwood's Lost Dandelion
Early Student Publications	Hut Life
Keele Song Book	The Gig of my (Keele) Life
'Our Keele' Standout Moment!	Sunny Daze at Keele
The Clock with No Hands

 HISTORY

• A Brief History of the Sneyd family, the Keele estate, the University College of North Staffordshire and Keele University

• History of Keele through Building Names
  
• Officers of the Students' Union and KRA/KPA
  
• Officers of the Athletic Union
  

KOHP Volunteers

 

    THANK YOU - FIRST DECADE and A COMING OF AGE

Many alumni have been involved in supporting the Project with donations of stories, photographs, interviews, ephemera, student and university publications, advice, stories and information.

Photo 1: Producers of "FirstDecade": John Groom (1956), Keith Clement (1956), Geoff Matthews (1957) and Brian Walker (1970). Not show: John Easom (1981) 

  

 

 

 

 

 
Photo 2: Producers of "A Coming of Age": Nici Hildebrandt (1975), John Easom (1981), Bill Proctor (1968), Brian Walker (1970), Phil Davies (1971) Gerry Northam (1970). Not shown; Pam Jones, Matt Bowling (2008) 

   

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