Harold C. Aldridge, Jr. Oral History Collection

About the Collection

Between 1998-2002, Dr. Harold C. Aldridge, Jr. interviewed 22 African American educators in Oklahoma about their experiences before and after school integration. These interviews with coaches, teachers, principals, and superintendents from across Oklahoma reveal the variety and complexity of community responses to integration on a local level as well as the sacrifices and accomplishments of students and teachers alike in segregated school environments. In 2022, Dr. Aldridge published the unabridged transcripts of these interviews in his book, What if the Past was Lost Forever? Then Who Would Pass on What? Segregation and Desegregation in Oklahoma Public Schools.

Over the summer of 2025 the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program worked with Dr. Aldridge to digitize the Hi8 video recordings of his interviews as part of an effort to preserve and promote the stories of these educators. While the OOHRP works towards providing public access of these recordings, researchers are welcome to contact the OOHRP and inquire about in-person access of the recordings in the OSU Library.

Interview Participants

Aldridge, Harold C., Sr. - Teacher, coach, vo-tech coordinator, and principal in Taft

Brackeen, Curtis - Teacher, counselor, school administrator in McAlester and Muskogee

Dean, Lola Parker - Teacher and principal in Porter and Wagoner

Factory, Fred -  Vocational Education teacher, principal, administrator in Hennessey, Watonga, and Oklahoma City

Franklin, Sylvester - Teacher in Haskell

Hill, LeVell^

House, Elmer - Teacher, coach, principal in Grayson, Okmulgee

Johnson, Albert - Teacher, coach, counselor, principal, deputy superintendent in Lawton

Lacy, Ed - Coach in Tulsa

Lewis, Gertrude - Teacher in Center Point, Arkansas, Tom, and Broken Bow 

Luper, Clara - Teacher in Spencer, Pawnee, and Oklahoma City

Luster, Frank - Coach and teacher in Beggs and Adrmore

Parker, W.B.* - Vocational Agriculture teacher at Dunjee High School in Oklahoma City

Parker, W.G. - Vocational Agruiculture teachear, coach in Perry, Boynton, and Muskogee

Petit, Troy James - Teacher and coach in Tulsa

Sadberry, John - Teacher and principal in Oklahoma City

Schoats, Albert - Teacher and coach in Chandler, Hugo, Muskogee, and Langston

Schoats, Virginia - Teacher, counselor, assistant principal, VP of Academic Affairs in Paris, Arkansas, Poncy City, Taft, Haskell, Muskogee, Langston, and Tulsa

Sheppard, Maurice^

Stewart, Jesse - Teacher and coach in Altus, Lawton

Todd, Melvin - Teacher, Assistant and Vice Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Vice Chancellor in Lawton and Oklahoma City

 

*W.B. Parker's tape has not been found and therefore hasn't been digitized

^These interviews do not appear in Dr. Aldridge's book but have been digitized and are available for in-person access by request.

Other interviews

In 2004, Dr. Harold C. Aldridge, Jr. recorded three interview sessions with Dr. Chet Lombardi, World War II veteran and former educator at Northeastern State University, about his experience serving in World War II. These interviews have also been digitized and are available for in-person access by request.

View the Collection

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Contact Us

Oklahoma Oral History Research Program
207 Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-7685
liboh@okstate.edu

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