Early Women Workers at the Bloomington RCA Plant, 1990
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleEarly Women Workers at the Bloomington RCA Plant, 1990
Project No.
ohrc105
Interviews
9 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
Interviewees discuss working at the Bloomington RCA plant from the
1940s until the plant's closing in 1978. They describe the unions, family life,
immigration, Brown County farming, and work life.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains nine
interviews conducted in 1990. All interviews consist of audio tapes but are not transcibed.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Archer, Pauline F.
April 4,
1990
Call Number
90-105
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 67
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Pauline F. Archer describes her childhood and family life. She
discusses her experience at the Bloomington RCA plant and with the unions.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- unions
- family life
Interviewee
Burkhart, Freda Jane
March 19, 1990
Call Number
90-106
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 72
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Freda Jane Burkhart describes her experiences with the
Bloomington RCA plant. She also discusses secretarial work and working for
Indiana University.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University
-
-
Subjects
- secretarial work
Interviewee
Chestnutt, Jane
February 27,
1990
Call Number
90-107
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Jane Chestnutt describes what it was like to work at the
Bloomington RCA plant. She discusses promotions, management work, and
layoffs.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- job promotions
- factory management
- layoffs
Interviewee
Greene, Ruth Ann
April 10,
1990
Call Number
90-108
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 74
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ruth Anne Greene discusses working at the Bloomington RCA plant.
She describes union organization, union work, and other women workers.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- unionization
- union work
Interviewee
Henderson, Beatrice; Norris, Robert; Watson, Louis
April 4,
1990
Call Number
90-109
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 65
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Beatrice Henderson, Robert Norris, and Louis Watson discuss the
Bloomington RCA plant. They describe union organizing and work. The
interviewees also give job descriptions for some of the positions at the plant.
Farming in Brown Country is also discussed.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- factory job descriptions
- farming
Interviewee
Hoke, Joska
April 3,
1990
Call Number
90-110
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 81
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Joska Hoke describes the Bloomington RCA plant and changes that
were made in the plant. She also discusses immigration to this country.
Interviewee
Hueston, Judith
March 2,
1990
Call Number
90-111
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 82
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Judith Hueston discusses management at the Bloomington RCA
plant. She also talks about childhood in Bloomington.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- childhood
- factory management
Interviewee
Hunter, Alyce
March 13, 1990
Call Number
90-112
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 65
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Alyce Hunter discusses the Bloomington RCA plant. She describes
unions, job segregation, and job descriptions.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- unions
- factory job segregation
- factory job descriptions
Interviewee
Roll, Mary Frances
February 21,
1990
Call Number
90-113
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 67
minutes
Interviewer
Crosby, Emilye
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mary Frances Roll describes the Bloomington RCA plant. Some of
the topics she covers are employment in Bloomington, Indiana, women's
employment, and factory management.
-
Keywords
-
-
Subjects
- women workers
- factory management
